Indians sweep Everett, equal Hawks for best start

EVERETT – Nick Gardewine pitched six shut-out innings and the Spokane Indians beat the Everett AquaSox 5-2 on Saturday night to sweep a three-game Northwest League series.

With the win, the Indians equaled the 1911 Spokane Hawks for the best 15-game record for a Spokane professional baseball team to start a season at 13-2.

Gardewine (4-0) gave up just three hits while striking out six and walking one.

The Indians opened the scoring after a pair of one-out walks in the third inning. Isiah Kiner-Falefa doubled to score one run and Chuck Mooman followed with a two-run single.

Kiner-Falefa, who tripled and scored on Seth Spivey’s hit in the eighth, made his first start for Spokane (13-2). He began the season with Hickory Crawdads, the Rangers’ Single-A franchise in North Carolina, before going on the disabled list.

Marcus Greene had an RBI ground out in the seventh for a 4-0 lead.

Erik Swanson relieved Gardewine in the seventh and was nicked for two runs by Everett (4-12). Shane McCain struck out four in 1 2/3 innings before Adam Parks got the final out for his second save. In all, Indians pitchers struck out 11 batters.

Kiner-Falefa, Spivey and Juremi Profar had two hits each in the Indians’ 11-hit attack.

The Indians open a five-game series at Eugene today before returning home Friday.