AquaSox beat Indians 8-5 in first game of playoff series
Published 10:05 pm Thursday, September 8, 2016
SPOKANE — The Everett AquaSox took advantage of six Spokane Indians errors to win the first game of their best-of-three Northwest League North Division Series 8-5 before 2,269 fans Thursday at Avista Stadium.
The playoff victory was the first for Everett (1-0 postseason) since the AquaSox won the NWL title in 2010. Spokane (0-1) will have to win two straight to advance to the NWL Championship Series.
Now the series shifts back to state’s west side as earlier Thursday the AquaSox and Seattle Mariners announced that Game 2 of the North Division Series will be played Friday at 7:15 p.m. at Safeco Field in Seattle.
Tickets are $12 and will be on sale beginning at 10 a.m. at the Safeco Field box office. Gates open at 6 p.m. and all seats will be in the box seats on the 100 level between the dugouts.
Game 3, if necessary, would be played Saturday night at Everett Memorial Stadium.
Just three of Everett’s eight runs were earned Thursday and the Indians out-hit the AquaSox 11-7. But five Everett pitchers combined to work out of jam after jam as Spokane stranded 11 on the night.
Nursing a 5-4 lead in the eighth, the AquaSox scored three times without the benefit of a hit. Two hit batters and two walks forced in one run, and Spokane second baseman Blaine Prescott booted Eric Filia’s ground ball then threw it away, allowing two more runs to score as Everett extended its lead to 8-4.
The AquaSox scored three times in the top of the third and two more in the fourth to take a 5-1 lead. Starter Brandon Miller ran into trouble in the fifth and was lifted for reliever Jeffeson Medina with two on and one out.
Medina promptly allowed a home run to Charles LeBlanc that cut Everett’s lead to 5-4. That’s how it stayed until the top of the eighth.
The Indians opened the bottom of the first inning with back-to-back hits and Leody Tavares scored when Luis Torrero reached on a fielder’s choice.
The Frogs took the lead in the top of the third. Austin Grebeck reached on a single and advanced to second on an error. Bryson Brigman drove in Grebeck to tie the game, Filia chased home Donnie Walton and Brigman scored on a sacrifice fly from Nick Zammarelli for a 3-1 lead.
Everett tacked on two more in the top of the fourth. Nick Thurman singled and scored on an RBI groundout by Austin Grebeck and Yojhan Quevdo doubled and scored on an error as the Sox increased the lead to 5-1.
Lane Ratliff earned the win with two innings of scoreless, one-hit relief. He struck out two and walked one. Paul Covelle relieved Thomas Burrows with one out in the ninth to pick up the save.
Brigman finished with two hits, and Walton scored twice for the Frogs.
Matt Festa (6-2, 3.73 ERA) will start for Everett on Friday against Spokane’s Kyle Cody (2-5, 5.13).
