By ANDREW LOGSDON
Herald Writer
EVERETT – Blake Bone hit a two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the ninth inning Saturday to give the Everett AquaSox a thrilling 5-4 Northwest League victory over Salem-Keizer at Everett Memorial Stadium.
Pinch-hitter Chuck Lopez led off the inning with walk. After a pop out, Jamal Strong hit a single that advanced Lopez. Brian Hertel drew a walk to load the bases for Bone.
"I wanted the opportunity for this. I struggled most of the night," Bone said.
The game-winning hit was only the second hit for Bone since his freshman year at the University of Alabama-Huntsville. Bone was 1-for-5 with the AquaSox.
The win moved Everett (14-11) back into a first-place tie in the North Division with the Spokane Indians, who lost 6-2 against Eugene.
"We don’t give up, no matter what," Everett’s acting manager, Darrin Garner, said. "We feel we can win any game."
The AquaSox have scored more than twice the runs and amassed almost twice their total hits in four games against Salem-Keizer than they had in five previous games at Portland earlier in the week. Everett has scored 24 runs and knocked 35 hits in their series with the Volcanoes – and they had only 10 runs and 19 hits vs. the Rockies.
"We’ve been taking less swings than usual. We’re cutting down," Garner said. "Right now, it’s benefiting us."
AquaSox reliever Matt Sachse picked up the win and improved to 2-1 on the season. Sachse relieved Rett Johnson with two outs in the seventh inning in a bases-loaded jam. He pitched the final 21/3 innings and allowed three hits, including a Adam Shabala eighth-inning home run that gave Salem-Keizer the temporary lead. Sachse struck out four.
Jose Herrera started the game for the AquaSox and went four innings. He gave up three runs on four hits with two strikeouts and five walks in the no-decision.
Strong was 3-for-5 with two runs and two stolen bases for Everett. Mark Carroll was 2-for-3 and Manny Crespo was 2-for-4 with a run and a stolen base.
The game was the second in a row for Everett without leading hitter Wilfredo Quintana, who has not played because of discipline reasons.
Everett took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Strong led off with a single. He stole second base, then after a Jamie Bubela walk, stole third in a double steal with Bubela. Strong scored on a sacrifice fly by Carroll.
The two stolen bases by Strong were his 10th and 11th of the season. He is the league leader in steals.
Salem-Keizer answered in the second inning, taking a 3-1 lead. After loading the bases with no outs, catcher Jose Cerda had an RBI single that scored Bryan Carter for the first Volcano run. Derek Bell scored when Kevin Alexander grounded into a fielder’s choice. The AquaSox attempted a double play but Alexander beat the throw to first. Bryan Gann then grounded into a similar play and beat the throw to first, which allowed Adam Shabala to score.
The AquaSox tied the score at 3 in the bottom of the second inning. Crespo, who led off the inning with a hit, scored on Strong’s RBI grounder. Bubela followed with an RBI single that scored Corey Freeman.
The Volcanoes broke the tie in the eighth inning on a one-out solo home run to right-center by Shabala. The homer was the third of the season for Shabala and his second this year against the AquaSox.
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