Wednesday, Jul. 01, 2009

Dust Devils win in 10 to sweep Spokane series

HERALD STAFF

SPOKANE -- Joseph Sanders' two-out RBI single in the top of the 10th inning lifted the Tri-City Dust Devils to a 6-5 victory over the Spokane Indians on Tuesday night at Avista Stadium.

The Dust Devils (9-2) swept the three-game series from their Highway 395 rivals. They now take on the Boise Hawks for three games at Gesa Stadium beginning at 7:15 p.m. today.

Sanders' heroics came after Spokane tied the game at 5 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Miguel Alfonzo hit his first home run of the season, a two-run shot to left, off Charles Ruiz.

Tri-City got the leadoff runner on in the 10th, but he was erased on a double play. Mike Zuanich then singled and moved to second on a wild pitch ahead of Sanders' grounder through the left side for his sixth RBI of the season.

Sanders finished the night 4-for-4 with a pair of doubles.

Tri-City fell behind 3-0 after one inning -- all three runs were unearned -- but exploded for five runs in the sixth to grab the lead.

Kent Matthes and Zuanich hit back-to-back home runs in the inning -- for Zuanich, it was his Northwest League-leading fifth of the season -- and Austin Rauch capped the outburst with a two-out, two-run single to center.

Matthes went 1-for-5 and saw his league-leading batting average to .429.

Zuanich also leads the league with 13 RBIs.

Ruiz ended up getting the victory. Kyle Walker struck out the side, working around a walk, to pick up his first save.