EVERETT — Momentum finally looked like it was swinging in the Everett AquaSox’s favor. Trailing 7-2 to the Tri-City Dust Devils at Funko Field on Tuesday, the AquaSox loaded the bases with just one out in the bottom of the sixth inning and the top of the order on deck.
In consecutive at-bats, both Jonny Farmelo and Colt Emerson worked a full count against Tri-City pitcher Jake Smith. A walk would score a run and keep the chain moving, and a base hit would be even bigger.
But both young prospects struck out, and the inning ended with all three runners stranded. Emerson swung the end of his bat down into the turf in frustration as the Dust Devils jogged to their dugout.
“I’m up there competing just like we all are,” Emerson said. “Baseball is tough sometimes, you can get punched in the face, and it’s really how you respond. … This team doesn’t quit, and really, that goes for me too. You keep fighting, keep fighting, keep fighting because it’s going to come through at some point.”
Everett loads the bases with singles from Peete and Caron plus a walk by Donofrio, but Farmelo and Emerson each strike out to end the inning without inflicting any damage.
Emerson worked a full-count, and slams his bat down after he whiffed to end the inning.
It remains 7-2
— Joe Pohoryles (@Joe_Poho) May 7, 2025
Emerson (2-for-5, 1 R, 1 RBI) did come through in his next at-bat, contributing to an eighth-inning rally that put the AquaSox within three runs, but the missed opportunity in the sixth and the consistent bats from Tri-City (15-13) were too much to overcome, and Everett (11-17) lost 8-5.
“Their starter today (Keythel Key), I mean, he was electric,” AquaSox manager Zach Vincej said. “He threw hard, and we had a tough time getting up to his (velocity) a little bit, catching up to that. And then they had some good arms in the back end.”
Key struck out eight batters and allowed four hits, four walks and one earned run across 4 1/3 innings for the Dust Devils. Everett starting pitcher Nick Payero was tagged for five earned runs, four via solo home runs. He allowed seven hits across 4 2/3 innings, walking two and striking out five.
After allowing leadoff home runs to Dust Devils second baseman Adrian Placencia and outfielder Joe Redfield to start the first and third innings, respectively, Payero appeared to settle down in the fifth. He struck out the first two batters and looked well on his way to maintaining Everett’s 3-1 deficit.
Then he allowed his third home run of the night to Tri-City outfielder Anthony Scull, and after a brief mound visit, a fourth home run to first baseman Ryan Nicholson. In back-to-back swings, the Dust Devils doubled their lead to 5-1. Payero’s night ended there, as righty Jordan Jackson entered in relief and retired the first batter he faced to end the inning.
Tri-City goes back-to-back
Right after Scull hits a HR, 1B Ryan Nicholson joins the party with Tri-City's 4th solo HR of the evening.
Everett starter Nick Payero's night is done: 4.2 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 4 HR.
Tri-City leads 5-1 as Jordan Jackson enters in relief
— Joe Pohoryles (@Joe_Poho) May 7, 2025
“I think they just put some good swings on some balls,” Vincej said about Payero allowing four home runs. “I don’t think it was anything in particular. … He fell behind in a couple counts there that put them in the driver’s seat, so you might have to attribute that to that, but for the most part, it was just they put some good swings on it. Tip of the cap to them.”
Before that, third baseman Luis Suisbel (1-for-5, 1 R, 1 RBI) opened the scoring for Everett with his first home run of the season to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning, cutting it to 3-1. After missing a week with a hamstring injury earlier this season, the Venezuela native checked off another box.
Suisbel took two pitches well outside the zone before connecting on a high fastball down the middle.
“I was ready for that pitch,” Suisbel said. “The last AB with the same pitcher, he threw a lot of fastballs, and that’s my plan for that AB. So find that pitch, and I can take it.”
Emerson scored on a passed ball in the fifth to make it 5-2, but a trio of RBI hits from Capri Ortiz, Ben Gobbel and Randy De Jesus between the sixth and seventh innings stretched Tri-City’s lead to 8-2.
The AquaSox made up ground in the eighth inning, starting with first baseman Milkar Perez (0-for-4, 1 RBI) sending Tai Peete home with a sacrifice fly to left field after Peete (2-for-5, 1 R) led off the inning with a double. Emerson and second baseman Michael Arroyo (1-for-2, 1 RBI) hit back-to-back RBI singles to make it 8-5.
“One thing positive about this team is we’re gonna fight back no matter what,” Emerson said. “I think our manager, ‘Vinny,’ instilled in us, and even like the Mariners organization, we’re going to fight ‘til the end. And this team is amazing, you know, we got so much talent, and we’re going to win a lot of games this year just because of that fight.”
Right-hander Stefan Raeth pitched a clean ninth inning for Everett, but the AquaSox came up empty in the bottom of the frame, starting their first of six home games against Tri-City in the loss column. It’s the second time the two teams are facing each other in a series this season, with the Dust Devils going 4-2 at home from April 15-20.
“We just got to do what we do,” Vincej said. “I know we have a good hitting offense, so just trying to put some good ABs (at-bats) together, play some good defense, and you never know what could happen.”
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