EVERETT — The Everett AquaSox bullpen was stellar Monday, no question about it.
Unfortunately for Everett, the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes had already done their damage at the plate before the bullpen got the call.
The Volcanoes scored all four of their runs in the second inning and it proved to be enough as Salem-Keizer snapped Everett’s three-game winning streak with a 4-3 victory over the AquaSox before 1,470 fans at Everett Memorial Stadium.
The second half North Division-leading AquaSox fell to 15-11 in second-half action and 37-27 overall. The Volcanoes (13-13, 32-32) continued their mastery of Everett as Salem-Keizer improved to 5-2 against the AquaSox this season.
Everett starting pitcher and highly regarded left-handed prospect Luiz Gohara lasted just 11/3 innings before he was chased after walking in a run and allowing another on an RBI single.
Steven Duggar greeted reliever Darin Gillies with a two-run double which one-hopped the fence in right field as the Volcanoes took a 4-1 lead. Both runs were charged to Gohara.
That was virtually the only blemish for Gillies and the rest of the bullpen. Gillies allowed just one more hit and fanned seven in 42/3 innings of scoreless relief. Spencer Herrmann and Matt Clancy combined for three more scoreless innings.
The Salem-Keizer bullpen was even better. Nate Santiago and Ryan Halstead combined for three perfect innings in relief of winning pitcher Nolan Riggs (4-2) as the final 11 AquaSox hitters went down in order.
Trailing 4-1 in the bottom of the third, Everett’s Taylor Zeutenhorst led off the bottom of the third with a double and scored on Erick Mejia’s groundout.
The AquaSox cut the deficit to 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth only to squander an opportunity to tie or take the lead. The first three hitters reached and Yordi Calderon scored on a Mejia RBI fielder’s choice.
Mejia stole second as Luis Liberato worked a full count. But Liberato’s at-bat culminated with a bat-shattering soft liner to Salem-Keizer second baseman Richard Amion, who gloved the ball and out-raced Mejia back to the bag to complete the unassisted inning-ending double play.
That was it for the scoring.
Everett struck first as Drew Jackson wasted little time extending his home on-base streak to 15 games with a leadoff single. He went to second on a passed ball, stole third and scored on a sacrifice fly by Liberato for a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.
Jake Brentz (0-0, 1.80 ERA) takes the mound for Everett Tuesday. Salem-Keizer will counter with Michael Connolly (4-1, 3.30 ERA) in the third game of the current five-contest set between the two teams.
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