EVERETT — A sacrifice fly from Tyler Flores in the 10th inning lifted Salem-Keizer over Everett, 10-9, spoiling the AquaSox’s home opener on Friday at Funko Field at Everett Memorial Stadium.
Trailing 9-7 in the top of the ninth, the Volcanoes’ Simon Whiteman and Jeff Houghtby flicked back-to-back two-out singles and Yorlis Rodriguez reached on a fielding error from Logan Rhinehart loaded the bases. Then Sean Roby tied the game up with a two-run single up the middle.
The AquaSox stranded two runners in the bottom of the frame, but couldn’t record the potential walk-off hit as Cash Gladfelter struck out.
Ismael Cruz struck out the AquaSox in the bottom of the 10th to shut the door.
Gladfelter helped the AquaSox assemble a commanding lead early, drubbing a three-run, opposite-field homer over the fence in left field to put Everett up 3-0.
It was the first career professional home run for the 2018 27th-round pick.
“It was something that was sort of surprising,” said Gladfelter, who spent a part of his first professional season last year in Everett. “You never try and hit home runs, and I hit that one and I didn’t even know it went out until I rounded first and I saw the (umpire’s signal). It’s something you just want to get out of the way. … Once you get it out of the way, the game gets a lot easier.”
Following Gladfelter’s three-run blast in the second was a leadoff homer from Miguel Perez in the third and a three-run homer from Marysville native Trent Tingelstad, also his first career professional homer, in the fifth to put the AquaSox up 6-0.
Tingelstad had a strong contingent of family and friends at the game at watch his professional debut at Funko Field.
“It felt great,” Tingelstad said. “Everyone who came tonight has seen me play before, I wasn’t trying to do too much. Because when I do I tend to get in trouble. … The first thing I did was smile because it was such a cool situation. I knew all my friends and family were watching while I rounded the bases. It was cool to help the team out and in front of family as well.”
Everett starting pitcher Damon Casetta-Stubbs didn’t allow a hit through four innings, but the wheels fell off in the sixth.
Three consecutive singles loaded the bases, Houghtby brought in a run with a sacrifice fly and Sean Roby reached base on a throwing error on Cesar Izturis Jr. to allow a pair of runs to cross home.
Casetta-Stubbs exited the game, then Labour uncorked a mammoth three-run homer that tucked just inside the left foul pole to cut the lead to 6-5, and Ricardo Genoves followed with a home to left-center to tie it.
The stalemate wouldn’t last long, as Patrick Frick poked an RBI single to right and Robert Perez Jr., in his first game with Everett after a 19-game stint with Tacoma, drove a two-run single up the middle to push the AquaSox’s lead to 9-6.
Labour plated another run on a bases-loaded fielder’s choice to cut the lead to 9-7.
Short hops
Rehabbing Sam Tuivailala was scheduled to make a relief stint for the AquaSox, but didn’t enter the game after warming up. It was likely due to the mound, which appeared to be in poor condition and prompted the game to be stopped for groundskeepers to come out to repair it.
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