Sachse, Everett Blast Off Former Spokane Prep Star Leads Aquasox Over Indians

At least Matt Sachse has a full year to plan a 21st birthday to compare with big No. 20.

Sachse, the Spokane native who tore apart Greater Spokane League pitching a scant two years ago, celebrated his 20th birthday in grand style Saturday. Heck, they even shot off fireworks at Seafirst Stadium after the Ferris High product homered, doubled and drove in three runs to guide Everett over the Spokane Inidans 8-7 before a season-high crowd of 7,253.

“You have to think of it as another day at the office,” Sachse said as a popular fireworks program sponsored the The Spokesman-Review lit up the field.

But it wasn’t just another day for Sachse, whose only other professional homer came last year against Portland. Not that the pleasant 6-foot-4 right fielder remembered the moment two much.

“It was a 3-2 fastball,” Sachse said. “Hey, it happens so rarely that you have to remember.”

With nearly 25 of his friends and family members in attendance, Sachse strolled to the plate in the first inning with one out, one run already in and runners on first and second. Spokane starter Ethan Stein (0-2), a 6-foot-7 right-hander, tried to sneak a 1-0 changeup past the left-handed Sachse.

Sachse slammed a towering shot over the right-field fence, approximately 370 feet away, for a 4-0 lead.

“(The Indians) had pitched to the (two) other left-handers somewhat similar, so I thought I knew what to expect,” Sachse said.

Spokane spent the rest of the night chipping away at the lead, but never quite catching the AquaSox (6-6), who won their third straight and lead Spokane by one game in the Northwest League’s North Division.

“That’s not the kind of team we are,” said Everett manager Roger Hansen. “We’ll score a few runs; but we’re usually not the type to score runs early. We rely on our pitching and defense.”

The Indians, who have lost six of eight, reached Everett starter Marty Weymouth (2-0) for three runs in the first. Tony Miranda, mired in a 1-for-23 slump, lined a three-run homer to left.

The AquaSox struck for two more in the third, with Sachse again in the middle of the action. He doubled to the opposite field with one out and socred on Ramon Valera’s perfect bunt single.

“I had a good game today,” said Sachse, who raised his batting average from .167 to .195. “I’ve been doing a lot of work with (hitting coach) Andy Bottin on using my hands right.

Weymouth, who entered with a 0.00 earned-run average through six innings, allowed six earned runs in 5-1/3 innings but escaped enough jams to earn the win. Rafael Rivera was sharp for 2-2/3 innings, then Jhonny Jiminez pitched a perfect ninth for the save.

The three-game series ends at 6:05 tonight, then the Indians begins a four-game set at Eugene Monday. Spokanes’s Aaron Lineweaver (0-1, 3.00 ERA) is scheduled to start today against Roger Blanco (0-1, 3.38), who lost to Spokane June 20.

Notes

Indians manager Bob Herold announced that Modesto Villarreal (1-2), Friday’s losing pitcher, will be sent to the bullpen to work on his mechanics. Brandon Baird (1-0, 2.25) of Wichita State will take Villarreal’s place in the starting rotation. Biard is a rodeo clown during the off-season. …All four NWL North Division teams began Saturday with 5-6 records. …Spokane’s average attendance of 5,574 is second-best in the league, behind Portland’s 10,098. …In-fielder Valera, new to the AquaSox roster, arrived in Spokane a couple of hours before the game and drew the starting assignment at second base. , DataTimes