Everett AquaSox edge Spokane Indians on walkoff walk in 10th inning

EVERETT – Nick Starr walked Robert Perez with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning Sunday and the Everett AquaSox escaped with a 7-6 victory over the Spokane Indians in the rubber game of a three-game Northwest League series.

The Indians (6-7) grabbed a 6-5 lead in the top of the 10th. Derwin Barreto started the inning at second base per minor league rules. With one out, Everett reliever Travis Kuhn intentionally walked Blaine Crim and then unintentionally walked Francisco Ventura to load the bases. Alexander Ovalles drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly before Jonah McReynolds struck out to end the inning.

Starr took over for Spokane in the bottom half and promptly gave up a double to Connor Hoover putting runners on second and third. Trent Tingelstad reached on an error by Indians third baseman Cristian Inoa and Cesar Izturis Jr. scored to tie the game at 6. Starr intentionally walked Cade Marlowe to load the bases before walking Perez on five pitches to end the game.

Spokane trailed 2-0 before pushing across five runs in the top of the sixth. Jake Hoover and Barreto walked to start the inning and the pair moved up a base on Kenen Irizarry’s sacrifice bunt. Crim followed with a two-run single. Ventura’s single put runners at the corners and Ovalles delivered an RBI double. McReynolds doubled in the final two runs of the rally.

Everett (5-8) tied it with a three-run seventh off Indians reliever Nic Laio.

The Indians trail first-place Tri-City (7-7) by one-half game in the second half and they host the Dust Devils on Thursday after the three-day All-Star break.