Indians get acquainted, settle for exhibition tie

The Spokane Indians might not know one another’s names yet, but they still took the field Thursday for a friendly game of baseball.

The Indians tied the Spokane RiverHawks 1-1 in an exhibition game in front of a crowd of 415 at Avista Stadium.

The seven-inning exhibition gave the Indians their first chance to play together as a team and the RiverHawks, a West Coast Collegiate League team, got a little taste of what it’s like to play in the minor league circuit.

The scoreboard remained dormant until Indians center fielder Craig Gentry opened the bottom of the third inning with a walk. Gentry advanced to third with two stolen bases, allowing left fielder Chris Davis to hit him in with a grounder to shortstop.

The RiverHawks answered with a home run to left field by first baseman Chase Powell in the fourth.

There were several scoring opportunities for the Indians to break the tie, but they couldn’t pull through.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Indians’ Cody Himes struck out swinging with two outs and the bases loaded.

Gentry was also in scoring position in the bottom of the seventh, but he was stranded.

“We did a lot of good things,” Indians manager Mike Micucci said. “We had a chance and that’s all we can ask for.”

Micucci and Gentry said the team was getting the “cobwebs” out.

Gentry, a 10th-round draft pick, struck out in his first at-bat as the leadoff hitter, but he finished 2 for 3 with three stolen bases and the Indians’ lone run.

“After the strikeout, I relaxed,” Gentry said. “My first at-bat I was really nervous, but then I played relaxed.”

Micucci was pleased with Gentry’s performance and especially with his speed. He knew Gentry had speed going into the exhibition game and wanted to see what he could do with it.

“I knew if I got a good jump, I’d take the bag,” Gentry said. “We got one run out of it.”

Gentry and the rest of the Indians were trying to get used to their new teammates.

The Indians’ Jose Jaimes, from the Arizona rookie league, started on the mound, pitching four innings with four strikeouts and giving up Powell’s homer.

Pitchers took turns each inning, starting in the fifth. The RiverHawks worked their bullpen, subbing every inning to test the pitchers’ arms.

Proceeds from the exhibition game will be donated to the YMCA/YWCA Capital Campaign.

The Indians will open their Northwest League season at 6:30 p.m. Monday when they host the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes at Avista Stadium.

While the Indians are in town, the RiverHawks will open their season on the road today against the Kelowna (British Columbia) Falcons.