01:00 AM EDT on Saturday, April 9, 2005

BY DAN HICKLING
Special to the Journal

INDIANAPOLIS -- If the Pawtucket Red Sox have shown nothing else through the first two days of the young season, they have at least exhibited plenty of fight.

Last night, after trailing the Indianapolis Indians by four runs in the seventh inning, the PawSox pulled themselves all the way back only to lose, 7-6, on Graham Koonce's walk-off homer to lead off the bottom of the ninth.

Koonce's homer came off PawSox reliever Jason Kershner (0-1), who had come on in the eighth.

"I was just looking for a good pitch to hit," he said. "I'd been having a rough night. I was looking for a pitch to drive. Dropping over the fence was just something extra."

This heartbreak came one day after the PawSox nearly pulled off an Opening Day miracle by rebounding from six runs down to the Indians, before eventually losing, 7-5.

"We've played really hard," said Pawtucket manager Ron Johnson. "I'm really proud of this club, right now."

Lefty starter Abe Alvarez, one of the elite pitching prospects in the Red Sox' chain, scuffled throughout his Triple-A debut, lasting just four innings, giving up five earned runs (on four hits and two walks). He gave way to reliever Tim Kester while trailing, 6-2.

Still, he was bailed out by his mates, who scored four runs in the seventh to knot the score at 6-6.

The PawSox struck the first blow, after George Lombard led off the game with a double to center. Luis Figueroa sacrificed him to third. Then, after Dave Berg walked, Shawn Wooten's single brought Lombard home.

Pawtucket later loaded the bases with two away, but Indians starter Cory Stewart got Jeff Bailey to hit into a rally-killing fielder's choice.

Indy replied with an unearned run in the bottom of the first.

Then, in the second, PawSox starter Abe Alvarez, making his Triple-A debut, was tagged for a three-run homer by shortstop Jorge Velandia, which put Indy up 4-1.

In the top of the fourth, Kelly Shoppach led off and muscled an opposite-field home run over the right-field fence, making it 4-2.

Two outs later, Chip Ambres doubled to left but was stranded when Velandia made a sensational diving snag at short and nipped Alejandro Machado at first.

Alvarez served up a two-run shot to Ray Sadler in the bottom of that frame to make it 6-2.

"He wasn't as crisp as he can be," said Johnson. "But at times he was. He got his feet wet, and every outing is just going to get better."

Pawtucket wasted two more runners in the fifth, after both Lombard and Figueroa singled with none out, only to have Stewart close out the side.

But in the seventh, Pawtucket chased reliever Brian Reith, scoring four times while taking advantage of three Indian errors.

Justin Sherrod got a clutch RBI single on a full-count offering by Reith, after battling back from 1-2.

Ambres later singled in two more runs, putting matters back to Square One.

"We battled back, and had a chance," said Johnson. "Hey, (Koonce) got a hold of one. That's going to happen."

Indians reliever C.J. Nitkowski pitched the final 2 1/3 innings and picked up the win.