AquaSox fall short in extra innings to Spokane

Published 1:30 am Monday, July 22, 2019

EVERETT — Kenen Irizarry clubbed two home runs and drove in six runs, including the go-ahead RBI single in the 10th inning, to power the Spokane Indians to a 9-7 win over the Everett AquaSox, concluding the first half of the Northwest League season Monday at Funko Field at Everett Memorial Stadium.

The Indians (22-16) captured the series with the victory, although the game didn’t factor into the standings after Spokane clinched the North Division first-half title Sunday.

“We played three consecutive competitive games with a team that just clinched the first half, and it just shows our guys that we’re right there with them,” Everett interim manager Carson Vitale said. “One swing, one pitch goes our way there and the game is ours.”

Mariners second-round pick Brandon Williamson pitched two scoreless innings. He struck out four and walked one in his third start with Everett.

“He was really aggressive today,” Vitale said. “His demeanor, his mound presence, that’s the guy we drafted with our second pick. He’s impressive when he has that mindset.”

With the Indians leading 6-5 in the eighth, Patrick Frick tied the game with a single to left field that scored Luis Joseph.

Neither team could produce a run in the ninth, but Irizarry capped his stellar night at the plate by driving in Jake Hoover, who started the 10th inning on second base due to Minor League Baseball’s extra innings rule. Tanner Gardner added to Spokane’s advantage by crushing a two-run homer to right field to put the Indians up 9-6.

Cash Gladfelter drilled a pinch-hit double to left field to cut the lead to two and Everett eventually loaded the bases with two outs, but couldn’t muster the game-breaking hit. Werner Leal struck out Miguel Perez to record the final out and pick up his third save of the season.

The AquaSox jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first on Cesar Izturis Jr.’s walk with the bases loaded and Perez’s RBI groundout.

But that lead didn’t last long. Hoover whacked an RBI double to deep center field and Irizarry drove him in with a two-run homer to right-center to put Spokane up 3-2.

The Indians’ added to their lead in the fifth on Irizarry’s three-run homer to right-center, but the AquaSox brought the deficit back to one with Robert Perez’s two-run homer to left field and Cade Marlowe’s RBI single.

Williamson’s piggyback starter, Juan Mercedes, struggled in five innings of relief as the Indians tagged him with five runs.

Nick Starr (1-1) picked up the win after allowing two runs, both unearned, over 2.2 innings.

Garrett Westberg allowed three runs, two earned, over two innings to pick up the loss.

Irizarry went 3-for-5 to lead the Indians’ offense.

DeAires Moses, Frick and Marlowe each recorded two hits for the AquaSox.

The AquaSox begin the second half of the season Tuesday at Vancouver.