YAKIMA — Nate Tenbrink had been struggling.

The Everett AquaSox third baseman’s batting average had dipped below the Mendoza Line at .197.

But he broke out of the slump in winning fashion Tuesday, doubling in back-to-back at bats and scoring the tying and go-ahead runs in Everett’s 4-3 Northwest League victory at Yakima County Stadium.

Tenbrink also singled to bat 3-for-4.

His leadoff double in the ninth inning was the mirror image of his hit in the seventh. On both occasions he was sacrificed to third by Bennett Billingsley. He scored the eventual winning run in the ninth on a suicide squeeze bunt by Jharmidy DeJesus. Wellington Dotel singled him home in the seventh.

The victory enabled Everett (25-30), winners of eight of its last nine games, to remain 51/2 games behind front-running Salem-Keizer in the league’s West Division.

The AquaSox also had an opportunity to go ahead in the eighth inning. Tyson Gillies led off with a single, was sacrificed to second by Luis Nunez and reached third on a groundout by Manelik Pimentel. But Fleming Baez flew out to right.

Yakima took a 3-2 lead after loading the bases in the fifth inning on a leadoff walk and consecutive one-out singles.

That finished Everett reliever Robbie Dominguez, who gave way to Eddy Fernandez.

Fernandez began his stint with a four-pitch walk to force in a run. Andrew Fie followed with an RBI single to left to tie the score. Daniel Rodriguez then walked to force in the go-ahead run and knock Fernandez out of the game.

Phillip Hann got Jhoan Pimentel to ground back to the mound and he threw to Baez for a force out at home. David Cooper flew out to end the rally.

Dominguez began the fourth inning for starter Bobby LaFromboise, who was on a three-inning limit, and promptly issued a leadoff walk to Ryan Babineau. An out later, Fie and Rodriguez slapped back-to-back singles.

But Dominguez wriggled out of the jam. He induced Pimentel to fly out to shallow right field and struck out Cooper.

Everett turned on the power to take a 2-0 lead in the third inning. DeJesus led off with his first home run of the season. An out later, Gillies tripled and scored on a groundout by Nunez.