Everett’s late rally comes up short against Hops on Sunday

Published 9:08 am Monday, June 22, 2026

Playing in front of a near-capacity crowd of 4,040 fans at Everett Memorial Stadium, the Everett AquaSox fell to the Hillsboro Hops 4-3 during the final game of the six-game Northwest League series.

The AquaSox finished third in the league’s first-half standings with a 33-33 record as Eugene (42-24) clinched the first-half title and a berth in September’s Northwest League Championship Series. The second half of the season began in the middle of the series against Hillsboro. Everett sits at 1-2 in the second half with a five-game series at Eugene starting on Tuesday.

In the series finale against the Hops on Sunday, AquaSox starting pitcher Walter Ford and Hillsboro starting pitcher dueled scorelessly across the first three innings of the game before Felnin Celesten created offensive damage in the bottom of the fourth inning. Facing a full count, Celesten demolished a 418-foot solo home run that cleared the fence in left-center field. Additionally, Celesten’s long ball was his ninth of the season, leaving his bat at an exit velocity of 104 mph.

Hillsboro clawed its way back in the top of the fifth inning, taking a 2-1 lead. Kenny Castillo delivered the game-tying blast by hitting a solo home run to left center field, and Modeifi Marte provided the Hops the lead by hitting an RBI single after Jakey Josepha tripled to right field. Ford ultimately departed after throwing six innings, allowing only two runs and five hits in his best AquaSox outing thus far. He also struck out two and walked none, throwing only 70 pitches while working efficiently.

The Hops added their third run in the top of the seventh, going ahead 3-1 as Marte contributed his second RBI single of the game. Everett chipped away at the difference in the bottom half of the frame, reducing their deficit to one run. Curtis Washington Jr. reached on a fielding error and Carter Dorighi singled, allowing Jonny Farmelo to hit into a run-scoring groundout.

Adding an insurance run for Hillsboro in the top of the eighth was Carlos Virahonda, who hit his first Northwest League home run to set the Hops ahead 4-2. The AquaSox made a late push in the bottom of the ninth inning as Anthony Donofrio, who walked off the Hops in the fifth game of the six-game series, smashed a solo home run 392 feet to center field for his third hit of the game. Donofrio’s home run was also his fourth of the season, and each long ball of his this year has come against the Hops.

Hillsboro ultimately closed out the game, inducing a flyout and groundout following Donofrio’s home run to secure their 4-3 victory.

Saturday’s game

The Everett AquaSox walked off the Hillsboro Hops 5-4 in front of 3,167 at Everett Memorial Stadium.

Hillsboro struck first on the scoreboard, taking a 2-0 lead as Yassel Soler hit a two-run home run after Kayson Cunningham walked. The AquaSox tied the game in the bottom of the second, knotting the score as Matthew Ellis drilled a solo home run and Carlos Jimenez scored on Austin St. Laurent’s RBI groundout after reaching base by doubling. Ellis’ home run was his eighth of the season, clearing the fence in left field.

The Hops retook the lead in the top of the fourth inning courtesy of Kenny Castillo, who smacked a two-run home run after Trent Youngblood doubled. Felnin Celesten later brought the AquaSox within a run of the Hops, demolishing a 399-foot solo home run to the Paine Field Home Run Porch for his eighth long ball of the season.

Trailing 4-3, Everett loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the eighth inning as Jonny Farmelo doubled, Ellis walked, and Celesten singled. However, Hillsboro pitcher Brian Curley escaped the jam, striking out three batters in a row to extinguish the offensive flames brought forth by the AquaSox.

Everett ultimately walked off Hillsboro in the bottom of the ninth courtesy of New York native Anthony Donofrio. Austin St. Laurent singled to lead off the inning and Donofrio capitalized on the potential game-winning situation, drilling a two-run home run to right center field to walk off the Hops 5-4. The home run was the North Carolina alum’s third of the season, sending AquaSox fans home happy.

From the mound for the AquaSox, starting pitcher Evan Truitt threw five innings of four-run baseball, allowing five hits while striking out four and walking two. Relieving Truitt was lefty Calvin Schapira, who struck out five across two shutout innings, and Arizona State alum Lucas Kelly, who also fired off two scoreless frames and struck out five.

Friday’s game

The Everett AquaSox fell to the Hillsboro Hops 11-3 in front of 2,112 during AquaSox Pink At The Park at Everett Memorial Stadium.

Hillsboro opened the scoring right off of the jump, taking a 1-0 lead as Yassel Soler hit an RBI single after José Mejía doubled. That score remained until the top of the fourth, when the Hops added four more runs to go ahead 5-0. With the bases loaded, Kenny Castillo knocked a two-run double, and Modeifi Marte hit a single that scored another two runners.

Everett found the scoring column for the first time in the bottom of the fourth, gaining their first run as Josh Caron smashed a solo home run to right-center field for his 12th home run of the season. Additionally, Caron’s long ball puts him in a tie with Tri-City Dust Devils outfielder Randy De Jesus for the Northwest League lead.

Luke Stevenson brought the Frogs within reach of the Hops’ lead in the bottom of the seventh inning, crushing a two-run home run for his fifth homer of the season. Hillsboro responded in the top of the eighth, plating their sixth and seventh runs when Marte hit his second run-scoring single of the game and Castillo crossed home plate on a passed ball.

Hillsboro scored four more runs in the top of the ninth, taking an 11-3 lead. Soler hit an RBI single, and Kayson Cunningham drilled a three-run home run to center field to further their advantage. Throwing a scoreless bottom half of the final frame was Hops right-hander Sawyer Hawks, who secured his team’s third victory of the six-game series.

From the mound for the AquaSox, starting pitcher Colton Shaw struck out five and right-hander Sam Whiting threw two shutout innings. Whiting also struck out two batters.