EVERETT – The Everett AquaSox’s dynamic offense has been missing just one element this season: power.
Perhaps the AquaSox are now beginning to awaken their slumbering power stroke.
For the second straight game Everett went deep twice, and the AquaSox defeated the Eugene Emeralds 10-3 Saturday night in a Northwest League game at Everett Memorial Stadium.
Before a crowd of 2,586, Omar Falcon hit a grand slam – his second homer in two nights – and Casey Craig also homered for the AquaSox (31-24), who scored in double digits for the second consecutive game.
“We’re kind of breaking our of out slump,” said Craig, who scored three runs, drove in two and stole two bases. “We’re making up for a couple of hits we missed out on in Spokane.”
Everett has led the Northwest League in runs the entire season, but the AquaSox have done that despite being near the cellar in just about every power-hitting category, instead relying on their ability to get on base and their speed on the base paths. Going into the series, the AquaSox had hit just 36 home runs in 53 games.
But the last two nights Everett flashed the muscle that seemed to be waiting to break out.
“It was bound to happen,” Craig said of Everett’s power outburst. “We’ve got a lot of big guys on our team and they’ve just been waiting to come out of their shells. It’s nice to have (the homers), they’re a big part of the game and the fans love it.”
The Everett bats weren’t the only ones to break out of a slump. AquaSox ace Shawn Nottingham rebounded well from his worst start of the season, when he gave up eight runs. The left-hander pitched seven solid innings to improve to 8-1.
“Today my arm felt good,” Nottingham said. “I was trying to come back, have confidence and throw my stuff. Obviously my defense (which committed no errors) helped me out today. There were a lot of ground balls and the infield handled the balls. I just wanted to keep the ball low and let the infield handle the ball because we’ve got one of the best infields in the league.”
Nottingham gave up three runs on eight hits and two walks. He struck out three.
“I think I’m sort of back on track somewhat, but I’m still not quite where I want to be,” Nottingham said. “I still have a few adjustments to make, but now I’ve got four days to work on that and hopefully I’ll do a little better next time.”
Eugene took an early lead in the top of the first inning when Brett Burnham rattled a double into the left-field corner, scoring Chris Kolkhorst from first base to give the Emeralds a 1-0 advantage.
But Everett surged ahead in the bottom of the first thanks to three unearned runs. Craig reached second when left fielder Billy Hogan dropped his liner, stole third and trotted home when catcher Jose Lobaton’s throw sailed into left field, tying it at 1-1. Then after the AquaSox loaded the bases with one out, two runs scored when Brent Johnson’s hard grounder got through second baseman Burnham, making it 3-1.
Everett tacked on another run in the second when Craig led off with a walk, stole second and scored when Brandon Green lined a single off pitcher Clayton Hamilton, making it 4-1.
The AquaSox then busted out in the fourth against reliever Danny De La O. Craig greeted De La O by smashing his first pitch over the right-field wall for his fourth homer of the season, making it 5-1. Then after Everett loaded the bases with two out, Falcon blasted a grand slam to left, ballooning the lead to 9-1. The homer was Falcon’s fourth of the season.
Eugene cut the lead to 9-3 in the top of the sixth on Lobaton’s two-run homer to left off the Speedway sign, his fifth of the season.
Everett then reached double digits for the second straight game in the bottom of the sixth, Craig singling in Johnson to make it 10-3.
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