AquaSox drop four straight to close Hops series

Published 9:30 am Monday, August 3, 2026

The Everett AquaSox dropped their fourth straight game against the Hillsboro Hops on the road on Sunday night with a 9-3 loss.

The series placed Everett at 52-50 with a 19-17 second-half record — a game back of first-place Spokane in the Northwest League standings. It also meant a series loss, as the AquaSox won the initial two games at Hops Ballpark by one run each before going on the losing streak.

Everett starter Walter Ford dropped to 0-9 on the season, giving up nine hits and seven runs (three earned) over 3 1/3 frames. Outfielder Aiden Taurek (2-for-3) scored twice and doubled for the Frogs, while third baseman Luis Suisbel homered in the ninth to drive in two runs, with the game already well out of hand at 9-1. It was Suisbel’s 12th home run of the season, tying him for 15th on the Northwest League leaderboard.

Hops reliever Kyle Ayers (5-4) picked up the win, slinging 5 2/3 innings with five hits and a run allowed to go with four Ks — Everett hit 8-for-34 off Hillsboro’s staff total. The Sox scored six runs combined over the final three games of the series while the Hops managed 18 in that stretch.

Everett started Sunday’s game with two groundouts and a strikeout in the first before three straight Hops hitters reached base. Outfielder Slade Caldwell (2-for-4, 2 runs) singled before Jose Mejia (3-for-5, 3 runs, 2 RBI) got him to second on an error from Suisbel. Shortstop Kayson Cunningham (2-for-4, run, 2 RBI) brought Caldwell home on a double moments later before a sacrifice fly from Carlos Virahonda (1-for-3, RBI) scored Mejia.

Third baseman Yassel Soler (1-for-4, RBI) made it 3-0 with a single before the Hops capitalized on a second-inning passed ball with two outs to bring in two more runs off a Cunningham single.

Everett outfielder Ricardo Cova (1-for-4, RBI) brought home Taurek with a single in the third to mark the Sox’s only run before the ninth. With Ayers in the game to start the fourth, Everett managed to get outfielder Korbyn Dickerson to third on a Taurek double, but no further.

Hillsboro added two more runs in the fourth and sixth frames each, as a wild pitch from Ford scored a run in the fourth before Mejia singled to make it 7-1. Everett got just one hitter on base over the fifth and sixth before consecutive doubles from Caldwell and Mejia made it 8-1. Second baseman JD Dix (1-for-3, RBI) singled two hitters later to bring the game to 9-1.

Sox reliever Sam Whiting took the mound in the seventh, pitching two shutout innings to close it with one walk before Suisbel sent a fly ball well past the center-field wall to score Taurek in the ninth and make it 9-3.

Saturday’s game

Everett’s losing streak grew to three games on Saturday night, as the AquaSox (52-49, 19-16 second half) lost to Hillsboro (46-55, 14-21) 6-1. The Frogs opened the scoring in the first before being shut out for the rest of the night after going 6-for-34 with 14 strikeouts. Everett trailed 3-2 in the six-game series after the loss.

Everett starter Evan Truitt dropped to 2-4 on the season after giving up eight hits and four runs with two homers in 5 2/3 innings. Hops starter David Hagaman (5-4) registered 10 Ks over 6 1/3 innings, allowing five hits and a half to go with the lone Everett run.

Outfielder Ricardo Cova (2-for-5, run) led off the game with a single for Everett before first baseman Brandon Eike (1-for-2, RBI) brought him home on a single. The Hops threatened in the bottom of the first with two straight singles before Everett shortstop Axel Sanchez turned a double play to second baseman Carter Dorighi and Eike to end the frame.

It only delayed the Hops’ onslaught, as outfielder Avery Owusu-Asiedu (2-for-4, run, 2 RBI) homered to center in the second to bring in two runs and take the lead. Things continued to spiral for Truitt, who hit third baseman Wallace Clark (0-for-2, 2 runs) then gave up another two-run homer to shortstop Adrian Rodriguez (2-for-4, run, 2 RBI).

Everett got out of the inning on two groundouts and a K, but trailed 4-1 and managed to get on base just twice over the ensuing four frames. Outfielder Aiden Taurek (1-for-4) reached third in the seventh, but a Cova groundout left two runners stranded.

Three straight Hops walks and a passed ball made it 5-1 in the seventh before designated hitter Slade Caldwell (1-for-5, RBI) singled to center to bring the game to 6-1.

Friday’s game

The AquaSox fell to the Hops 3-2 on a walk-off single in the 11th inning on Friday night, as catcher Carlos Virahonda (2-for-3, RBI) hit a floating line drive shot down the first-base line to score ghost runner Kayson Cunningham.

The result dropped Everett to 52-48 (19-15 second half) while last-place Hillsboro improved to 45-55 (13-21). The loss split the six-game series 2-2 through four games.

The Frogs scored both runs in the third frame, then were held scoreless for the final eight innings on a 6-for-38 night.

Starter Colton Shaw went 5 1/3 innings for Everett, giving up two Hops runs in the fourth and four hits overall with four strikeouts. Relievers Reid Easterly and Christian Little combined to throw 4 2/3 scoreless frames, allowing just two hits and five Ks. Reliever Casey Hintz picked up the loss to drop to 3-3, as Virahonda was the lone batter he faced on the walk-off hit.

Hillsboro’s Wellington Aracena went five innings, allowing five hits and two runs with five Ks after coming on in the second for starter Patrick Forbes. From there, relievers Rocco Reid and Luke Dotson allowed one hit and no runs over 4 2/3 innings before Alexis Liebano picked up the win by striking out outfielder Ricardo Cova for Everett’s final out of the game.

Everett’s defense started the game with three straight three-up, three-down frames, with three groundouts and two groundouts forced to close innings quickly with Shaw on the mound.

Meanwhile in the third, second baseman Carter Dorighi (1-for-3, run, 2 BB, 2 SB) drew a five-pitch walk and stole second. Cova (2-for-6, run) hit a soft ground ball to Aracena on the next at-bat, but the pitcher missed the throw to first as Dorighi scored the opening run of the game.

After two Everett outs, a wild pitch and a walk from Aracena put runners on the corners for the AquaSox. Korbyn Dickerson (1-for-4, RBI) singled on an awkward floating hit to right field to score Cova.

That was all the scoring Everett would muster on the day, as the Frogs managed just four hits over the final eight frames.

The Hops responded in the fourth after Everett was unable to capitalize on two straight singles, as outfielder Slade Caldwell (1-for-4, run) singled and stole second for Hillsboro. Second baseman Jose Meija (1-for-5, run) moved Caldwell to third on a single before Virahonda loaded the bases on a walk.

Designated hitter JD Dix (1-for-4, 2 RBI) singled to bring home two runners on the next at-bat, signaling the last Hillsboro score until the 11th.

Neither team threatened to score until Everett loaded the bases on another Dorighi walk and a Cova single, but Reid came on for Hillsboro midway through the frame to get out of the jam with three strikeouts.

The AquaSox failed to get on base in the ninth and 10th with the exception of Dickerson being intentionally walked in the 10th. After another hitless 11th for Everett, Virahonda walked it off to send Hops Stadium into a frenzy.