AquaSox take Game One 8-5

SPOKANE, Wash.- Thursday night the Everett AquaSox and Spokane Indians played Game One of the Northern Division Championship Series in Spokane. A combination of timely hitting and quality pitching lead the AquaSox to an 8-5 victory over the Indians. Spokane struggled defensively, committing six costly errors. With the win, the Frogs take a 1-0 series lead, and will travel to Safeco Field for Game Two on Friday. First pitch is at 7:15pm, and the gates will open at 6:00pm.

When asked about the hunger level of this team, All-Star Nick Zammarelli said, "The way this team is, we're going to be hungry no matter what situation you throw at us." Zammarelli and his teammates are thrilled to play at Safeco Field on Friday night, "I'm psyched, I mean we're all excited, as kids, we all dreamed of getting the opportunity to play on a big league field. It's awesome to be able to possibly win the series at Safeco Field."

Brandon Miller toed the rubber for the AquaSox in Game One, tossing 4.1 innings while allowing three runs and striking out seven. Lane Ratliff earned the win by delivering two scoreless innings in relief of Jeffeson Medina. Thomas Burrows followed with 1.1 innings, allowing one run to score. Finally, Paul Covelle earned the save by retiring the game's final two batters.

Spokane got on the board first, 1-0, in the bottom of the first. Luis Terrero plated the run after a throwing error was committed by Bryson Brigman on a potential inning-ending double play ball.

The Frogs leapt out to a two run lead in the top of the third. Bryson Brigman delivered a single, scoring Austin Grebeck to make it 1-1. Eric Filia followed with a single to right field, plating Donnie Walton to swell the lead to 2-1. Nick Zammarelli capped off the scoring with a sacrifice fly to left-center field, increasing Everett's lead to 3-1.

Austin Grebeck and Donnie Walton added two more runs in the top of the fourth. Grebeck hit an RBI groundout, bringing home Thurman to make it 4-1. Walton then plated Quevedo after a fielding error by Spokane shortstop Anderson Tejeda, increasing the lead to 5-1.

Jeffeson Medina entered the game in relief of Brandon Miller in the bottom of the fifth. After inheriting two runners, Medina gave up a three-run home run on the first pitch to Charles LeBlanc, making it 5-4 AquaSox.

The AquaSox added three insurance runs in the top of the eighth, bringing the lead to 8-4. Bryson Brigman picked up his second RBI of the night after being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Errors continued to hurt Spokane, two runs scored on a ground ball off the bat of Eric Filia. Second Baseman Blaine Prescott had trouble fielding it cleanly, then committed a throwing error while trying to rush the throw.

Spokane brought the AquaSox lead back to three runs after Blaine Prescott hit an RBI single off Everett reliever Thomas Burrows, making it 8-5 AquaSox.

Paul Covelle retired the final two batters of the game, sealing an 8-5 win over Spokane in Game One of the Northern Division Championship Series.

Bryson Brigman collected two hits and two RBIs, while Yojhan Quevedo hit a double, the only Everett hit that was not a single.

WP: Ratliff (1-0)

LP: Phillips (0-1)

SV: Covelle (1)