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Spokane Indians

Nic Kent continues hot streak, Spokane Indians knock off Everett 9-6

By Dave Nichols daven@spokesman.com(509) 459-5441

EVERETT – Nic Kent continued his hot streak and the Spokane Indians beat the Everett AquaSox 9-6 in the opener of a six-game Northwest League series at Funko Field on Tuesday. 

The Indians improved to 13-17 in the second half.

Kent went 2 for 5 with a home run and two RBIs. He has four homers and seven RBIs in his last seven games. The homer extended his hitting streak to nine games and he’s hitting .447 (17 of 38) over the stretch.

Indians outfielder Braiden Ward led off the first inning with a single. He stole second base, went to third on a throwing error by the catcher and scored on an RBI single by Jamari Baylor. 

Kent then clubbed a long homer to left field to make it 3-0. 

In the bottom half, Everett’s Cole Young reached on an infield single off the glove of Kent at second base, then consecutive errors by Ryan Ritter and Jamari Baylor loaded the bases with no outs. 

After a strikeout, Walking Cabrera crushed one over the wall in right centerfield for a grand slam. 

The Indians tied it in the second. Ben Sems singled and scored when centerfielder Blake Rambusch fumbled Ronaiker Palma’s single.

After AJ Lewis singled the AquaSox went to the bullpen, but the hits kept coming as Ward reached on an infield single against reliever Bernie Martinez, then Juan Guerrero’s RBI single to made it 5-4. 

Martinez walked Sterlin Thompson to force in a run, then Baylor followed with an RBI single. Kent grounded into a double play, but a run scored to put the Indians up 8-4.

Seattle Mariners No. 3 prospect Gabriel Gonzalez hammered his sixth High-A homer in 10 games, a solo shot, in the third. 

Ritter added an RBI double in the seventh to make it 9-5, and Young, the Mariners No. 2 prospect, hit his fourth homer of the season in the bottom half for Everett (16-14).

Reliever Anderson Pilar, just added to the roster from Low-A Fresno on Tuesday, picked up the win. He went 2 1/3 innings and allowed one run on two hits and a walk with four strikeouts. Juan Mejia pitched a scoreless ninth for his first save of the season.