EVERETT — Friday night’s Northwest League baseball game between the Everett AquaSox and Spokane Indians was called because of rain 40 minutes before the scheduled first pitch.
The contest will be made up today as part of a doubleheader beginning at 6:05 p.m. at Everett Memorial Stadium. The teams will play two seven inning games.
The five-game series is scheduled to conclude Sunday with an afternoon game. The first pitch is slated for 1:05 p.m.
Swinging hot bats
The AquaSox are off to a 5-2 start this season and much of the offense in those victories has come from first baseman Taylor Ard and shortstop Chris Taylor.
Ard, out of Washington State University, is hitting .385 with a .484 on-base percentage and leads the team with six RBI. He was instrumental in Everett’s 7-6 come-from-behind, 10-inning victory Thursday, going 3-for-5 with two RBI.
“He’s doing a good job,” AquaSox manager Rob Mummau said. “He’s got a good approach, a very advanced approach at the plate and pitch selection has been good and he’s been putting good swings on the ball. So, so far so good.”
Taylor has been just as impressive, batting .417 with a .576 on-base percentage, one home run and five RBI.
“He works the count well,” Mummau said “He gets good hitters counts and he puts the ball in play. That’s the main thing for him. He’s got a good line-drive swing and he puts a lot of good at-bats together.”
Taylor also has been showing off his glove in the early season. He covers a lot of ground at shortstop and has a strong arm, which he displayed several times in Thursday’s victory.
“That was one of the things our scouts liked about him is that he could play shortstop,” Mummau said.
Going to the bullpen
With 17 pitchers on the roster, Mummau has plenty of options when he calls on his bullpen and so far, most of his relievers have been reliable.
In Thursday’s victory over the Indians, the bullpen pitched four innings, giving up just one run and two hits, both of which came off Scott Dececco.
Dominic Leone pitched 21/3 perfect innings to pick up the win. In two appearances this season Leone has given up just two hits and has a 0.00 earned-run average.
“He’s a draft kid this year from Clemson (16th round),” Mummau said. “He’s a fastball, slider guy. The thing I like about him is that he really competes well.”
So far, Mummau can say that about his entire bullpen.
“I think (it’s) really solid,” Mummau said. “All the kids come out there and throw strikes and they want the ball every time out there and that’s all I can ask as a manager.”
Aaron Lommers, Herald Writer
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
