KEIZER, Ore. — The Everett AquaSox needed this one.
With the season potentially on the line, the Sox earned their most important victory of the season to date, defeating the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes 5-1 Wednesday night to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Everett came into the game riding its longest losing streak of the season at five games. The Sox were also in danger of being swept in a three-game series by Salem-Keizer, the team Everett is chasing in the Northwest League’s West Division standings.
However, by ending the losing streak and avoiding the sweep the Sox (33-25) kept themselves in the race. Had Everett lost the Sox would have fallen six games behind the Volcanoes (37-21), but now Everett remains just four games back.
And the Sox have a golden opportunity to make that deficit shrink further. The Sox and Volcanoes begin another three-game series in Everett beginning Thursday, following today’s off day. The teams still have nine head-to-head matchups remaining over the next 12 days.
With so much at stake the Sox needed a quality effort from its pitching staff, and Everett got it.
Jon Hesketh, making his first start for Everett and first appearance since returning from Clinton of the Midwest League, was everything the Sox could have asked. The lefty tossed five strong innings, giving up just one run on four hits. He didn’t walk anyone and struck out five in earning the win.
Everett’s bullpen was even better. Phillip Roy, Brandon Pullen, Christian Staehely and Chad Cordero combined on four scoreless innings, striking out seven.
Matt Cerione, James Jones and Welington Dotel each had two hits to lead Everett’s offense.
Chris Dominguez homered to provide Salem-Keizer’s lone run. Volcanoes starter Jeremy Toole, who allowed three runs in five innings, took the loss to fall to 1-3.
Everett jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning as four of the game’s first five batters rapped out base hits. Jones doubled over the head of left fielder Caleb Curry to drive home the first run. Then Dotel grounded a double down the first-base line to chase home two more as the Sox were off to an all-important fast start.
Salem-Keizer pulled one back in the fourth when Dominguez blasted a towering solo homer to left to make it 3-1.
But Everett put it out of reach in the eighth when Hawkins Gebbers lined a two-run double down the left-field line to stretch the lead to four.
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