Mail Tribune Sports - Boise cuts down Timberjacks, 5-2

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Boise cuts down Timberjacks, 5-2 TJs maintain slim NWL lead over Portland BOISE -- John Palmieri belted two home runs and three Boise pitchers held Southern Oregon scoreless after the first inning as the Hawks defeated the slumping Timberjacks 5-2 in Northwest League baseball on Monday night. The Timberjacks saw their lead in the Southern Division of the NWL slip to just one game over Portland, which beat Yakima 4-3 Monday. The Timberjacks grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Matt Forbes led off the game with a home run and Mike Lockwood singled home Matt Howe. But that's all the offense Southern Oregon could muster as the T'jacks managed only three hits the rest of the way. The loss was Southern Oregon's fourth in their last six games. Boise tied the game in the second inning. Singles by Jon Palmieri and Gary Johnson preceded Ken Boeth's RBI double and then Tony Doudt knotted the game at 2 with a sacrifice fly. The score remained tied until the sixth when Palmieri greeted Timberjacks reliever Matt Gage with a solo home run. The Hawks added an insurance run in the seventh when Alfredo Amezaga singled and scored on Scott Vikowski's double. Palmieri lashed his second homer to left center for the game's final tally in the eighth. He finished the night 3-for-4 with two RBIs and three runs scored. Lockwood was the only Timberjack to manage two hits. Making a rare relief appearance, Gage was tagged with the loss. Justin Lehr pitched the first five innings, allowing four hits and two earned runs. The same two teams meet again today at 6:05 p.m. (PDT). Scott Chiasson will get the start for the Timberjacks. The two teams played in front of a crowd of 3,324 Monday night. Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune   Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, OR U.S.A.