Indians rally again to win

There is no quit in the Spokane Indians.

Once again, the Indians came from behind on Wednesday night to beat the Eugene Emeralds 6-5 in the 10th inning on a game-ending home run by Steve Murphy.

It was the Indians’ sixth come-from-behind win of the season. And it has given the team an “it-ain’t-over-til-it’s-over” attitude.

“We might be down five runs and it doesn’t matter,” said Murphy. “We’ll have the attitude that we are going to come back.”

And in three of their last five games, the Indians (9-7) have done so.

The Indians trailed 5-3 in the ninth inning and a comeback seemed unlikely with Northwest League saves leader Alfredo Fernandez on the mound for Eugene.

But “there is nobody on this team that will ever quit,” said Wally Backman Jr., who tied the game in the ninth with a two-out, two-run single.

After Broc Coffman shut out the Emeralds (9-7) for a second consecutive inning in the 10th, Brandon Higelin replaced Fernandez in the bottom of the inning.

Two pitches later, Murphy sent the 3,167 in attendance home with a home run over the right-field wall.

Manager Greg Riddoch said that many clubs shut down in the late innings of a game when the team is down.

“These guys don’t do that,” he said. “They just keep coming back. (The past come-from-behind wins) instills that is never too late.”

The ninth-inning rally got started with two outs and John Mayberry Jr. at first. Joe Kemp and Joey Hooft singled to right to load the bases for Backman.

Backman, who hadn’t played since Sunday, drove in Mayberry and Kemp to get his first RBIs of the year. K.C. Herren drew a walk after Backman to load the bases once more, but German Duran struck out to send the game to extra innings.

“I was just thinking, ‘Drive the ball down the middle of the field,’ ” said Backman. “If I don’t win it, someone else will. We’re a bunch of tough guys. We’ve got good chemistry and we don’t quit.”

Murphy’s home run, his third of the season, was the second game-ending blast at Avista Stadium.

The Indians had a hard time figuring out Eugene’s starter Stevie Delabar at the start of the game.

The Indians only managed four hits during the five innings Delabar pitched.

Spokane tied the game at 3-all in the seventh, but Eugene retook the lead in the eighth with two runs.

In that inning, with a runner in first, Tom Van Buskirk fielded a grounder by Daryl Jones but threw the ball over Freddie Thon’s head. Jones moved to second and Santiago Guerrero, who led off the inning with a single, went to third on the error.

Van Buskirk struck out the next runner, Billy Richardson, but was then removed by Riddoch. Coffman came in and got Jodam Rivera to hit a grounder to Duran, but Duran misplayed the ball.

Duran’s error allowed Guerrero to score. Van Buskirk was tagged with the runs and Coffman got out of the inning without allowing another.

Notes

Catcher Ben Crabtree, who left the game in the top of the sixth inning, likely broke his right hand, his throwing hand, Riddoch said he was told by the team trainer. … Texas Rangers roving instructors Tim Ireland and Brook Jacoby worked with the players prior to the game. They’ll be here the remainder of the series. … Tonight’s probable starters are Brett Zamzow (0-0, 4.73 ERA) for Spokane and Cesar Ramos (0-0, 0.00) for Eugene.