Berger Meets Indians’ Criteria Paces Spokane Past Eugene 8-6 In Home Opener

Try this one on for size, Brandon Berger:

League leader in home runs.

Sure, it’s early, but the Eastern Kentucky University product became the first Northwest League player with two homers Friday.

For good measure, Berger added run-scoring doubles in the fifth and eighth innings as the Spokane Indians began their home schedule with an 8-6 win over Eugene at rain-drenched Seafirst Stadium.

Berger, 21, blasted a three-run shot Thursday during a win at Everett. For the 14th-round selection in this year’s amateur draft, the early power display contradicts his late-season play with the Colonels.

“I really struggled during the end of the season,” Berger said while enjoying a postgame hot dog.

“I’m really surprised,” he added. “I’m just trying to get the bat on the ball right now and good things are happening to me.”

Spokane (3-1) delighted an announced attendance of 6,337 that dwindled to less than 1,000 as showers fell in the fifth, seventh and eighth. The game, timed at 3 hours and 22 minutes, started 34 minutes late because of heavy rain.

Berger led off the second with a deep blast to left-center off Eugene starter Odalls Perez (0-1). The homer started a four-run second that gave Spokane what seemed a secure lead until the late stages.

Eugene (2-2) trailed 6-2 in the eighth but scored twice as four consecutive batters reached base off Donald Quigley, the third Spokane pitcher. Brandon Baird relieved and escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam by striking out Gavin Brown and Corey Pointer, who was ejected for arguing a called third strike.

“I’m the kind of guy who likes to pitch during the big innings,” Baird said.

“It’s a lot of fun to be out there with the game on the line.”

Brian Rust of the Emeralds hit a no-out, two-run homer in the ninth off Enrique Calero. John Arnold followed with a single before Calero retired the next three batters.

Spokane starter Stephen Hueston and Jake Chapman (1-0), who took over in the fourth, combined for 10 strikeouts in four innings. Eugene managed just Mark DeRosa’s RBI infield single in the first and Pooh Hines’ leadoff triple in the sixth off the pair. DeRosa scored Hines with a grounder to second.

Spokane pitchers have struck out 37 batters in 30 innings.

Kris Didion, whose slugging average is hovering around 1.000, started the Indians with an RBI single in the first. Roman Escamilla added a two-run double in the second.

Eugene shortstop DeRosa had a nightmarish night in the field, with four errors, including three during Spokane’s two-run eighth.

The four-game series continues at 7:05 tonight with Indians left-hander Scott Mullen of Dallas Baptist University starting against right-hander Joe Nelson of the University of San Francisco.

Notes

Catcher Juan Robles, who played briefly for the Indians last year, has been added to the roster. Robles hit .162 for the Gulf Coast (Fla.) Royals. … Two-time defending league champion Boise may be loaded up again. The Hawks have four batters hitting better than .400.

Indians 8, Emeralds 6

Eugene Spokane ab r h bi ab r h bi FHines 2b 3 2 2 1 Giambi rf 3 1 0 0 PHines 3b 1 0 0 0 Mirnda dh 4 0 0 0 DeRosa ss 3 0 1 2 Didion 3b 4 1 1 1 Johnsn cf 3 0 0 0 Pellw 1b 5 1 2 0 Cross ph-lf 2 0 0 0 Berger lf 5 1 3 3 Hacker 1b 3 0 0 0 Beltrn cf 2 1 1 0 Espada pr 0 0 0 0 Pitts pr-cf 1 0 0 0 Brown dh 4 0 0 0 Moore 2b 4 1 1 0 Rust 1b 3 2 0 1 Escamll c 4 1 1 2 Picktt cf-rf 3 1 0 0 Sees ss 2 1 1 0 Arnold c 4 1 2 1 Totals 32 6 6 5 Totals 34 8 10 6 Eugene 100 001 022 - 6 Spokane 140 010 02x - 8 E-DeRosa 4, Moore, Escamilla. LOBEugene 6, Spokane 10. 2B-Arnold, Berger. 3B-FHines. HRRust, Berger 2. SB- DeRosa, Didion. S-Giambi.

Eugene IP H R ER BB SO Perez L,0-1 2 4 5 3 1 1 Flach 2-1/3 3 1 1 2 3 Cochran 2-2/3 0 0 0 3 3 Koehler 1 3 2 0 0 0 Spokane IP H R ER BB SO Hueston 3 1 1 1 3 5 Chpmn W,1-0 4 1 1 1 0 5 Quigley 0 2 2 2 1 0 Baird 1 0 0 0 1 2 Calero 1 2 2 2 1 1 WP-Hueston, Baird, Cochran. PB-Arnold 2.

T-3:22. A-6,337.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 2 Photos (1 Color)