AquaSox spark comeback on Fourth of July

Published 12:10 am Sunday, July 5, 2026

EVERETT — The Everett AquaSox were struggling to capitalize.

Despite racking up seven hits through five innings against the Tri-City Dust Devils at Everett Memorial Stadium on Saturday, the AquaSox trailed 2-1. Everett was 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position (RISP) entering the sixth — the lone hit an RBI double from catcher Luke Stevenson to account for the run — leaving much to be desired at the plate.

Then, fireworks.

The AquaSox put another in scoring position when outfielder Anthony Donofrio’s single pushed infielder Austin St. Laurent to second, and infielder Axel Sanchez made the next at-bat count with a tying RBI double to left field.

That wound up being Everett’s only other hit with RISP on the night, finishing 2-for-14 total, but an RBI groundout from outfielder Carter Dorighi and a two-run shot from infielder Brandon Eike helped make up for it as the AquaSox (9-5) clawed back for a 6-3 win against Tri-City (4-10).

“It’s really just continuing to kind of grind away at-bats and see if we can get some pitches to hit, and eventually we did, which is the cool part,” Everett manager Ryan Scott said. “We tell these guys not to try to do too much, wait for their pitch, and as soon as you get one, try to do some damage on it. … We did a phenomenal job competing tonight and really (ground) away those runs.”

Sanchez’s tying RBI double came on the first pitch of the at-bat. The 23-year-old saw it right over the plate and drove it into left field to leave runners on second and third, and Dorighi stepped up with an opportunity to take the lead.

Dorighi took strike one and whiffed on the second pitch to quickly go down 0-2, but he managed to get his bat on the next one and sent it bouncing up the middle. While Dorighi got thrown out at first, Donofrio scored from third to give the AquaSox a 3-2 lead.

“Just hard through the middle of the field,” Dorighi said. “Preferably in the air there with runners on base where they were. That’s what the situation called for, and just doing that for the team.”

St. Laurent finished 4-for-4 at the plate with a run scored, while Sanchez and Eike each drove in two runs. Everett starter Evan Truitt notched seven strikeouts in five innings, allowing five hits and two earned runs.

Truitt escaped multiple tight situations unscathed in the early innings, stranding runners at second and third in the first inning and another runner on third in the second. The Dust Devils once again put two runners on with back-to-back singles from outfielder Jorge Ruiz and shortstop Capri Ortiz to open the third inning, but Truitt needed just 11 more pitches to strike out each of the next three batters, making each one whiff for the final strike.

After striking out Tri-City catcher Peter Burns to end the inning, Truitt turned toward the outfield and stretched his arms out to each side before slapping his glove and walking off the mound.

“I didn’t think the first two guys hit the ball hard,” Truitt said. “I just wanted to keep attacking and fill it up, and that’s kind of what I did. And then just made some good pitches in finish counts and got some punch outs.”

The Dust Devils finally got the better of Truitt in the fourth inning with a two-run homer from designated hitter Aaron Graeber, but Truitt dialed back in to retire six of the next seven batters, including a 1-2-3 fifth inning.

Everett got on the board in the bottom of the fifth when outfielder Jonny Farmelo and Stevenson hit back-to-back doubles to deep center field, the latter driving in Farmelo to cut it to 2-1, but Dust Devils starter Peyton Ojelnik struck out Eike and designated hitter Matthew Ellis to kill the momentum until Sanchez and Dorighi helped the AquaSox take the lead in the next inning.

Everett reliever Calvin Schapira retired the side in the sixth inning, and reliever Lucas Kelly struck out the side in the seventh for another 1-2-3 frame for the AquaSox. Eike padded the lead to 5-2 with a two-run homer to right field in the bottom of the seventh. The 24-year-old infielder worked a 3-0 count before taking strike one inside. Tri-City reliever Keythel Key delivered the next pitch in a similar spot, and Eike got all over it.

Each of the next three batters reached to load up the bases, and Sanchez worked a walk to push it to 6-2, but the inning ended with a double play after Dorighi flied out to center field, and Gage Harrelson’s throw home beat St. Laurent to the plate.

Kelly returned for the eighth and struck out his fourth consecutive batter, but then allowed a solo home run to infielder Harold Coll to cut the lead to 6-3. Much like Truitt in the third inning, Kelly turned around to strike out each of the next two batters to finish his night with all six outs coming from a strikeout.

“We’re going to get punched in the mouth sometimes, and it’s really about how you’re going to respond,” Scott said. “And that’s the messaging we continue talking to these guys (about), is we’re going to go back in there, get right back into the zone and make them try to do it again.”

Dust Devils reliever Max Gieg struck out the top of the Everett order in the bottom of the eighth, but AquaSox reliever Christian Little earned his sixth save of the season with one hit allowed and two strikeouts in the ninth to secure the win.

Everett has won all five games against Tri-City and will look to wrap up the series sweep on Sunday at 4 p.m. PT.

“Selfishly, you always want to win on the Fourth of July,” Scott said. “America’s pastime, you want to come out with a win.”

Sunday’s game

The Everett AquaSox (10-5 second half, 43-8 overall) secured a series sweep over the Tri-City Dust Devils on Sunday in front of 2,254 fans, taking an 11-6 win to wrap up the week at Everett Memorial Stadium.

Alejo Lopez opened the scoring for the AquaSox, knocking two RBI singles in the first two innings of the game while playing on a rehab assignment. Furthering the Frogs’ advantage to 6-0 in the bottom of the second was Luke Stevenson, who demolished a grand slam over the fence in right-center field for his eighth home run of the season. Stevenson’s big swing traveled 440 feet, and the baseball left the bat at 106 MPH.

Brandon Eike smacked Everett’s second home run of the game in the bottom of the third, smashing a solo home run for his 15th homer of the season. With the long ball, Eike is now tied for the Northwest League lead in home runs. Extending the Frogs’ lead to 8-0 in the same frame was Jonny Farmelo, who added an RBI single.

Tri-City (4-11, 39-42) found the scoring column in the top of the fifth inning, plating two runs as Johan Macias knocked an RBI double and Jorge Ruiz hit an RBI single. AquaSox starting pitcher Walter Ford departed midway through the frame after throwing 4 2/3 innings of two-run baseball, turning the ball over to Jack White. A left-handed native of Georgia, White threw 1 2/3 shutout innings and struck out three.

The Dust Devils halved the Frogs’ lead in the top of the seventh, adding another two runs to their total to make the score 8-4. With two runners on base, Randy De Jesus hit a single that scored Ruiz and Harold Coll. However, Everett responded in the inning’s latter half as Anthony Donofrio lined an RBI double and Luis Suisbel belted a two-run home run for his sixth homer of the season.

Johan Macias added a solo home run for Tri-City in the top of the eighth and Peter Burns hit an RBI double in the top of the ninth, but the efforts were ultimately not enough. AquaSox right-hander Casey Hintz finished the game on the mound, closing out the Frogs’ 11-6 victory while achieving a series sweep over the Dust Devils.

Herald news services contributed to this report.