Frogs drown in seventh

Published 12:13 am Saturday, June 23, 2007

EVERETT – It started so meekly, just a bunt down the third base line that turned into an infield single.

But by the time Yakima’s half of the seventh inning was over, eight men had come to the plate and Everett’s three-run lead was a thing of the past.

The AquaSox bullpen couldn’t hold on to an early lead Friday night, as Everett fell 6-5 to the Bears in front of 3,054 at Everett Memorial Stadium.

Everett and Yakima, both 2-2, conclude their five-game series tonight.

“It’s definitely a tough loss, but it’s not the first time that’s happened and it’s not the last time it will,” said Everett catcher Danny Santin. “We’ll just have to come out tomorrow and continue to play hard.”

Mark Hallberg started Yakima’s go-ahead rally with a bunt single, which was followed by a Shane Byrne walk. After a strikeout and a fielder’s choice, it looked like the Sox might escape the inning, but Yakima came up with three straight two-out hits to take the lead.

Hallberg was in the starting lineup Friday despite a slightly swollen left side of his face. The shortstop was hit in the head with a pitch Thursday that cracked his helmet.

The biggest blow was a two-run triple by Mike Mee off of Brandon McKerney, who had just entered the game for the Sox. The Meadowdale High and University of Washington product then gave up a single to Ramon Ramirez that made the score 6-5.

“We had it until the seventh,” said Everett left fielder Joe Dunigan. “It was just a couple of hits that killed us.”

McKerney, who took the loss to go to 0-1, settled down after the Ramirez single, retiring seven of the last eight batters he faced.

On a positive note, the AquaSox proved to be an opportunistic team for the second straight night.

One night after they capitalized on four unearned runs to earn a win, the AquaSox scored three unearned runs in a four-run second inning.

After the Bears jumped to a 2-0 lead in the second inning on an RBI double and a wild pitch, Everett struck back with a four spot in the bottom of the inning. The big inning was helped along by, depending on your point of view, either sloppy defense or a blown call.

With one out, Dunigan was called safe at second when the umpire ruled that Yakima second baseman JoJo Batten failed to step on the base on a force play.

That brought Yakima manager Mike Bell out of the dugout to argue the call, and Bell’s night became a short one when field umpire Spencer Flynn tossed him from the game.

The call proved costly for the Bears, as Everett scored three unearned runs in the inning.

Dunigan scored on a Santin single, which was followed by an RBI single by Ogui Diaz. Edilio Colina gave Everett the lead with a two-run double.

Santin finished the night batting 2-for-3, adding an RBI double in the sixth.

Everett just missed taking the lead in the eighth. Manelik Pimentel reached on an error with one out, which was followed by what must have been one of the hardest-hit singles of Dunigan’s baseball career. Dunigan ripped a line drive to right center that missed going over the wall by a few feet, hitting above the scoreboard at the highest point of the wall.

“I was just trying to drive something and I guess I didn’t quite lift it enough,” he said. “I hit it hard, and that’s all I can do. I’m just upset we lost this game.”

Relief pitcher Alvaro Ortega worked his way out of the jam, however, striking out pinch hitter Matt Mangini, and inducing a pop out from pinch hitter Kris Sanchez.

Luis Caro pitched six innings to get the win, allowing two earned runs. Dan Vasquez picked up the save with a perfect ninth.