Everett Aquasox Blasts Hillsboro Hops 12-1
Everett Aquasox blasts eight runs in the sixth after the Hillsboro Hops scored the first run in the game to win 12-1. The Aquasox sent twelve men to the plate in the sixth inning. Eight of them scored. After that, Everett tacked on runs as the Hops struggled with only two hits on the night. Aqua Sox pitching faced the minimum number of batters in seven of the nine innings. The fourth and the eighth being the only exceptions.
Everett Aquasox Blasts From the Mound
Emerson Hancock started the game and went two innings. Hancock notched three strikeouts on his belt facing the minimum six batters. He did allow a walk in the second but a double play solved that problem.
Bernie Martinez (W, 1-0) followed with some excellent work for the win except for a four batter stretch in the fourth. Otherwise, Bernie notched another three strikeouts for the team. Martinez did allow the first run of the game and the only run for the Hops.
Evan Johnson pitched for 2.2 innings and notched six more strikeouts — including four in the eighth. After Evan walked the first batter of the inning and struck out the next two, he struck out Corbin Carroll for what would have been the third out, except for a catcher’s error. Corbin easily beat the throw to first and gave the Hops their second base runner of the evening. It was no problem for Evan as he struck out PH Luvin Valbuena for the final out to end the inning.
Kyle Hill closed out the ninth in a fitting manner: the minimum three batters and a strikeout for the final out. In total, the Aquasox struck out 13 Hops.
Hops Denson Hull (L, 0-1) pitched the fifth and started the fateful sixth for the loss.
Everett Aquasox Blasts From the Plate
Down 1-0 to the Hops since the fourth inning, the Aquasox erupted with twelve batters coming to the plate in the sixth. Like an endless Horn of Plenty, they just kept coming. The first batter started off the inning with a strikeout but, amazingly, the next eight batters reached base safely and eventually scored.
Joseph Rosa smacked an RBI double, one of his three hits on the night. Patrick Frick slapped a two-RBI single to go with his lead-off ninth inning double. Julio Rodriguez slashed his RBI single. Julio reached base all five times he came to the plate. Austin Shenton crashed his RBI double to go with his 2-RBI double in the following inning. Finally, Kaden Polcovich had an RBI single to go with his two other hits on the night.
Later on in the game, Zach DeLoach had an RBI single and RBI ground-out. All of this powered by 16 hits (six of them doubles), three stolen bases and six walks. All of this despite nine strikeouts and leaving 22 men on base.
It came as no surprise that the Aquasox batted .410 at the plate, including 9-18 when a runner got into scoring position.
Hops Silver Lining
On the other hand, the Hops didn’t create much positive news. But, there are some. Blaze Alexander continued his hot streak at the plate by going 1 for 3 and upping his team leading average to .364. Corbin Carroll scored the only Hops run tonight moving him into a team leading tie (3) with Blaze. Also, Alexander’s RBI double not only scored Carroll but also raised his team lead to four hits and three RBI.
The win kept the Everett Aquasox (W, 2-1) on pace with league leading Eugene (3-0). The loss dropped the Hillsboro Hops (1-2) into a tie with Vancouver, two games behind the league leader. The Aquasox leads the six game homestand for the Hops, 2-1. Game four is tomorrow night at 6:35 PM.
Box Score
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By
Greg Stoker
@GDStoker