Quinn’s Grand Slam Lifts Spokane, 12-8

Mark Quinn’s grand slam came two weeks too late.

Steve Prihoda’s first professional win came not a minute too soon.

Quinn’s five runs batted in helped stake Spokane and Prihoda (1-4) to a 12-0 lead Saturday, and the Indians outlasted Eugene 12-8 in another offensive display at Seafirst Stadium.

The Indians have won 10 of 12 to close within at least 9-1/2 games of first-place Bellingham in the Northwest League’s Northern Division. Bellingham dropped a Saturday afternoon game to Boise and trailed the nightcap 5-0 at press time.

Spokane (29-33), which won the first game of the five-game series 10-9 on Friday, had its biggest inning of the year - a nine-run fourth highlighted by Quinn’s second slam in six days.

The blast to left-center came exactly two weeks after Quinn missed by inches hitting a grand slam that would have paid an Indians fan $100,000 during a promotion. This time, in nearly the same part of the park, Quinn didn’t come up shy.

“I’d have loved to hit it out that night,” said Quinn, who added a run-scoring double in the sixth and extended his hit streak to 14 games. “I can still see that one in my head.”

For the slam, Quinn jumped on a curveball from Keith Mayhew, who relieved Jose Garcia (3-3) after the Emeralds’ starter walked four consecutive batters. After Quinn’s RBI double in the sixth, the Indians had a dozen-run lead and Prihoda went to the showers. The left-hander from Sam Houston (Texas) State had pitched well in 10 previous starts but never won - even when he no-hit Eugene for five innings on June 24.

“I’ve been dragging a big monkey for two months,” said Prihoda, who had his anxious moments in the eighth and ninth when Spokane relievers Bryan Judice and D. Wayne Upchurch allowed eight runs and 10 hits.

“Through the whole season he’s been throwing the ball pretty good,” said Indians manager Al Pedrique. “He finally got the win, and he sure deserved it.”

Prihoda stretched his hitless streak against the Emeralds (27-35) this year to eight innings before George Lombard led off the fourth with a bunt single. Prihoda worked out of bases-loaded jams in the fourth and fifth.

Eugene, also the victim when Spokane scored a season-high 13 runs on June 23, showed its frustration in the sixth. After throwing a pitch completely behind Patrick Hallmark, Mayhew plunked the Spokane catcher. Mayhew was ejected, which came as no shock to him as he was already heading for the clubhouse.

Eugene let its bats do the talking in the final two innings, consistently finding the hole between first and second bases. Reymundo DeLeon drove in three runs with a pair of singles during the comeback.

“It was getting pretty scary,” said Prihoda, who returned to the dugout in the eighth. “At least they didn’t bring the tying run to the plate.”

William Roland belted a massive, two-run homer to left in the second to begin the scoring. Roland tied Quinn and Hallmark for the club lead with four homers.

Leadoff hitter Tony Miranda scored twice and drove in two runs for Spokane. Miranda leads the league with 44 runs scored.

League hitting leader James Vida of Spokane broke out of a 1-for-18 slump with a single before Roland’s homer. Vida had gone a season-long three games without a hit. Vida had a league-high 80 hits.

Spokane’s Jeremy Williamson (1-0, 1.38) and Eugene’s Charlie Cruz (3-7, 3.03) are scheduled to start the middle game of the five-game series, tonight at 6:05. Despite a league second-best 73 strikeouts, Cruz leads the NWL in losses.

, DataTimes