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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Report scores and results to 425-339-3470 or 1-866-6-SCORES (Call after 4:30 p.m.) E-mail information including items for Tuesday's Communities Sports Roundup and Thursday's Outdoor Calendar, to sports@heraldnet.com Kevin Brown, Sports Editor kbrown@heraldnet.com   Published: Saturday, June 27, 2009 AquaSox win third in a row Royster's double in seventh keys Everett to 6-3 win By John McDonald Herald Writer EVERETT -- Ryan Royster figured he owed one to his Everett AquaSox teammates. In the top half of the seventh inning, he misplayed a ball in left field, letting the Spokane Indians take the lead in Saturday's Northwest League baseball game at Everett Memorial Stadium. Then, in the bottom half of the inning, both batters in front of him beat out bunts to load the bases. "When guys get great at bats in front of you, you want to reward them," Royster said. And reward them he did with a two-run double which helped the AquaSox (5-3) beat Spokane 6-3 for their third straight victory. Prior to Royster's game-winning hit, Everett relief pitcher Kyle Brown, who gave up two runs in one inning in his first appearance of the season, suffered a similar fate Saturday. He gave up a leadoff single to Clark Murphy, who was sacrificed to second. Then surrendered a two-out RBI single to Cody Pedroza, allowing the Indians to tie the score at 2-2. Pedroza took second on Royster's error and scored the go-ahead run on a single by Danny Lima. The lead didn't last long, though. In the bottom half of the seventh, the Aqua Sox' Ben Billingsly drew a leadoff walk. Jose Rivero and Anthony Phillips both bunted, attempting to advance baserunners, and both succeeded in beating out their bunts. Then Royster dumped a two-run double to right over a leaping first baseman, and Hawkins Gebbers followed with a two-run double off the wall in straightaway center. The two-bagger extended Gebbers hitting streak to eight games. Ironically, the offensive outburst made a winner out of Brown (1-0). Brad Reid and Brandon Pullen (first save) followed Brown with one scoreless inning each. Spokane capitalized on a lapse in control by Everett starter Luke Burnett to tie the score at 1-1 in the third. Burnett walked two of the first three batters he faced, then hit Lima with a pitch to load the bases. Miguel Alfonso followed with a sacrifice fly to right to drive in Denny Duron. "I had a few hitters where it fell apart on me," Burnett said. "But I got right back after it and it felt good." Everett regained the lead in the bottom half of the third. Phillips led off with an infield single, took second on an errant pickoff attempt, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by Gerardo Avila. Spokane starter Ben Henry struck out the side in the second inning. But taking the sting out of the strikeouts was a solo home run by Juan Fuentes, his first of the season.

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