Eugene Romps Over AquaSox, 9-4
EVERETT, Wash. - For yet another night this season, the Everett AquaSox staked their opponent to an early lead and then could not mount a comeback. On Tuesday night at Everett Memorial Stadium, it was the Eugene Emeralds who jumped out in front with a four-run first inning en route to a 9-4 victory over the AquaSox in the series-opener that dropped Everett two and a half games behind idle Tri-City in the Northwest League North Division second half standings.
The AquaSox never got their footing in this one, as they dug themselves into a deep hole. Everett starter Jeffeson Medina did not retire a hitter as the first six Eugene batters reached base to start the game. The Emeralds put the first two men on via a couple of base hits before Franchy Cordero lofted an RBI single to left that brought home Auston Bousfield with the game's first run. After an AquaSox error, Eugene's Yale Rosen lined a single to right to score River Stevens. A bases-loaded walk to Jose Urena forced in another run and ended Medina's day. Leoncio Munoz came on in relief and induced a sacrifice fly from Edwin Moreno to make the score 4-0 before getting Rosen out in a rundown between third and home and fanning Miguel Del Castillo to end the inning. Urena and Rosen then added solo homers in the third inning off Munoz and the fifth inning off Hawtin Buchanan, respectively, to extend the lead to six runs.
After being held hitless by the Emeralds' Zech Lemond for the first four innings, Everett broke through for three runs in the fifth to cut the deficit in half. Phillips Castillo picked up the 'Sox first hit of the game when he grounded a leadoff double down the left field line and Sheehan Planas-Arteaga followed with a single to put runners at the corners. Jordan Cowan scored Castillo with a sacrifice fly and Chris Mariscal reached on a single that deflected off Lemond's leg before Adam Martin grounded an RBI single up the middle to score Planas-Arteaga. Corey Simpson then singled through the right side to drive in Mariscal. Lemond exited the game and Everett had the tying run at the plate, but Aaron Cressley came out of the bullpen and retired the next two hitters.
Eugene would then get one run in the top of the seventh on an RBI single by Rosen, and two more in the eighth on a triple by Bousfield and a single by Stevens to go up 9-3 and although the AquaSox scored on a ground-rule double by Mariscal in the ninth, he was doubled off second on a pop-up to end the game. Medina (2-6) took the loss after allowing four runs, one earned, in the first. Cressley (2-1) picked up the win after putting out the fire with 1.2 innings of scoreless relief for the Emeralds. Mariscal had three hits for Everett, while Bousfield, Cordero, and Rosen all chipped in with three hits for the Eugene, who had 16 knocks as a team. Bousfield was a homer shy of the cycle.
The AquaSox (11-15 second half, 22-42 overall) match up with the Emeralds (12-14, 27-37) Wednesday at 7:05 in game two of the five-game series at Everett Memorial Stadium. Ryan Yarbrough (0-1, 1.61) will look to extend his scoreless inning streak of 15.2 innings when he takes the mound for Everett. Payton Baskette (0-0, 0.00) will make a rehab start for Eugene. AquaSox 2014 season and individual game tickets are available now online at www.aquasox.com and by phone at 425-258-3673.