Indians earn wacky victory

Bizarre games deserve bizarre endings.

The Spokane Indians stole their fourth consecutive win Wednesday night by allowing Everett to make the final mistake in a contest overflowing with miscues.

Everett reliever Jason Markovitz, attempting to intentionally walk Ryan Strausborger in the 10th inning, instead threw a high, wild pitch that trickled away from catcher Steven Baron and allowed Yefry Castillo to score from third base for a 9-8 Northwest League win.

Spokane (5-7) won the series at Avista Stadium 4-1 and sent Everett (8-5) to its fifth loss in six games.

“This game was filled with ups and downs the whole way, but luckily it was up for us at the end,” said Michael Olt, who set up the winning run with a one-out, pinch-hit double off the wall in left.

Castillo had walked with one out on a 3-2 pitch from Markowitz (0-1). Olt, who didn’t start at third base as usual, but spent the night coaching first base, hit Markowitz’s first pitch.

“I knew he was going to come at me,” said Olt, who was hitting .219 coming in. “I was looking at a fastball middle in, and I was able to catch up to it.”

The AquaSox attempted to set up a double play by walking Strausborger, but the first pitch settled the outcome instead.

The wild game began with Everett scoring in bunches, Spokane rallying with two big innings, and pitchers dominating the final innings.

Everett stormed to a 6-1 lead after 3 1/2 innings. Designated hitter Jimmy Jacquot had the big blow, a three-run homer to left-center off Nicholas McBride with two out in the first. It was the first professional homer for Jacquot, who had 13 during his senior season at the University of Cincinnati.

The Indians crept closer with a four-run fourth that included three infield singles, bad decisions by the AquaSox and a huge error in the outfield.

Jared Hoying lofted a one-out fly that hit the ground when center fielder Robbie Anston and right fielder Jose Rivero collided.

Everett starter Eric Thomas further extended his woes by attempting to tag Strausborger on a bunt, rather than throwing to first. Thomas missed the tag and Castillo scored Spokane’s third run of the inning.

Andrew Clark and Hoying doubled and scored during Spokane’s three-run fifth, which put the Indians up 8-7.

Kevin Rivers, who has hit in every game for Everett, tied the game in the sixth with a single for his 11th RBI of the season.

Everett relievers Forrest Snow and Stephen Pryor, and Indians relievers Colby Killian and Ben Henry (1-0) then shut down the offenses. Snow pitched three hitless innings and hasn’t allowed a hit in 8 1/3 innings this season. Henry allowed one single in three innings.

The game “featured” 14 walks, 21 strikeouts and six errors.

Spokane begins a three-game road series tonight against the Tri-City Dust Devils.

Pimentel promoted

Spokane Indians outfielder Guillermo Pimentel was promoted Wednesday to the Hickory (N.C.) Crawdads, the Texas Rangers’ Low-A team in the South Atlantic League.

Pimentel hit .344 in nine games.

Indians 9, Sox 8 (10)