EVERETT — The Everett AquaSox’s bats were slumping. So Sunday afternoon they decided to break out of it by hitting the ball where no fielder could catch it.
Everett broke out the big sticks Sunday, slugging four home runs as the Sox thumped the Spokane Indians 10-1 at Everett Memorial Stadium.
Everett managed to go yard in nearly every notable way possible. Ryan Royster led off the game with a homer. Mickey Wiswall slugged a grand slam. And Steven Baron and Dwight Britton hit back-to-back shots.
It all made for a comfortable afternoon for Everett, which had a firm grasp on the game throughout.
“We’ve had a couple low-hit games, so it was nice to have a laid-back game where we put up some runs early,” Wiswall said.
Everett pounded out 14 hits, eight of which went for extra bases. The 10 runs were the most scored by the Sox since opening day, when they put 11 up in a victory at Salem-Keizer. And everyone got into the act as all nine Everett batters had at least one hit, all nine scored a run, and six drove in at least one.
It was a stark contrast to the previous three games in the series. The Sox managed to score some runs in those games (13 total), but they did so despite accumulating just 15 hits in 33 innings and fanning 40 times.
“We were aggressive,” Sox manager Jose Moreno said. “We were hitting good pitches and our approach was more patient. We get too anxious at times — young hitters want to do too much — but today they had real good approaches, a good plan and that was the result.”
“I think we were just hitting the pitchers’ mistakes with guys on base, and before you know it we scored nine, 10 runs,” was Wiswall’s take on the difference between Sunday and the previous games in the series. “We drove the ball today.”
Everett (16-7) also received strong outings from relievers Willy Kesler and Stephen Pryor, who combined to toss five scoreless innings. Kesler went three innings to earn the win, his first as a professional.
Nicholas McBride took the loss for Spokane (11-11), giving up eight runs in four innings.
Everett’s victory gave the teams a split through the first four games of the five-game series. The rubber game is tonight. Spokane is the only team that’s won a series against the Sox this season.
Everett took command with an explosive third inning during which Wiswall’s slam was the biggest blow. It began innocently enough when Terry Serrano dropped down a bunt single to lead off the inning. But that just began a hit parade that saw the Sox get twice as many hits in one inning (six) as they did during the entirety of the previous night’s 9-4 loss to the Indians.
Kevin Rivers drove in the first run, snapping a 1-1 tie by grounding an RBI single to right. Then after Kevin Mailloux walked to load the bases, Wiswall jacked a ball down the right-field line. The ball stayed just fair as it dropped into the homer porch, blowing the game open. It was Wiswall’s second straight game with a homer.
“On the first pitch (McBride) missed with a changeup out, and he tried to come in with a fastball for a strike,” Wiswall explained about his game-breaking homer. “He tried to come in again with a fastball and that’s the one I put out. I was just trying to get down and ready for the fastball, throw my hands at it, and it worked out well.”
The Sox weren’t done. Evan Sharpley and Britton both doubled later in the inning, Britton’s shot off the left-center wall bringing home Sharpley to give Everett a 7-1 lead.
Everett piled on in the sixth when Baron and Britton led off the inning with back-to-back solo shots, Baron’s just carrying out to center and Britton’s clearing the fence in left-center.
Sox starting pitcher Eric Thomas struggled with his control, but managed to escape relatively unscathed. He walked six in four innings, but only gave up one run.
Thomas got a lot of help in the fifth from Kesler. Thomas loaded the bases with nobody out on a single and two walks, then was pulled in favor of Kesler. Kesler struck out Jared Hoying, then got Andrew Clark to ground into a double play as Everett escaped with its 7-1 lead intact.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
