Herald staff
SPOKANE – Some things bear repeating.
Last season the AquaSox began their Northwest League season on the road and won four of five games before returning to Everett to sweep their first home series.
They’ll look to duplicate that start beginning with today’s 6:05 p.m. home opener against Salem-Keizer at Everett Memorial Stadium.
The Sox set up the possibility with their fourth victory in five games Saturday at Spokane’s Avista Stadium, beating the Indians 6-2.
Leadoff batter Vincente Rosario sparked the Everett offense with three hits in five at-bats and three runs scored. Blake Woods delivered the coup de grace with his two-run home run in the eighth inning.
Relief pitcher Skip Wiley (1-0) got the win, throwing three scoreless innings.
Fellow relievers Daniel Head and Russ Morgan each pitched 1-2-3 innings as the Everett bullpen retired the last 12 Spokane batters in a row.
The AquaSox broke a 2-2 tie in the fifth against relief pitcher Hipolito Reyes (0-1). They loaded the bases with no outs on a single and two walks, but the hoped-for big inning never materialized.
Everett settled for a single run on a sacrifice fly by Eduardo Figueroa as three straight batters flew out.
Everett got an insurance run in the seventh. Rosario led off with a double, moved to third on a single by Miguel Villilo and scored on another sacrifice fly by Figueroa.
Woods hit his second home run of the series in the eighth after John Williamson had reached base on an error.
Wiley stranded runners at second and third in the bottom of the fifth. Marcus Chandler and Mel Stocker had back-to-back one-out singles. They advanced on a groundout. But Wiley induced James Shanks to pop up.
Chris Fallon’s pinch-hit single leading off the sixth would be Spokane’s last hit and he would be the Indians’ last baserunner.
Rosario led off the game with an infield hit. He advanced to second on a passed ball, stole third and, after Villilo walked, came home on a single by Greg Dobbs.
Villilo tagged and took third on a fly out by Figueroa. An out later, Dobbs stole second and Williamson drew a walk to load the bases.
Woods followed with a single to drive in Villilo. Dobbs also tried to score on the hit, but was thrown out at home by Chandler, the right fielder.
After that spot of trouble, Spokane starter Tim Adinolfi retired seven straight batters before giving up a one-out infield hit to Williamson in the fourth. Rene Rivera later stroked a two-out double down the left-field line. But Adinolfi retired Jose Lopez on a grounder to short to strand the runners.
The Indians got a run back in the bottom of the second inning when William Pieper led off with Spokane’s first home run of the season.
Spokane got even in the third. Stocker led off with a single and was forced at second on a grounder to third by Luis Cotto. Cotto stole second and scored on a two-out single by Matt Fox.
Those were the only runs off Everett starter Beau Hintz, who worked the first four innings.
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