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Spokane Indians

Spokane Indians drop fourth straight to Eugene 11-4, fall three games back in first-half race

By Dave Nichols daven@spokesman.com(509) 459-5441

The Spokane Indians picked the wrong time to go into a slump.

Victor Baricoto went 2 for 4 with three RBIs and the Eugene Emeralds beat the Indians 11-4 at Avista Stadium on Saturday.

It’s the Indians’ fourth straight loss, deepening their deficit in the Northwest League first-half race. Spokane (32-29) fell three games behind Vancouver with four games to play. Eugene improved to 32-30.

Spokane starter Victor Juarez went five innings and allowed four runs on six hits and three walks with three strikeouts. He threw 87 pitches, 49 for strikes.

The Indians offense, which leads the league in several categories, was held to eight hits – just three for extra bases – including Zach Kokoska’s long solo home run, his 13th of the season, in the ninth inning. 

The Emeralds got on the board in the first inning as Brett Auerbach singled, stole second and scored on a single by Baricoto. Edison Mora led off the third with a double and scored on a two-out double by Carter Howell to make it 2-0. 

The Indians had runners at second and third with one out in the bottom half, but Benny Montgomery flied to medium-deep right field and AJ Lewis was thrown out at home trying to score on the play.

Juarez found more trouble in the fourth. With one down he walked Luis Toribio, Ghordy Santos singled and Mora was hit by a pitch. That brough up Grant McCray, who laced a two-run single to left. It could have been worse, but Mora was thrown out at third trying for the extra base.

The Indians put runners at the corners with one down in the fifth and a bloop single by Ronaiker Palma brought in their first run of the game. 

Aeverson Arteaga and Toribio hit back-to-back singles for Eugene off reliever Keegan James to lead off the sixth. Arteaga later scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-1.

A two-run single by Bericoto and a two-run double by Adrian Sugastey in the eighth put Eugene up 10-1. Toribio added a solo homer off the scoreboard in right center in the ninth.