AquaSox blow big lead to split series in Vancouver

Published 12:15 am Monday, July 13, 2026

The Everett AquaSox blew a 7-0 lead en route to a 9-8 loss against the Vancouver Canadians at Nat Bailey Stadium on Sunday.

Everett (46-41 overall, 13-8 second-half) scored four runs in the second inning with a leadoff home run from first baseman Matthew Ellis and back-to-back RBI triples from infielder Jo Oyama and outfielder Jonny Farmelo. Catcher Luke Stevenson pushed the lead to 7-0 with a three-run homer in the fourth, but Vancouver (37-50, 10-11) pushed back until the AquaSox bullpen unraveled by allowing four consecutive bases-loaded walks — and five straight overall — in the seventh.

After going six up, six down through the first two innings and stranding two runners in the third, Everett starter Walter Ford picked up one out in the fourth before allowing three straight singles. The third from designated hitter Jacob Sharp scored catcher Edward Duran to cut the score to 7-1, and outfielder Mathieu Vallee drove in the other two runners with a double right after.

An RBI single from infielder Kendry Chirinos two batters later cut the deficit to 7-4. Ford entered the fourth inning with just two hits and no runs allowed, but ended his day with eight hits and four earned runs tagged to him.

Ellis immediately brought the lead back up to 8-4 with his second home run of the day to lead off the fifth inning, but AquaSox reliever Jack White allowed four straight Canadians to reach base in the bottom of the frame. White walked Vallee with the bases loaded to make it 8-5, foreshadowing the seventh inning, but caused infielder Maddox Latta to ground into an inning-ending double play right after.

After a clean sixth inning from both sides, Vancouver completed its comeback in the seventh. Duran and infielder Tucker Toman led off the inning with back-to-back singles, and after AquaSox reliever Casey Hintz picked up his first out, he walked Vallee to load the bases.

From there, the base on balls parade commenced. Hintz walked Latta and Chirinos back-to-back to bring the lead down to 8-7, and Everett turned to Christian Little, who proceeded to walk the next two batters to turn the 8-7 lead into a 9-8 deficit. Little stopped the bleeding by causing infielder Peyton Williams to ground into a double play, but the damage was done.

The AquaSox had an opportunity to force the game into the bottom of the ninth when outfielder Carlos Jimenez reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. However, infielder Austin St. Laurent struck out, and infielder Luis Suisbel grounded out to leave Jimenez stranded.

Ellis finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI, but Everett dropped its final two games of the series to split. The AquaSox will be off from Monday to Thursday for the All-Star Break before returning to action on Friday for a three-game road set against the Spokane Indians. The team returns to Everett Memorial Stadium on July 21 to begin a six-game series against the Eugene Emeralds.

Saturday’s Game: Vancouver 7, Everett 6

Everett blew a two-run lead in the eighth inning to fall 7-6 against the Canadians on Saturday.

Pinch-hitter Peyton Williams tied it 6-6 for Vancouver (36-50 overall, 9-11 second-half) with a two-run double off AquaSox reliever Lucas Kelly in the eighth inning, and infielder Manuel Beltre turned a single into the winning run on a defensive error from Everett (46-40, 13-7).

AquaSox outfielder Jonny Farmelo could not secure a sliding catch in center field, allowing Beltre to reach first, but he managed to throw out Williams heading to third. However, third baseman Luis Suisbel launched the ball past second, going for the inning-ending double play as Beltre attempted to advance, and that allowed Beltre to come all the way around to give the Canadians a 7-6 lead.

Kelly managed to get out of the inning without further damage, but Everett could not bring outfielder Anthony Donofrio home after his one-out double in the top of the ninth, which ended a three-game winning streak.

Despite his late miscue, Suisbel went 2-for-4 with four RBI to lead the offense. Outfielder Carlos Jimenez went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI. Starter Evan Truitt allowed six hits, three earned runs and two walks while striking out one across five innings.

The AquaSox took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first with an RBI single from infielder Brandon Eike after Farmelo led off the game with a walk. Vancouver evened it 1-1 in the bottom of the third with an RBI groundout from outfielder Jake Casey. The two sides traded runs again in the fourth with an RBI double from Suisbel and a sacrifice fly from infielder Kendry Chirinos to tie it 2-2.

The Canadians took a 3-2 lead on an RBI double from infielder Tucker Toman in the bottom of the fifth, but Everett exploded for four runs in the sixth to take a 6-3 lead. Jimenez tied it up with an RBI single to score catcher Josh Caron, who got on with a walk and stole second. Infielder Austin St. Laurent doubled to put runners on second and third, and Suisbel crushed the first pitch he saw from Vancouver reliever Reece Wissinger for a three-run homer.

Beltre cut it to 6-4 with a sacrifice fly off reliever Jose Geraldo in the bottom of the sixth, but Geraldo returned to face just three batters in the seventh. After walking Casey, Geraldo induced a double play from designated hitter Eric Snow before striking out Toman. After the AquaSox failed to pad their lead in the seventh and eighth, the Canadians executed their comeback.

Friday’s Game: Everett 4, Vancouver 3

Luke Stevenson’s go-ahead, two-run home run in the sixth inning lifted the AquaSox to a 4-3 win against the Canadians on Friday.

Everett (46-39 overall, 13-6 second-half) recorded just three hits all game, but Stevenson’s homer and designated hitter Matthew Ellis’ two-run double in the fourth provided enough run support for starter Colton Shaw, who struck out five across five innings while allowing five hits and two earned runs.

Vancouver (35-50, 8-11) took a 3-0 lead over the first two innings. Outfielder Jake Casey hit a two-run homer in the first, and outfielder J.R. Freethy hit an RBI single in the second after outfielder Mathieu Vallee reached on a fielding error by AquaSox shortstop Felnin Celesten to lead off the inning.

Canadians starter Silvano Hechavarria was perfect through three innings, but Everett got the bats going in its second time through the order. Stevenson worked a walk with one out, and infielder Brandon Eike singled two batters later to put runners on the corners. Ellis brought both home with a line drive into the left field gap to cut it to 3-2.

Shaw retired nine of the 10 batters he faced after the second inning, going 1-2-3 in the third and fifth. After outfielder Jonny Farmelo led off the sixth with a walk, Stevenson put the AquaSox ahead 4-3 with his two-run blast. The 21-year-old catcher took the first pitch low and inside for a ball, and he connected on the second pitch toward the outside of the plate for his ninth homer of the season.

Everett reliever Reid Easterly took over for the sixth and seventh innings, going six up, six down with two strikeouts to maintain the lead. The AquaSox bats quieted down, but Calvin Schapira pitched a clean eighth inning, stranding two Vancouver runners after inducing fly outs from Casey and infielder Tucker Toman.

Wyatt Lunsford-Shenkman continued the shutdown relief in the ninth, going 1-2-3 to secure his first save of the season and Everett’s third straight victory.