Indians Belt Five Home Runs To Run Winning Streak To Eight

The Spokane Indians accomplished their eighth consecutive win by flying solo Wednesday.

Spokane (13-3) hit five solo home runs in a 5-3 Northwest League win that sent the AquaSox (4-12) to their 10th consecutive loss.

Spokane outscored Everett 35-18 and outhit the AquaSox 59-43 in sweeping three-game series at Seafirst and Memorial stadiums.

Dave Willis, Rod Metzler, Dermal Brown, Jeremy Hill and Juan LeBron homered to give Spokane a leaguehigh 18.

Brown leads the NWL with five homers and 18 runs batted in. Metzler and Hill hit their second homers; Willis and LeBron their first.

Spokane starter Jordy Alexander (2-1) allowed two hits in 5-2/3 innings. Everett had reached Alexander for six hits and four runs in four innings last Friday.

Loser Gil Meche (2-1), the Seattle Mariners’ top selection in last year’s amateur draft, allowed every homer except LeBron’s in the eighth.

Willis hit a two-out, 1-2 fastball to left field in the second. Patrick Williams’ homer to left to lead off the third tied the game.

Metzler and Brown began the fourth with back-to-back homers. The AquaSox closed to 3-2 in the sixth on Greg Connors’ RBI bloop double off Todd Meady.

Hill’s blast in the seventh extended his hitting streak to a team-high nine games. Metzler committed a two-out error in the seventh that scored Gerald Eady for a 4-3 game, but LeBron connected off Lesli Brea with two outs in the eighth.

Jason Gilfillan and Rich Boring retired the last seven AquaSox. Boring, in his seventh appearance, recorded his team-best third save.

Spokane opens a five-game series tonight in Medford vs. Southern Oregon (8-6). Right-hander Justin Pedersen (0-1) draws his second start.

The Indians return home Wednesday for a three-game set with Yakima. Spokane, 8-0 at home, is 5-3 on the road after starting 0-3.

, DataTimes