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Spokane Indians

Spokane Indians can’t solve Everett’s Johmbeyker Morales

By Josh Horton joshho@spokesman.com

Johmbeyker Morales is a player the Everett AquaSox’s struggled to get into the lineup earlier this season.

But after an 8 for 14 series, topped off with a 4 for 5 performance in a 8-5 victory over the Spokane Indians at Avista Stadium on Thursday, it will difficult to keep him off the field.

“I’ve been working really hard,” said Morales, who recorded his first hit on Sunday against Boise. “He chose me for the team and it’s working out.”

Morales, who hails from Aragua, Venezuela, is one of several Mariners’ players to come out of the club’s Dominican Republic academy, which was unveiled in 2014. For many of these players, fighting to stay in the minor leagues and playing baseball lends itself to a terrific work ethic, according to AquaSox assistant coach Brian Hunter.

Morales is no exception.

“They work really hard for this opportunity and to get to this country … In Latin Countries, it’s either baseball or nothing” Hunter said. “You can’t take credit away from guys that work really hard and this is all a part of a process for him.”

Morales, 22, was first signed by the Mariners and 2012 and played two seasons with their Venezualan Summer League club. He first appeared in the United States with the AZL Mariners and has bounced around, with various stints with three different of Seattle’s minor league affiliates before settling in with the AquaSox this season.

After a five-run first inning, Everett would not trail for the rest of the game. Kristian Brito smacked a three-run home run that barely stayed fair down the left-field line. Bryson Brigman scored on a fielder’s choice from Eric Filia to start the scoring barrage and Johmbeyker Morales hit an RBI single to push the AquaSox’s lead to five.

The Indians responded in the bottom of the second. With the bases loaded, Preston Scott scored on a walk from Stephen Lohr, Elio Castillo hit an RBI single and Chad Smith hit a sacrific fly to bring in Charles LeBlanc. Brallan Perez’s RBI single to right field cut Everett’s lead to 5-4 and brought the Indians within striking distance.

But the AquaSox would rough up Spokane reliever Kevin Lenik in the fourth with RBI singles from Austin Grebeck and Nick Thurman to give Everett a three-run lead, a deficit the Indians could not recover from.

The Indians travel to Vancouver for a three-game series before returning home for a five-game series with Boise, starting on Monday.