Up Hit’s Creek: AquaSox blown out by Eugene in homestand finale

Published 9:15 pm Sunday, June 29, 2025

EVERETT — The Everett AquaSox were rowing against a strong current when facing the Eugene Emeralds at Funko Field on Sunday. Then they lost their paddles.

After starter Teddy McGraw lasted just 2/3 of an inning, the AquaSox had to stretch a bullpen that was already out of gas at the end of the week. Three relievers combined for just 4.1 innings before Everett turned to a pair of position players to finish the game: infielder Milkar Perez and outfielder Colin Davis.

When Perez took the mound for his third appearance of the season (and second this week), Everett trailed 7-4 in the sixth inning. After he effectively slowed the Emeralds’ bats for two innings, Eugene blew the doors off with an eight-run eighth en route to a 19-8 win. It marked Everett’s sixth loss in seven games.

“Things didn’t work out as planned, obviously, with the piggyback between Teddy (McGraw) and (Evan) Truitt,” Everett pitching coach Matt Carasiti said. “So we kind of ran out of gas there with guys in the middle, and the position players picked it up. So it happens every once in a while, but it’s just unfortunate.”

Perez allowed just four hits and a run through the sixth and seventh, mixing pitches between 40 miles per hour with speeds as high as the low-70s. However, Eugene adjusted their timing and unleashed in the eighth.

After allowing back-to-back home runs, Perez threw inside at Bo Davidson — who finished the game with 11 total bases, six runs scored and five RBI — and was ejected. Davis had not pitched since June 5, 2024, but he took the ball and picked up the final 1 2/3 innings. Although not before allowing another half-dozen runs.

Perez and Davis each allowed six earned runs and two home runs, as well as a combined 13 hits. Of the six pitchers who threw for Everett on Sunday, only Ben Hernandez (1 2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K) did not allow a run.

Cox makes it back-to-back HRs. Safe to say the Emeralds have figured it out.

Perez stays on the mound as Eugene makes it 13-4

— Joe Pohoryles (@Joe_Poho) June 30, 2025

The four “true” pitchers allowed a combined eight hits, nine walks and seven earned runs in the homestand finale against a Eugene team that wreaked havoc all week. Across the one win and five losses against the Emeralds, the AquaSox were outscored 57-25.

So was the issue the quality of pitching? Or were the Emeralds bats just too hot?

“I think it’s a mixture,” Carasiti said. “Obviously, we lost a couple guys (to Double-A promotion), trying to find a new identity right now, so just going through some growing pains.”

Perez was not available for comment after he was ejected from the game, and Davis declined to speak to The Herald.

McGraw entered Sunday with no earned runs in his first two appearances (6.0 innings total), but a leadoff triple from Scott Bandura set the tone for Eugene early. Davidson brought Bandura home after reaching first on a force out two batters later.

Eugene’s Charlie Szykowny hit an RBI-single with two outs to make it 2-0, and McGraw’s day was done after allowing three hits, one walk and two runs. Shaddon Peavyhouse walked his first batter to load the bases, but then caused Jose Ramos to fly out and prevent further damage. AquaSox center fielder Tai Peete slammed into the wall after running to secure the catch.

Tai Peete had yet another Gold Glove level play out in center field earlier today! ? pic.twitter.com/48SxRUZtFF

— Everett AquaSox (@EverettAquaSox) June 30, 2025

Davidson hit a solo shot off Peavyhouse in the third to extend the Emeralds’ lead to 3-0, but the AquaSox responded with back-to-back homers from Anthony Donofrio and Brandon Eike to quickly make it a one-run game in the bottom of the frame. Donofrio fouled off an outside pitch before connecting on one inside, and Eike got all over a pitch just above the zone and hit it off the left foul pole.

Before Everett could build on that momentum, Truitt walked three straight batters to open the fourth before Drew Cavanaugh crushed a grand slam and boosted the lead to 7-2. It was the third grand slam Eugene hit against the AquaSox this week.

“As far as that’s concerned, our bats never change,” Eike said about that sequence. “Whether it’s 19-8 or a one-run ball game, we’re competing every at-bat.”

Despite seeing his pitchers getting roughed up while displaying a relative lack of command, Carasiti is not concerned. Only McGraw (61.3 percent) had a strike percentage above 60 among Everett’s four true pitchers on Sunday, while only 41.2 percent of Truitt’s pitches were strikes.

“No, no, no, I mean, it’s a long season, stuff like that’s going to happen,” Carasiti said. “We’ve been throwing the ball well overall, so I’m not worried about it at all.”

Curtis Washington Jr. cut it to 7-4 in the fourth with a 2-RBI double, clearing the bases after Josh Caron and Peete hit back-to-back singles, but that’s as close as Everett would get.

The Emeralds followed up the eight-run eighth with a three-run ninth to balloon the lead to 19-4 heading into the bottom of the frame, where the AquaSox put together a futile four-run rally with a pair of RBI hits and sacrifice flies to close out the game.

Everett follows up a brutal week against Eugene with three games in Vancouver before they return to Funko Field for three games on Independence Day Weekend.

“Just had a tough week all around, but we’ll be back,” Eike said. “It’s one of those weeks, it happens. We play a lot of games. Just wasn’t our best week of ball.”