Hunter Williams pitched two shutout innings in relief for the Boise Hawks Friday, earning the win on the mound in a 7-4 Hawks victory in their season opener against Spokane.
Hunter Williams pitched two shutout innings in relief for the Boise Hawks Friday, earning the win on the mound in a 7-4 Hawks victory in their season opener against Spokane.
Danny Edgeworth drove in a pair of runs and the Boise Hawks got solid pitching performances through the first six innings before holding off the Spokane Indians 7-4 on Friday night in the season opener for both Northwest League teams in Spokane.
The Hawks took the first game in a five-game series in Washington.
The Hawks wasted no time getting thing started for the season, scoring two runs in the top half of the first inning to take the lead.
Luke Morgan and Cade Harris started with back to back singles, then Morgan scored on a wild pitch by Indians pitcher Royce Bolinger, then Edgeworth drove in Harris with a one-out single, giving the Hawks a 2-0 lead.
Boise extended on that lead to 3-0 in the fourth innings when Daniel Jipping doubled to start the inning, stole third base and scored on a sacrifice fly by Luis Castro.
Meanwhile, Boise starter Pearson McMahan got the Hawks out to a solid start on the mound, pitching four shutout innings, allowing three hits and striking out two.
McMahan found himself in trouble in the first inning, loading the bases with just one out. But a strikeout and a pop out got him out of the inning without any runs surrendered.
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He only allowed one more runner to reach second base before Hunter Williams relieved him to start the fifth inning. Williams pitched two more shutout innings, striking out three.
Boise added three more runs in the fifth inning, with Morgan again scoring on a wild pitch, Edgworth driving in Harris again and Jeff Bohling drawing a bases loaded walk to give the Hawks a 6-0 lead.
Spokane finally got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the seventh inning, taking advantage of three walks and one batter hit by pitch to score four runs on two hits and close the Hawks' lead to just two runs.
But that proved to be all the offense Spokane could muster on the night, as Jefry Valdez pitched two shutout innings and Hayden Roberts struck out two in the ninth inning to earn the save.
Williams earned the win on the mound.
The two teams are back on the field with a 7:30 p.m. game tonight. Riley Pint is the expected starter for the Hawks.
