Spokane, WA - Second baseman Cam Schiller came to the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning with two runners on and the Indians trailing by one... the deficit didn't last long. On the first pitch he saw from Boise reliever Eduardo Orozco (2-1), Schiller drilled a two-run double into the gap, propelling the Indians to a 6-5 comeback win over the Hawks in front of 6,913 fans at Avista Stadium for a Yoke's $1 Family Feast Night presented by Yoke's Fresh Market and 92.9 ZZU.
Schiller's clutch hit gave the Indians their first lead of the game after they fell behind 5-2 in the fourth inning. Boise tagged Spokane starter Jose Valdespina for six hits and five runs, but reliever Richard Alvarez kept the Hawks off the board for the next 3.2 innings to open the door for an Indians comeback.
Spokane started chipping away at the deficit in the fifth inning with a long home run from third baseman Ryan Rua over the AAA sign in center field. Boise still led 5-3 heading to the eighth, but red hot Joe Maloney brought the Indians within one run on an opposite field homer off the top of The Depot in right field. Smerling Lantigua and Gabriel Roa followed Maloney's mash with base hits, setting the stage for Schiller's late-game heroics.
Southpaw Joseph Burns (1-1), who celebrated his 23rd birthday before tonight's game, picked up the win with a scoreless eighth inning. Closer Josh McElwee allowed no hits while striking out one to collect his seventh save of the season.
Tomorrow is the second game of a three game series against the Hawks and is Fireworks Night presented by Hallmark Suzuki and The Big 99.9 Coyote Country. Watch the Indians battle for first place in the NWL East and then stick around for another great fireworks show immediately following the game courtesy of Hallmark Suzuki. Tickets for all Spokane Indians home games are available for purchase at the Indians Ticket Office or at spokaneindians.com. Reserve your seats today by calling (509) 343-OTTO (6886) or TicketsWest at 1-800-325-SEAT.
