EVERETT — The Everett AquaSox waited all night for a clutch hit.
When it finally came in the bottom of the ninth, it only served to prolong the disappointment.
Salem-Keizer’s Steven Duggar delivered an RBI single through a drawn-in infield to score Ronnie Jebavy in the top of the 10th inning with what proved to be the winning run as the Volcanoes defeated the AquaSox 3-2 before 1,753 fans Wednesday at Everett Memorial Stadium.
Duggar’s heroics overshadowed an exciting bottom of the ninth for AquaSox fans in what was largely a lackluster performance at the plate by Everett.
Trailing 2-0, Everett’s Alex Jackson walked to lead off the ninth. Luis Liberato singled and the two were sacrificed to second and third, respectively by pinch-hitter Arturo Nieto. After Yojhan Quevedo grounded out, pinch-hitter Corey Simpson delivered a two-run single to left to tie the game.
That snapped an 0-for-6 showing with runners in scoring position and sent the game into extra innings.
But it was all for naught as Jebavy doubled with one out in the 10th, stole third and scored on Duggar’s single.
The division-leading AquaSox fell to 16-12 in second-half play and 38-28 overall. Salem-Keizer improved to 14-14 and 34-32.
The Volcanoes never trailed in the game.
Back-to-back doubles gave Salem-Keizer the 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning. Richard Amion doubled off the wall in center field, and Shilo McCall’s double off the fence in right chased home Amion for the lead.
Chris Shaw’s long ninth-inning home run into the screen in right-center pushed the Volcanoes’ lead to 2-0 before the AquaSox struck in the bottom of the frame.
Everett stranded eight base-runners and its offensive prospects were hindered significantly by Salem-Keizer’s defense, which turned two double plays.
The AquaSox squandered another key chance in the bottom of the eighth. Drew Jackson walked and Braden Bishop was hit by a pitch for the league-leading 12th time. But Volcanoes reliever Cory Taylor fanned Erick Mejia and induced a flyout from Logan Taylor to end the threat.
Notes
Everett’s Drew Jackson, who is flirting with the .400 mark at the plate, was 0-for-4, but his eighth-inning walk extended his home on-base streak to 17 games. … Everett and Salem-Keizer conclude their five-game series tonight at 7:05. … Everett will send Enyel De Los Santos (2-0, 3.76 ERA) to the mound against Salem-Keizer’s Loan Webb (3-4, 4.61).
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