Hot-hitting Jones leads Sox to win

EVERETT — With more eye-opening performances like this, James Jones might not stay in an Everett AquaSox uniform much longer.

Jones, Everett’s right fielder, pumped up his already-impressive batting average with two more hits and helped launch the AquaSox to a 4-1 victory over the Boise Hawks on Monday in a Northwest League baseball game at Everett Memorial Stadium.

On the night the team unveiled its Aquavision video board in left-center field, Jones went 2-for-3 with a home run and scored twice. He came into the game batting .400 and bumped up his average to .415.

“He’s just a good hitter. He’s got a knack of getting the bat head to the ball and hitting it on the barrel,” AquaSox manager John Tamargo said.

Everett (26-17) boasts a lineup with several gifted hitters. One of them is Mario Martinez, who extended his hitting streak to 18 games, breaking the single-season franchise record. Martinez, now batting .321, singled up the middle in the seventh inning. The previous hit streak record was 17, achieved by former Frogs Greg Dobbs and Tyson Gillies.

After cranking out a season-high 20 hits in their previous outing, the AquaSox managed nine on Monday versus Boise (18-25). That was more than enough, thanks largely to the combined pitching of starter Luke Burnett and relievers Brad Reid and Daniel Cooper. Burnett (2-2, 3.47 earned-run average) tossed six scoreless innings. He showed vastly improved control, tallying four strikeouts and no walks.

Burnett entered the game with 30 walks and five wild pitches in 402/3 innings. His recent work with pitching coach Rich Dorman turned things around, Burnett said.

“He was a little messed up mechanically, I think, and that’s what was causing him to walk so many guys,” said Tamargo. “But he’s been working hard with Dorman. Smart kid. I think he’s starting to figure it out: that he has to pound that zone to be successful and that’s what he did tonight.”

Besides Jones and Martinez, Everett’s other main hitting star was Ben Billingsley. He drove in two runs, knocking in Jones, with a homer in seventh inning off Boise’s Eduardo Figueroa (2-2).

Everett pulled within four games of first-place Salem-Keizer (30-13) in the West Division. Spokane (18-25) beat Salem-Keizer 9-5 on Monday.

The AquaSox’s latest victory kicked off a five-game series against Boise and an eight-game homestand. The AquaSox play the Hawks 10 times in a 13-day stretch that ends Aug. 15 in Boise.

Neither team scored through four innings but Everett finally broke through in the fifth when Jones drilled a home run, his second of the season. The Frogs added three more runs in the seventh and went on top 4-0. Billingsley’s two-run shot capped the outburst.

Burnett and Reid (four strikeouts in two innings) combined to keep Boise scoreless for eight innings. The Hawks scored once in the ninth against Cooper, who allowed three hits but ended it with a strikeout against Richard Jones.

Center fielder Matt Cerione hit two doubles for the AquaSox.

Herald Writer Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com.