Smith Smack Two Bombs, Indians Fall Late 6-5

Spokane, WASH. - Three home runs by the Spokane Indians, including a pair from Chad Smith, weren't enough as Spokane fell 6-5 to the Hillsboro Hops. 6,907 fans packed Avista Stadium Friday night for Yoke's $1 Family Feast Night presented by Yoke's Fresh Market and 92.9 ZZU.
Trailing 2-0 in the second inning, Clayton Middleton continued to swing a hot bat and roped one over the fence in left field for his second home run in as many games. Later in the fourth inning, it was Middleton's bat that brought home another Indians' run. A fielder's choice scored Tyler Ratliff and gave Clay his second RBI of the game.
The game remained tied 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth until Chad Smith stepped to the dish. With Jonah McReynolds on, Smith unloaded on a pitch to right-center field for his second home run of the season. The bomb gave Spokane a 4-2 lead. Three innings later, it was Smith again with the long ball. This time he took a solo shot deep into the Pepsi Porch in right field that put the Indians ahead 5-3 heading into the ninth.
Spokane stood just three outs away from another victory, but the usually reliable bullpen had a difficult time finding the strike zone. With the bases loaded, the Indians walked in a run to make it a 5-4 game. Then with the bases still loaded, the next batter Yan Sanchez reached base on an error that allowed two more runs to come in. giving Hillsboro took a 6-5 lead and held on for the victory.
Even in the loss, Indians' starter Tyree Thompson had one of his better outings of the season. The righty out of New Orleans surrendered two runs in the first inning, but after that pitched four shutout innings with a pair of strikeouts.
It's also worth noting that Hillsboro centerfielder Tramayne Holmes had quite the game. Not only did he hit his first professional home run, but he made two spectacular catches in the outfield. One of which was a diving grab in left field after the ball was misplayed by leftfielder Dan Swain.
Spokane's homestand continues with game three of their five-game series against the Hillsboro Hops. Saturday night is Fireworks Night brought to you by Valley Glass, KAYU FOX 28, 93.7 The Mountain, 1510 KGA NW Sports Talk, and Norwest Sizzle. The game starts at 6:30 PM with gates opening at 5:30 PM. Tickets for all Spokane Indians home games are available to purchase at the Avista Stadium Ticket Office or at spokaneindians.com. Reserve your seats today by calling (509) 343-OTTO (6886) or TicketsWest at 1-800-325-SEAT.
The Spokane Indians are the Short Season Class 'A' Affiliate of the Texas Rangers. Ticket Packages and Hospitality Areas for the 2017 Spokane Indians are available now. Click here to view the 2017 schedule. For more information, please visit SpokaneIndians.com or call (509) 343-OTTO (6886). Parking at all Spokane Indians games is FREE.