AquaSox cruise past Canadians 6-1 for 4th straight victory

Published 9:45 pm Thursday, July 28, 2016

EVERETT — The newest Everett AquaSox player got the scoring started, and the Frogs never trailed as they rolled over the Vancouver Canadians 6-1 before 2,999 fans Thursday at Everett Memorial Stadium.

Dimas Ojeda, who is now hitting .375 with two home runs and six RBI in seven games since he was called up from the Arizona Mariners, belted a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth that gave Everett the only lead it needed as the AquaSox (3-0 second half, 21-20 overall) earned their first sweep of the season with their fourth straight victory.

“I just go out there like I’m a little kid and have fun out there,” Ojeda said. “After all, this is a game and I have to enjoy it. I just go out and have fun.”

Ojeda drove a high changeup just inside the right-field foul pole and onto the grassy picnic area to give Everett a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth against Vancouver reliever Gabriel Noyalis.

“I was just going up to the plate thinking ‘I’m going to drive something.’ Just something close,” Ojeda said. “It turned out to be that pitch.”

The homer was Ojeda’s second extra-base hit of the night. He also ripped a one-out double in the third for Everett’s only base-runner against Vancouver starter T.J. Zeuch, the Toronto Blue Jays’ first-round draft pick in this year’s draft. Zeuch struck out one in three innings of work.

Everett led 3-1 entering the bottom of the eighth before they busted it open against Vancouver reliever Matthew Smoral. Eric Filia was hit by a pitch and Nick Zammarelli followed with a double. Johmbeyker Morales drove in both with a triple into the gap in left-center, and came home on an errant relay throw.

Matt Festa (3-2) earned the win as he worked into the sixth inning. He allowed a leadoff double to Cavan Biggio and an RBI single by Jacob Anderson before he was lifted for reliever Jake Brentz, who stranded two runners to preserve the 2-1 lead.

The AquaSox got that run back in the bottom of the inning when Filia worked a leadoff walk and scored on Nick Thurman’s RBI double to push the lead to 3-1.

The Canadians (0-3, 16-25) have now lost nine straight.

The Frogs begin a three-game series at Spokane at 6:30 p.m. Friday.