AquaSox back at .500 mark after win over Yakima

Published 9:00 pm Sunday, July 8, 2001

Herald Staff

YAKIMA – Here’s how good the Everett AquaSox pitching was on Sunday.

Everett’s defense committed four errors and Yakima still scored only two runs.

Led by dominating pitching performances from Everett starter Beau Hintz and reliever Ryan Ketchner, the AquaSox defeated the Bears 7-2 in a Northwest League baseball game.

The Sox (10-10) are back at .500 and trail West Division-leading Vancouver by only a half-game, while Yakima (12-8) is now two games behind Boise in the East Division.

Everett and Yakima will meet tonight for the final game of the five-game series.

Hintz stymied the Yakima bats, allowing only two hits over six innings. Jeff Brooks’ infield single in the bottom of the fourth and Dan Uggla’s base hit in the sixth were the only signs that Yakima was even trying as Hintz struck out eight and gave up no walks.

Hintz pitched without much of a safety net, as Everett had mustered only a 2-0 lead when he was lifted from the game. Through the first six innings, the Sox stranded nine baserunners.

Ketchner came on to start the seventh for the AquaSox and set the Bears down in order, striking out the side.

Ketchner would have kept the shutout through eight, but a pair of Everett errors led to an unearned run, cutting the Everett lead to 5-1.

The Sox made sure they would weather any potential Yakima rally by scoring five insurance runs in the final two innings.

With two outs in the eighth and nobody on, John Williamson hit a double for Everett. An error by the Yakima third baseman allowed Williamson to score for a 3-0 edge and Jason VanMeetren reached first base on the play.

Vicente Rosario’s RBI triple followed, and Jose Lopez was next with a run-scoring single to give Everett a 5-0 advantage.

In the top of the ninth, Williamson hit his second double in two innings to score Emmanuel Santana and Tim Merritt for a six-run Everett cushion.