Indians use bottom of order to rout Volcanoes

KEIZER, Ore. – The Spokane Indians used the bottom of the batting order to roll to a 13-6 rout of the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes on Friday in Northwest League play.

No. 9 hitter Brallan Perez delivered a big portion of the damage as the second baseman went 2 for 3 with a pair of walks. He scored three runs and knocked in four, including two in the seventh inning on his first home run of the season.

Stephen Lohr, Alex Kowalczyk and Todd McDonald – the 6,7 and 8 hitters in the lineup also delivered.

By the end of the game, the bottom four hitters combined to score 11 runs and tallied nine of the Indians’ 14 hits.

Lohr had two hits and scored twice. Kowalczyk had three hits, including a double, and scored three runs. McDonald went 2 for 5 with three runs scored.

Spokane trailed 1-0 heading into the fifth inning, but Perez drew a leadoff walk and later scored on a double-play grounder by Seth Spivey. Luis Terrero put the Indians on top for good with a two-out run-scoring single.

Spokane added three more runs in the top of the sixth when Lohr, Kowalczyk and McDonald all singled to load the bases. Perez walked to force in a run. Taveras followed with an RBI groundout and Spivey delivered a sacrifice fly to make it 5-1.

Perez’s home run keyed a three-run seventh and the Indians added salt to the wound of the Volcanoes with a five-run ninth.

In the ninth, Lohr, Kowalczyk and McDonald once again all reached with singles to load the bases. Perez reached on an error to force in a run and Blaine Prescott had the big hit with a bases-loaded triple.

Sal Mendez (3-3) got the win for Spokane. He allowed three hits and two runs – one earned – in six innings of work with six strikeouts and two walks.