EVERETT — The Everett AquaSox allowed 10 runs in the second inning against the Spokane Indians at Funko Field on Friday — with eight unearned due to four separate fielding errors — and quickly fell into a hole they could not dig out of.
Neither team scored a run in the final seven innings, and Spokane walked away with a 10-2 victory.
“It really just came down to that inning,” AquaSox manager Zach Vincej said. “Obviously a nightmare of an inning, but you know, there’s plenty of ballgame left and you just got to keep fighting all the way to the end, and that’s what we basically messaged (to the players).”
The AquaSox got off to a strong start, with starter William Fleming retiring the first three batters for a quick first inning. In the bottom of the frame, designated hitter Charlie Pagliarini reached first safely on a force out to second, beating out what would have been an inning-ending double play and allowing shortstop Felnin Celesten to score from third.
With a 1-0 lead entering the second, the AquaSox showed early signs of a good night, but that quickly unraveled. Fielding errors from first baseman Brandon Eike, second baseman Carter Dorighi and Celesten, as well as a throwing error from outfielder Jonny Farmelo, contributed to Spokane scoring eight unearned runs, slowly building up to a 10-1 lead.
“(You) just keep going,” Dorighi said about his focus following the second. “And (make) sure you’re locked in and doing what you can.”
Outfielder Tai Peete led off the bottom of the second with a double and reached home on a sacrifice fly from Eike to cut it to 10-2. In the top of the third, Peete made an inning-ending putout on a throw home from left field, preventing the Indians from building on the lead.
With Fleming taken out of the game after just 1.1 innings, Jacob Denner settled in for 4.2 innings of relief. In just his fifth outing with Everett, the 25-year-old lefty eclipsed two innings for the first time in over a year, based on his own estimates.
“I felt good, but we’ll see how I feel tomorrow,” Denner said. “(…) Just kind of stick to what we talk about as a staff. Just dominating the zone and trusting our defense there. … You get thrown into the fire, but that’s part of baseball. Sometimes you get that, and it’s just sticking to the process.”
After allowing two hits — including a two-run homer to Spokane catcher Cole Messina — while cleaning up the second inning, Denner allowed just four more hits and no walks across the remaining four.
AquaSox reliever Ben Hernandez came in for Denner, allowing one hit and no walks in two innings, and infielder Milkar Perez pitched a 1-2-3 ninth in his fourth appearance on the mound this season. On a night that initially looked like the bullpen would be severely taxed, Denner and Hernandez held down the fort.
“It was huge for us,” Vincej said. “One, for himself; and two, for our bullpen, obviously. So, I think, (Denner) going 4.1 (innings) scoreless (after the home run) is unbelievable. Great job by him. He filled up the zone.”
But that was really the only positive for Everett on Friday. The Frogs threatened to score another run in the seventh, when Eike hit a double to right field and Donofrio attempted to reach home from first, but the throw to the plate made it in time and prevented the run.
Later in the frame, Farmelo looped a ball into left field with runners on the corners, but Indians outfielder Tommy Hopfe slid to make the catch and end the inning. It was the only time after the second inning that the AquaSox had a runner advance past first base.
The AquaSox have two more games against Spokane to close out the weekend before their final homestand, which begins against the Eugene Emeralds on Tuesday.
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