AquaSox end losing streak, gain confidence vs. Emeralds

EVERETT — Every baseball season is a grind, especially by the time it reaches the tail end. When the losses start to pile up, it weighs even heavier. So at Funko Field on Sunday, when the Everett AquaSox gave up two runs to the Eugene Emeralds in the top of the sixth inning after tying it 2-2 in the previous frame, it looked as if the Frogs would spiral to their ninth straight loss.

The AquaSox would load the bases in the top of the sixth, but strand all three runners. How much more fight was left to give against an Emeralds team that clinched the Northwest League second-half title on Friday and had a 19-7 record in the month of August?

As it would turn out, quite a bit more.

Despite falling behind as they had all week, the AquaSox surged ahead with a four-run seventh inning and held off a bases-loaded, ninth-inning rally to secure a 7-5 victory, closing out their final regular season home game by snapping an eight-game losing streak.

“We had some balls that dropped (for hits) today, which was awesome,” AquaSox manager Zach Vincej said. “We’ve been searching for that for a little bit now, so you can kind of feel like the pressure relieving from our guys a little bit. They can play looser, and this is big for us, big for our group.

“We’ve been really grinding and getting after it and working hard, so I’m glad that we got results at the end of this one.”

Trailing 4-2 entering the seventh inning, Everett’s first six batters reached base safely. First baseman Carter Dorighi led off with a walk, and the AquaSox quickly loaded the bases with a Jonny Farmelo single and Felnin Celesten walk.

Catcher Matthew Ellis fouled off a 1-0 pitch before squaring up on a pitch down the middle and driving it to right field, scoring two runs to tie the game 4-4. With second baseman Charlie Pagliarini due up with a chance to take the lead, he had extra time to think about his at bat while Eugene made a pitching change.

“Just seeing what he’s got in his arsenal,” Pagliarini said. “I faced him (Emeralds reliever Esmerlin Vinicio) earlier this week, and (I) just try to put an approach together and got a little nice bounce, and it worked out good.”

Pagliarini wasted no time, connecting on Vinicio’s first pitch right down the middle for an RBI double to score Celesten and put the AquaSox ahead 5-4. After generating just three hits through the first five innings, the Everett offense had finally come alive.

Vinicio threw a wild pitch, which allowed Ellis to score from third to make it 6-4. Vincej waved Pagliarini home from second after Eugene was slow to retrieve the ball in foul territory, but they managed to beat Pagliarini there to prevent the extra run.

After going 8-for-43 (.186) with runners in scoring position (RISP) through the first five games of the series, the AquaSox went 4-for-10 (.400) on Sunday.

“If we can have good at bats, you know, working the counts, fighting all the way until the end, I like our chances,” Vincej said. “I think we just got to limit the at bats where we give them away, we swing at bad pitches. Those are all super important to think about.”

Celesten pushed it to 7-4 in the eighth with a sacrifice fly, and while Eugene cut it to 7-5 in the ninth and loaded the bases, closer Gabriel Sosa hung on to secure his ninth save of the season.

Everett starter Nick Payero was nails to begin the game. The 25-year-old rolled through the first two innings before escaping deep trouble in the third and fourth.

Payero walked the bases loaded with two outs in the third inning, throwing Ball Four on a full count against Emeralds outfielder Parks Harber. Unfazed, Payero sent two pitches down the middle to shortstop Jean Carlos Sio, the latter inducing a fly out to strand all three runners.

“Just stay locked in, attack the hitters, and give my team a chance to make a play,” Payero said. “That’s all I was trying to do.”

The Emeralds put runners on second and third once again in the fourth inning, but Payero maintained the shutout by striking out designated hitter Quinn McDaniel and getting second baseman Nate Furman to fly out.

But eventually, the Emeralds offense that had been red-hot all series got one on Payero in the fifth. Then another one. Charlie Szykowny and Harber hit back-to-back solo home runs to give the Emeralds a 2-0 lead.

“There is no frustration, it was a grinding game,” Payero said. “It’s a good team. I battled my way through 4.2 innings. They put two good swings on, and that’s baseball. But I felt really good.”

Payero allowed seven hits and two earned runs in his start, striking out three against three walks before Jacob Denner (1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K) took over.

Everett clawed back when outfielder Tai Peete got the team’s second hit of the day with a double in the bottom of the frame. He reached third after baiting an off-target pick-off attempt, and fellow outfielder Anthony Donofrio walked and stole second to put both runners in scoring position.

Peete scored on a Eugene wild pitch, sliding home to beat the recovery tag, and Dorighi stepped up with a full-count RBI single to center field, tying the game 2-2 by bringing Donofrio home. Szykowny and Harber struck again — this time with back-to-back RBI base hits — to restore the Eugene lead to 4-2 before Everett completed the comeback.

After a road series against Vancouver beginning on Tuesday, the AquaSox will compete for the Northwest League Championship beginning Sept. 9 against this same Emeralds team that largely overpowered them this past week. The fact that their freshest memory entering that series will be a win is no small detail.

“We’ve had some ups and downs (this week),” Pagliarini said. “To be able to come on top in the last game, it’s great for momentum and confidence. We have a great group of guys, so we’re not really too worried about that. We’re excited to play them in the playoffs, and have some fun.”