Hot Volcanoes sweep Indians

Unlike their previous two games, the Spokane Indians didn’t wait until the ninth inning Friday night to either make a comeback or fall apart – they did both in the first inning.

But the final result was the same, a fifth consecutive loss to the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, 9-7, to conclude their opening series of the Northwest League season.

A seventh-inning grand slam by the Volcanoes’ Mike McBryde put the Indians on their heels, but they fought back before falling short in front of a sellout crowd at Avista Stadium.

“I’m happy the way we fight through and keep building opportunities,” Indians manager Mike Micucci said.

Spokane started the game with back-to-back fielding errors in the first inning. Starting pitcher Kasey Kiker committed the second error and then walked the third batter. A sacrifice fly brought in one run for the Volcanoes, followed by a three-run home run by S-K’s Thomas Neal to make it 4-0.

In the Indians’ first at-bat, leadoff Craig Gentry got his first hit of the season when a check swing turned into a bunted ball that Gentry beat out.

Right fielder Wally Backman Jr., who leads the Indians with a .333 average, scored Gentry when he hit a home run into the right-field “Grotto.”

Soon after, Steve Marquardt and Chad Tracy singled and Chris Kemp walked. Shortstop Jay Heafner then drove in Marquardt with a single.

Before the inning was over the Indians went through their entire lineup, picking up five hits en route to three runs.

S-K added another run in the second on an error and a single. Spokane returned the favor in the bottom of the inning when Backman walked and scored on Gerrard’s double.

The score stayed 5-4 until the McBryde’s seventh-inning grand slam.

Spokane fought back, adding a run in the seventh and two in the eighth. In the seventh, Gentry doubled and scored on Marquardt’s single.

Spokane loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth with no outs. Johnny Washington brought Tracy home with a sacrifice fly. A wild pitch scored Kemp from third as the Indians narrowed the deficit to 9-7.

The Indians put two runners on in the ninth, but Tracy flew out to end the game.

Tracy ended the night 3 for 5.

“It’s frustrating. I had a good game personally, but as long as we don’t win, it doesn’t matter,” Tracy said.

Heafner, Gentry, Gerrard and Marquardt all had two hits apiece as the Indians outhit the Volcanoes 13-8.

The second Volanoes pitcher, Kelvin Pichardo, picked up the win, striking out nine Indians in 4 1/3 innings. Fifteen Spokane batters struck out.

Spokane will hit the road today for a five-game series against the Eugene Emeralds followed by a three-game series against the Yakima Bears. They will be back home on July 2 for a three-game series against the Tri-City Dust Devils.

Note

Today marks the 60th anniversary of the 1946 bus crash that killed nine Indians club members. There was a pregame ceremony to remember the players who lost their lives in the crash.