Pair of All-Stars Bookend Spokane's 2-1 Victory

SPOKANE, Wash. - On a day where Hans Crouse and Emmanuel Clase were both named NWL All-Stars, it was only appropriate that they led the Indians to another victory. Crouse picked up his fifth win, Clase converted his eighth save, and Spokane defeated the Hillsboro Hops 2-1 in front of 4,170 humans and 104 good dogs on Bark in the Park Night & Azteca Taco Tuesday presented by the University of Washington, 103.9 BOB FM, and 94.1 The Bear. Spokane finished 5-3 on their season-long eight-game home stand, and the Indians are tied atop the NWL North Division in the second half.

All the scoring in this one took place in the third inning. Hillsboro got a pair of two-out hits to take a 1-0 lead. Spokane responded in the bottom half. Isaias Quiroz led off the inning with an infield single. Two batters later, Starling Joseph stepped up and hit a bullet to left field that was just high enough to clear the 14-foot high wall. The two-run homer was the sixth of the season for Joseph and gave the Indians a 2-1 lead.
That was all the offense Spokane's pitching staff needed. Hans Crouse wasn't as dominant as his last two home starts, but he still was plenty effective to hold the Hops in check. Crouse (W, 5-1) scattered four hits over five innings and struck out six. It was the fourth consecutive win for Crouse and his five wins on the season rank at the top of the NWL.
Bobby Eveld and Austin Pettibone came on in relief and pitched three perfect innings, striking out four. Emmanuel Clase followed suit and pitched a perfect ninth on seven pitches. The trio of Eveld, Pettibone, and Clase retired all 12 batters they saw in order. Clase (SV, 8) leads the league in saves and now has eight straight scoreless appearances. He's given up just one hit in nine innings across those eight appearances, converting seven saves.
Next up, the Indians hit the road for the next 13 days with a five-game series with Eugene, the NWL All-Star Break, and another five-game series in Boise. The boys return home on August 14^th to open a three-game series with the Everett AquaSox. The August 14^th game will be Future Texas Rangers & Azteca Taco Tuesday presented by Freedom RV and 94.1 The Bear. Flash-forward to the future of the Texas Rangers! Indians players will be wearing special edition Texas Rangers gear that will be auctioned off during the game in a silent auction with proceeds benefiting the Special Olympics of Eastern Washington. Plus, Freedom RV is giving away a free trip to Las Vegas. Also, get a taco & tots for $3 for Taco Tuesday! Stick around after the game for Dairy Queen Circle the Bases. Gates open at 5:30 PM with first pitch at 6:30 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.