Emeralds hold off AquaSox 7-5
Published 11:30 pm Friday, June 19, 2015
EVERETT — The Everett AquaSox lost their first game of the 2015 Northwest League season Friday night, dropping a 7-5 decision to the Eugene Emeralds in a sloppy contest at Everett Memorial Stadium.
Eugene snapped a 2-2 tie by scoring two runs in the seventh and three in the eighth to take control of the game, then survived the bottom of the ninth when Everett brought the winning run to the plate in the form of clean-up hitter Corey Simpson.
Adonis Paula went 3-for-4 and drove in three runs for Eugene (1-1), which prevailed in a game that saw the teams combine for six errors, six wild pitches and two passed balls, resulting in seven unearned runs.
The Emeralds also received a sterling effort from starting pitcher Justin Steele. Steele didn’t allow his first hit until the fifth inning and finished with nine strikeouts. However, he still departed after the fifth inning with the score tied 2-2 after the Sox scored two unearned runs in the fifth. The lefty surrendered two hits and two walks.
Jordan Cowan went 3-for-5 and drove in three runs to lead Everett (1-1). Sox starting pitcher Taylor Byrd wound up with a no decision, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks while striking out three over five frames.
The score was tied 2-2 going into the seventh when the Emeralds pulled away. Eugene scored twice in the top of the seventh courtesy of a sacrifice fly by Varonex Cuevas and a run-scoring wild pitch. After Everett got back within one in the bottom of the seventh on Cowan’s RBI single, the Emeralds struck for three more in the top of the eighth. Ian Happ reached on an error, advanced to second on another error, then scored on a wild pitch. Then with two out Paula launched a double off the wall in right-center, plating two more runs to make it 7-3.
Everett scored a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the eighth to get within two, then put two runners on with one out in the bottom of the ninth. But Emeralds reliever Alex Santana got Simpson to ground into a double play to end the game.
Short hops
Everett center fielder Braden Bishop was awarded his first professional hit after the fact following Thursday’s season-opening 6-1 victory over Eugene. Bishop reached on a fifth-inning bunt that was originally scored a sacrifice, but was changed to a single following the game. … The Sox had two of their stragglers arrive Friday as left-handed pitchers Daniel Silva and Joe Pistorese joined the team. Silva was the Seattle Mariners’ 11th-round pick in this year’s amateur draft out of Florida State University, Pistorese was Seattle’s 17th rounder out of Washington State University. … Third baseman Conner Hale, who has at various times been listed and not listed on Everett’s roster the past week, could now be on his way to joining the Sox. Hale, selected by the Mariners in the ninth round of this year’s draft, had been playing with LSU at the College World Series. LSU was eliminated with an 8-4 loss to TCU on Thursday, ending the Tigers’ season. … The Emeralds added a high-profile prospect to their roster Friday when outfielder Ian Happ, the Chicago Cubs’ first-round pick in this year’s amateur draft, joined the team. Happ was selected ninth overall out of the University of Cincinnati.
