AquaSox beat Hops 6-4 in 10 innings

Published 8:06 pm Wednesday, July 22, 2015

HILLSBORO, Ore. — The Everett AquaSox are coming home with their eyes set on a first-half title.

Everett heads into the final four games of the first half of the Northwest League season in pole position after beating the Hillsboro Hops 6-4 Wednesday afternoon in 10 innings.

The Sox were gifted the tiebreaking run in the 10th courtesy of a pair of Hillsboro errors, then Corey Simpson slugged a two-run homer to provide the finishing touch for Everett (20-14), which finishes off the first half at home as the Sox try to defend first place in the North Division. The first half division winners earn automatic playoff berths.

Yojhan Quevedo and Ryan Uhl each added two hits for Everett. The Sox also received a solid outing from starting pitcher Lane Ratliff, who tossed five scoreless innings.

Sergio Alcantara homered and Josh Anderson went 2-for-3 to lead Hillsboro (19-15).

Everett seemed of little threat in the top of the 10th as the Sox had two out and nobody on. But Erick Mejia hustled out an infield single, stole second, then took third when the throw to second sailed into the outfield. Logan Taylor followed with a grounder that Hillsboro third baseman Jeff Smith threw away, giving Everett the lead.

Simpson then stepped up and belted a two-run shot to left to put the Sox up by three.

Hillsboro got one run back in the bottom of the 10th on Zach Nehrir’s groundout, but that was it for the Hops.

The 10th-inning rally salvaged the game for Everett, which was unable to hang onto a 3-0 lead. Alcantara hit a solo homer in the sixth to get the Hops on the board. Then Hillsboro tied it with two more in the seventh. A miscommunication between Taylor and Luis Liberato in the outfield allowed a routine fly to drop for a single as Hillsboro loaded the bases with nobody out. Smith blooped a single to right to get the Hops within one, then Hillsboro tied it on Alcantara’s double-play grounder, a play the Hops argued vociferously that Alcantara beat out.

Everett struck first in the top of the first when Quevedo scored on a fielder’s choice. Then the Sox scored two more in the sixth, Mejia coming home on the back end of a double steal and Uhl adding an RBI single.