AquaSox’s playoff chances take hit with 10-1 loss to Spokane
Published 11:01 pm Saturday, July 25, 2015
EVERETT — Saturday night was just one of those nights for the Everett AquaSox.
Not a lot went right for the Frogs in their 10-1 loss to the Spokane Indians at Everett Memorial Stadium. The defeat snapped a four-game winning streak for Everett and didn’t help its playoff chances.
The Frogs are trying to hold off Tri-City for the Northwest League North Division first-half title and the accompanying playoff spot. The Dust Devils swept a doubleheader with Vancouver to tie the AquaSox (22-15) in the standings.
The AquaSox start a three-game series with Vancouver on Sunday at Everett Memorial Stadium. Everett needs a victory on Sunday — the final game of the first half of the season — and Tri-City, which owns the tiebreaker over Everett because of the teams’ head-to-head record, to lose against Spokane to clinch the first-half division title.
AquaSox pitchers hurt themselves with five hit batsmen and six more walks. The Frogs defense committed three errors and the offense tallied just five hits — with just three coming after the first inning.
Spokane (18-19) pitcher Luke Lanphere, who entered the game in the second inning to spell rehabbing starter Nick Green, struck out six batters and allowed just two hits in seven innings to keep the AquaSox offense in check.
Dylan Moore helped the Indians get on the board early with an RBI groundout in the first inning that scored LeDarious Clark.
Everett starting pitcher Luiz Gohara struggled in the third inning, hitting one batter and walking three more, including Sherman Lacrus with the bases loaded. Tyler Sanchez followed with a sacrifice fly to center field to score one run and Spokane added another on the play on an error by the cutoff man.
A three-run home run by Darius Day in the fourth inning increased Spokane’s lead to 7-0. The Indians padded their lead in the fifth inning with a sacrifice fly by Leon Byrd and a two-run triple by No. 9 hitter Doug Votolato.
Sanchez finished the game with no official at-bats, after hitting a sacrifice fly and being hit by a pitch four times, a new Northwest League record for an individual being hit by a pitch in a game.
The top of the order for Everett — Drew Jackson, Braden Bishop (2-for-4), Logan Taylor and Corey Simpson — accounted for all five of the Frogs’ hits. Everett got its lone run on an RBI groundout by Jordan Cowan that scored Simpson in the bottom of the ninth.
