Frogs drop finale, take five in Hops series

Published 11:12 am Monday, May 11, 2026

EVERETT — The Everett AquaSox fell to the Hillsboro Hops 8-5 in the final game of the six-game Northwest League baseball series at Everett Memorial Stadium in front of 2,261 fans.

Hillsboro (12-21) attacked in the scoring column early, leading 4-0 heading to the bottom of the second inning. With the bases loaded, Kenny Castillo knocked a two-run single to open the scoring for the Hops, and Wallace Clark added another RBI single to finish their opening frame of work. In the top of the second, Modeifi Marte doubled and Slade Caldwell singled to place runners on the corners, allowing Trent Youngblood to continue the scoring with an RBI single.

The AquaSox (18-15) battled back in the bottom of the second, scoring three runs to cut the Hops’ lead down to one run. Josh Caron blasted a solo home run to put the Frogs on the board, and then the AquaSox loaded the bases by singling twice and drawing one walk. Jonny Farmelo walked to bring home the Frogs’ second run, and a passed ball allowed the third Everett run to cross home plate.

The Hops found the board again in the top of the fifth inning, taking a 6-3 lead. Caldwell singled with two outs, positioning Alberto Barriga to smack a two-run home run to left-center field for his fifth home run of the season. The score held until the top of the eighth when Hillsboro went ahead 8-3 as Clark and Brady Counsell drilled consecutive solo home runs.

Everett made a final push in the bottom of the eighth inning, smashing consecutive solo home runs of their own. Luis Suisbel powered out the first one by crushing a 386-foot blast, and Anthony Donofrio crushed his first long ball of the season 395 feet out to the Paine Field Home Run Porch.

Despite their final push, the AquaSox fell short of a comeback victory as the Hops threw a scoreless bottom of the ninth. Overall, Everett won five games in the six-game series, and they currently sit tied with the Tri-City Dust Devils for second place in the Northwest League.

Saturday’s game

In front of a season-high crowd of 3,254 fans at Everett Memorial Stadium, the Everett AquaSox demolished the “evil empire” — the Hillsboro Hops — by a score of 15–1 on Star Wars Night.

Luke Stevenson used the force to get the AquaSox on the board in the bottom of the first inning. Carter Dorighi and Felnin Celesten singled to place two runners on base, allowing Stevenson to capitalize on the opportunity with a three-run home run to right-center field.

Hillsboro added its only run two innings later as Alberto Barriga hit a solo homer, and the AquaSox offense kicked things into overdrive from there to firmly put the game out of reach. Leading 3-1 entering the bottom of the third, Celesten extended the Frogs’ lead by hitting a two-run home run to right field after Jonny Farmelo singled to give Everett a four-run advantage.

Everett’s offense burst out in the bottom of the fourth, plating 10 runs in the frame to go up 15-1. Luis Suisbel continued the home run train as he led off the frame with a solo homer, and Dorighi added an RBI single to make the lead 7-1. Farmelo hit into an RBI groundout, Celesten knocked an RBI single, and Josh Caron added a two-run double to make the score 11-1.

Concluding the inning’s efforts were Suisbel and Carlos Jimenez. Suisbel plated Stevenson by hitting into an RBI fielder’s choice, and Jimenez provided the fourth AquaSox home run of the night two batters later. Jimenez’s blast was a three-run homer, and the swing accounted for his fourth homer of the season.

AquaSox pitching held the Hops to just five hits. Starting pitcher Evan Truitt delivered 5 2/3 innings of one-run baseball, striking out four while walking only one, and right-hander Will Armbruester fired off 1 2/3 shutout innings. Making his Everett Memorial Stadium debut, righty Adam Smith tossed two shutout innings to lock down the victory.

Friday’s game

The Everett AquaSox pitching staff stifled the Hillsboro Hops offense on Friday afternoon at Everett Memorial Stadium, allowing just three hits as the AquaSox secured their fourth consecutive win by a final score of 8-1.

AquaSox starting pitcher Colton Shaw opened the game very efficiently, throwing four shutout innings to begin the game in under 50 pitches. Deadlocked at zeroes entering the bottom of the fourth, outfielder Carlos Jimenez gave the AquaSox a 2-0 lead, belting a two-run home run to center field after Luis Suisbel was hit by a pitch. For Jimenez, the long ball was his third of the season.

Josh Caron and the AquaSox offense extended the Frogs’ lead in the bottom of the fifth, making the score 7-0. Anthony Donofrio doubled and Carter Dorighi singled to place runners on the corners with no outs, and Caron delivered on the opportunity by smashing a three-run home run for his fourth long ball of the year. Continuing the scoring attack was Donofrio and Austin St. Laurent, who each drew a bases-loaded walk as the AquaSox batted around the order in the frame.

Shaw dazzled across the rest of his outing, departing after throwing six innings of shutout baseball while allowing just one hit and one walk. The Yale alum struck out seven batters — five swinging and two looking — to tie his career high. Shaw has struck out seven batters in a game three times this season, raising his strikeout total this season to 33.

Hillsboro found the scoring column for the first and only time in the top of the seventh, plating one run. Avery Owusu-Asiedu and Modeifi Marte each singled to reach base, and the pair advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch. Owusu-Asiedu ultimately scored as another wild pitch was thrown, but the AquaSox escaped the jam with a six-run lead in hand.

Everett added an insurance run in the bottom part of the seventh, regaining a seven-run lead. St. Laurent reached base with one out due to a throwing error, and Curtis Washington Jr. roped a double down the third base line to bring home the Frogs’ eighth run of the game.

Leading 8-1, Frogs left-hander Calvin Schapira and right-hander Lucas Kelly threw the final two innings of the game to lock down the AquaSox victory. Schapira tossed one scoreless inning and struck out two batters, and Kelly also struck out two in one frame.