EVERETT — The Everett AquaSox hitters have been holding up their end of the bargain.
But it was suspect defense and pitching that did in the AquaSox Sunday as they fell 9-7 to the visiting Hillsboro Hops before 2,669 fans at Everett Memorial Stadium.
Everett committed three errors behind starter Ljay Newsome (4-2). The Northwest League All-Star hurler struggled in his own right as he allowed eight hits and six runs — four earned — in 4 1/3 innings. Six of Hillsboro’s nine runs on the afternoon were of the unearned variety.
“Our defense didn’t really help our pitching,” Everett manager Rob Mummau said. “Some balls fell in that could have been caught. Overall we battled. We came back after being down a couple times and tied the score — just couldn’t get over the hump.”
Luke Lowery did much of the damage for Hillsboro (7-3 second half, 26-22 overall). The catcher finished 5-for-5 with five RBI and two runs scored while falling a triple short of the cycle. He doubled three times as the Hops totaled 14 hits.
Everett utility man David Greer led the AquaSox (6-4, 24-24), who pounded a dozen hits of their own. Greer finished 3-for-3 and walked twice while scoring a run and driving in a pair.
He has yet to make an out since returning to the lineup Saturday after missing more than a month due to injury.
“I’m seeing the ball pretty well,” Greer said. “I won’t say great, but I just try to stay with my plan and look for a fastball and adjust to offspeed. I wouldn’t say I’m doing anything special. Just trying to play the game I know how.”
Greer’s two-run double in the fourth gave Everett its only lead of the game at 4-3.
“He’s doing a fantastic job,” Mummau said. “When he was out he was still getting his work in like he was playing every day. When he he could finally start swinging the bat again, the tee work and the cage work, he was doing it and all that work he did beforehand leading up to yesterday really helped out.”
Greer started Saturday in right field and finished 2-for-2 with a home run before he was lifted after the third inning. He served as the designated hitter Sunday and will continue to ease slowly back into an everyday role.
“I would actually give most of the credit to us hitting off the machine just the other day,” Greer said. “The first day I was able to hit live we hit on the velo(city) machine, which just pumps fastballs at 97 miles an hour. I definitely got a little bit of timing back.”
The Hops took the lead for good with four runs in the top of the fifth when Lowery hit a two-run home run, Mark Karaviotis had an RBI double and Ramon Hernandez added an RBI single to take a 7-4 lead.
The Sox stayed close as Jose Leal had a two-out RBI double in the fifth and Kristian Brito had a two-run single in the sixth.
But Brito’s hit came after Hillsboro had countered with RBI doubles by Lowery and Justin Chigbogu in that pushed the lead to 9-5 in the top of the inning
The Hops took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third when Lowery’s two-out single scored Jason Marozowski and Karaviotis. Stephen Smith’s solo home run in the fourth pushed the advantage to 3-0.
Dimas Ojeda put Everett on the board with a two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth, his third of the season. Two outs later came Greer’s two-run double.
Morales also finished with three hits and scored twice for Everett.
The five-game series concludes at 7 p.m. Monday. Robert Dugger will make his first appearance for Everett against Hillsboro’s Tyler Mark (4-2, 3.48).
For the latest AquaSox news follow Jesse Geleynse on Twitter @jessegeleynse.
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