PASCO -- The Spokane Indians scored two first inning runs and held off the Tri-City Dust Devils for a 5-3 win Saturday night at Gesa Stadium.
Ryan Strausborger got things going early for the Indians, leading off the game with a single, advancing to second on a balk by Edwar Cabrera, stealing third, and scoring on an infield ground ball hit by Andrew Clark. The next batter, Josh Richmond, would drive in Mike Olt to put the Indians ahead 2-0 after half an inning.
Tri-City would get on the board in the third when Dominic Altobelli drove in Nathan Hines with a double down the left-field line, but Spokane would answer right away in the fourth with an RBI double of their own, off the bat of Northwest League MVP Jared Hoying, who was 3 for 5 on the night. Hoying would score a run in the sixth, as Olt hit a two-run home run to put the Indians ahead 5-1.
The Dust Devils would score runs in the sixth and seventh to cut the deficit to 5-3, but were unable to add on more in the later innings.
Carlos Melo (1-0) earned the win with five innings of one-hit, one-run ball in his first start for the Indians.
The Indians wrap up the regular season tomorrow night at Gesa Stadium at 7:15 p.m. Game one of the postseason is at Yakima, Monday at 7:05 p.m.
