AquaSox survive Hillsboro comeback attempt

Published 12:37 am Thursday, June 18, 2026

EVERETT — The Hillsboro Hops had a potential comeback brewing against the Everett AquaSox at Everett Memorial Stadium on Wednesday.

The visitors hit back-to-back doubles in the fifth inning, the latter from outfielder Slade Caldwell to score infielder JD Dix and cut Everett’s lead to 3-2. AquaSox catcher Luke Stevenson got called for catcher’s interference on Hops infielder Jose Mejia during the next at-bat, which put the go-ahead run on first with catcher Carlos Virahonda at the plate.

For the first time all night, Hillsboro had Everett starter Adam Maier on the ropes.

The 24-year-old righty sent the first pitch inside, then went way outside to start the count at 2-0. Stevenson secured a potential wild pitch that would have put both runners in scoring position, at a minimum. Maier went outside again to put the count at 3-0.

Virahonda watched the fourth pitch pass just inside the strike zone to make it 3-1, and Maier finally got him to make contact on the fifth pitch. AquaSox third baseman Carter Dorighi bobbled the grounder but managed to complete the throw to first, ending the inning with Everett still ahead 3-2.

“I just want to stick to the process,” Maier said. “Nothing really changes. If I just gave up three homers in a row or if I just struck three guys out, just sticking to my process and doing the same thing pretty much every batter.”

AquaSox outfielder Jonny Farmelo hit a two-run homer in the sixth to increase the lead to 5-2, and reliever Christian Little stranded the loaded bases he inherited in the ninth to secure a 5-3 win for Everett.

Farmelo went 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored, and Maier allowed five hits and two earned runs with four strikeouts and no walks over five innings.

“(Maier) has really good stuff, and when he attacks those guys with that good stuff, he’s going to get a lot of outs,” AquaSox manager Ryan Scott said. “The more he can keep his pitch count down by getting ahead in counts and getting some weak contact with that sinker he’s got, and when they miss with the sweeper, it was a phenomenal job by him early in the game.”

Everett picked up two runs in the first inning, as back-to-back walks from Farmelo and Stevenson set up an RBI groundout from first baseman Matthew Ellis and an RBI single from outfielder Carlos Jimenez. Designated hitter Luis Suisbel singled, and infielder Austin St. Laurent worked a walk on a full count to load the bases, but Hops shortstop Wallace Clark’s throw narrowly beat Dorighi on a grounder that bounced off pitcher Wellington Aracena’s foot.

“I think that’s big, to start strong and score first,” Farmelo said. “It’s what we like to say, so definitely big. Just get on base, just try and pass it to the next guy and see what happens.”

Maier went 1-2-3 in the second, picking up his second strikeout to end the frame, and retired three straight batters after allowing a leadoff single in the third.

Maier is in his first season with the Mariners organization after spending the start of his professional career in the Atlanta Braves’ system. Atlanta selected him in the seventh round of the 2022 MLB Draft, and he became the organization’s No. 12 prospect in 2023.

The Vancouver native pitched just 34 2/3 innings in college; 19 with the University of British Columbia in 2020 and 15 2/3 with the University of Oregon in 2022 prior to his selection in the draft. Maier spent the majority of 2025 with Atlanta’s High-A affiliate in Rome, Georgia, posting a 5.76 ERA across 95 1/3 innings. He made one appearance with Triple-A Gwinnett on June 21, when he allowed three hits, two homers and four earned runs across five innings.

The Braves ultimately released Maier in March, and the Mariners offered him a minor-league deal shortly thereafter.

“They called me, and I said ‘yes’ right away,” Maier said. “It’s obviously super cool to be close to home, like it’s a plus. The Mariners’ system has been nothing but awesome. Great vibes around here, good communication with the coaching staff and everything, so I couldn’t say anything bad.”

Maier has a 5.08 ERA this season through 11 appearances (10 starts) and 44 1/3 innings. He likes the organization’s philosophy of getting its pitchers to fill the strike zone and create leverage with favorable counts, and his presence in Everett allows him to execute that philosophy in familiar places. Maier grew up attending games at Nat Bailey Stadium, where the Vancouver Canadians play, and he enjoys any opportunity to revisit PK Park in Eugene, where he played for the Ducks.

“Coming full circle and playing there is just, like, unbelievable,” Maier said about road games in Vancouver. “Getting to have a bunch of family and friends watch, and man, I’m out there on the line when they play that anthem, getting chills down my spine. The whole stadium’s singing the Canadian national anthem, and I’m playing. So yeah, super cool to have familiar ballparks and especially playing in Vancouver, my home soil.”

After Maier shut down the Hillsboro bats in the third, St. Laurent pushed the lead to 3-0 with an RBI single in the bottom of the inning, but the Hops pushed back when Mejia led off the fourth with a solo home run over the center field wall to cut it to 3-1.

Hillsboro designated hitter Trent Youngblood reached on an error by St. Laurent, then got around to third on a botched pickoff attempt from Maier. However, the AquaSox starter got infielder Modeifi Marte to pop up to second base before Farmelo sprinted into shallow center for a running catch on outfielder Avery Owusu-Asiedu to end the inning.

Reid Easterly replaced Maier in the sixth and retired the side before Farmelo pushed the lead to 5-2 with a two-run homer in the bottom of the frame. Farmelo got down in the count early after whiffing on the first pitch and fouling the second. He let the third pitch go outside to bring it to 1-2, and he fouled off another before finally connecting with a 431-foot blast.

“I got 0-2 pretty quick. (Hops reliever Teofilo Mendez) had a good fastball,” Farmelo said. “And so then, kind of, with two strikes there I’m really just trying to back the ball up and shoot it the other way. He threw a sweeper that I was able to get on the barrel, so I wasn’t trying to do that (hit a home run) by any means, but I’ll take it.”

Everett prevented a run from scoring in the sixth with a 9-4-2 putout at the plate from Jimenez to St. Laurent to Stevenson, but a misplayed fielder’s choice from shortstop Felnin Celesten during the next at-bat left Hillsboro with loaded bases rather than ending the inning. Easterly walked the next batter on four pitches to bring the score to 5-3, but Jimenez caught Kenny Castillo’s deep fly ball at the warning track to finally end the inning.

AquaSox reliever Lucas Kelly pitched a clean eighth inning with two strikeouts, but the Hops loaded the bases on him with two outs in the ninth. Little took over on the mound and retired the only batter he faced to end the game, causing Castillo to pop out to second base.

“Christian came in there and really just, I mean, did what he had to do,” said Scott, who also complimented Kelly’s efforts in the eighth. “He came in and fired balls over the plate. He got behind early and then came back after that with a good fastball and a couple good sliders after that, and got a weak contact for the out, so it was awesome to see.”