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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Indians claim East Division championship

Playoffs open Thursday at Avista Stadium

BOISE – David Paisano took the suspense out of the pennant race by batting the Spokane Indians to a 4-1 victory Friday night in the opening game of their season-ending six-game Northwest League home-and-home baseball series against second-place Boise Hawks.

Paisano slugged a three-run home run in the fifth inning to break a 1-1 tie to back masterful pitching by Indians ace Wilfredo Boscan to clinch the East Division championship at Memorial Stadium.

Paisano, batting third in the order, also doubled in the first inning and singled in the third before hitting his sixth homer.

Boscan, meanwhile, improved to 9-1 for the season and lowered his earned run average to 3.12. He allowed four hits in seven innings.

Joey Butler walked in the second and was doubled to third base by Dennis Guinn before being picked off by Hawks starter Christopher Carpenter on a fielder’s choice. Doug Hogan, however, singled to left field, scoring Guinn.

Boise tied the game in the fourth.

The first two Indians batters in the top of the fifth went out before the Indians reeled off four successive hits, including Paisano’s homer that scored Jared Bolden and Jacob Kaase.

Boscan retired the final 10 batters he faced before giving way to the bullpen in the seventh.

Spokane (48-23) leads the Hawks (41-30) by seven games and has two remaining in Boise. The Indians end the season with three games in Spokane.

The Indians will host either Salem-Keizer or Eugene at Avista Stadium in the first two games of the league playoffs, Thursday at 6:30 p.m. and Friday at 1:30. Tickets go on sale Monday.