Figueroa’s RBI double gives Frogs 2-1 win in 12th
Published 9:00 pm Wednesday, June 20, 2001
Herald staff
SPOKANE – For 11 innings Wednesday night, the Everett AquaSox could not seem to get a hit when it mattered.
But, in the 12th, Eduardo Figueroa’s double into the right-field corner scored John Williamson from first base in the Frogs’ 2-1 Northwest League victory over Spokane.
Everett left 13 runners on base in game where the two pitching staffs combined to strike out 32 batters. Finally, Figueroa, who also made a tough catch against the wall in the bottom of the twelfth with the Indians threatening, got a key hit.
Everett improved to 2-0, while the Indians fell to 0-2.
Nearly forgotten in the game was the pitching of Everett’s Gustavo Martinez, who pitched six solid innings. The right-hander allowed two hits, struck out 10 and walked two while holding the Indians to one run.
Daniel Head, pitched the final four innings and struck out six for his first victory of the season.
The Frogs took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Vicente Rosario reached second base on a two-base throwing error by Indians shortstop Luis Cotto. Rosario stole third, then came home on Greg Dobbs’ double.
Spokane evened things up at 1-1 in the bottom of the second. With one out, Jermaine Smiley walked and stole second. James Shanks drove in Smiley with a two-out double. Figueroa made a strong throw to the plate from right field, but Everett catcher Eddie Olszta, who had the plate blocked, had the ball bounce off the heal of his glove just before Smiley scored the tying run.
Figueroa led off the fourth inning with a single to right, but was stranded by Spokane reliever Hipolito Reyes, who struck out two Everett batters.
The AquaSox loaded the bases with only one out in the fifth, but came away empty handed. Williamson struck out and Figueroa popped out just beyond the infield as the score remained even at 1-1.
AquaSox reliever Ryan Ketchner sent down six Spokane batters in a row in the seventh and eighth innings.
A bizarre sequence gave the Frogs a chance in the ninth.
Vicente Rosario walked with two outs. The Indians got him in a run-down between first and second, but dropped the ball at second base. It was recovered by shortstop Luis Cotto, who threw the ball into Rosario’s back. Rosario headed back to second base where he was leveled by Cotto and tagged by second baseman Mel Stocker. Rosario wound up safe at second base after it was ruled that his progress was impeded by Cotto.
Miguel Villilio then struck out, but the wild pitch went to the backstop, and Villilio made it safely to first base. With runners at first and third, Dobbs grounded out to short for the third out.
The AquaSox also had runners at first and third with two out in the 10th, but pinch hitter Jason Rainey’s comebacker to the mound kept things even at a run apiece.
