PASCO — In the first two games against the Tri-City Dust Devils, the Everett AquaSox used a combination of strong starting pitching, good defense and just enough offense to win both games.
Although Sox starter Dylan Unsworth did his part Sunday, the Everett bats produced just two hits and the defense committed two costly errors in the seventh inning as the Sox dropped their first game of the season 3-1.
Unsworth became the third consecutive Everett starter to pitch six innings and allow only one run, following similar performances by Victor Sanchez and Mayckol Guaipe. The South African right-hander struck out six and allowed just four hits.
Dust Devils pitcher Benjamin Hughes matched Unsworth with six strong innings. Chris Taylor’s solo home run in the fourth was the only hit Hughes allowed. It was Taylor’s first professional homer and the first for the Sox this season.
Tri-City responded in the bottom half of the inning when Derek Jones, a former Snohomish High School standout making his first start as a pro, led off with a triple to right field and scored on Francisco Sosa’s single to tie the game 1-1. The Dust Devils then proceeded to load the bases with two outs, but Unsworth got Anthony Aguilera to ground into a force out to third baseman Jean Acevedo.
Other than an Alfredo Morales two-out triple in the seventh, the Everett bats went quiet against winning pitcher Brook Hart and fellow reliever Will Rankin.
Tri-City took the lead for good in the seventh. Everett reliever Scott DeCecco got two quick groundouts, but gave up a single to No. 9 hitter Aguilera and hit Joey Wong with a 2-2 pitch. Charlie Blackmon followed with a soft line drive that nicked off the glove of Sox second baseman Ketel Marte for an error. Marte threw home in an attempt to get Aguilera but the ball got past catcher Carlton Tanebe for another error and allowed Wong to reach third. The next batter, Jarod Berggren, Jones’ replacement in right field, lined a single to right-center to score Wong for the Dust Devils’ third run.
DeCecco took the loss despite both runs he allowed being unearned.
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