Spokane comeback against Everett falls short

EVERETT – The Spokane Indians scratched and clawed Wednesday, but their comeback attempt fell one run shy.

Brandon Green hit a three-run homer in the fourth inning to guide the Everett AquaSox to a 9-8 win in Northwest League baseball at Memorial Stadium.

Everett (9-4) won the five-game series 3-2 by taking the final two games. The Indians (7-6) had won their previous two series.

Spokane trailed 9-2 after Everett scored five unearned runs in the fourth, aided by two Indians errors.

Starting in the fifth, Indians reliever John Bannister retired 12 consecutive batters, igniting Spokane’s rally.

Travis Metcalf’s two-run triple in the fifth began the comeback attempt. Spokane cut the deficit to 9-6 in the seventh on Brandon Cashman’s RBI double and Mike Nickeas’ run-scoring single.

The Indians nearly added a seventh run in the eighth, but Kevin Mahar was called out on an appeal play for leaving third base too early on a flyout.

Down to its final strike, Spokane scored twice in the ninth on Billy Susdorf’s double. But Mahar struck out on a 3-2 fastball to strand Susdorf at second.

Cashman hit a solo homer to center in the fourth, giving him six homers for the series. Cashman broke the NWL record with a four-homer game on Monday.

The Indians will meet Boise (7-6) at 6:30 tonight in the opener of a six-game homestand.