YAKIMA — Stephen Pryor settled down after pitching into a no-out, ninth-inning jam as the Everett AquaSox held on for a 2-1 Northwest League win over Yakima Thursday night at Yakima County Stadium.
Pryor, one of Everett’s most reliable relievers this season with an 0.82 earned-run average in 11 innings of work, surrendered a stand-up double to pinch-hitter Zach Walters, putting runners at second and third with no outs in the ninth inning.
The 6-foot-6 right-hander then recorded two strikeouts and got pinch-hitter Evan Button to pop out to shortstop to preserve the AquaSox win.
In what looked like a game of missed opportunities for the Frogs (19-8 overall), who stranded 12 runners on base and recorded just two runs on 12 hits, persistence finally paid off in the late innings.
Everett capitalized against Yakima’s bullpen in the seventh when shortstop Terry Serrano laced an RBI double to left field, tying the game at 1-1. Everett couldn’t push across the lead run as Kevin Rivers popped out and Kevin Mailloux grounded into a double play.
Rivers, who finished 2-for-5, delivered the go-ahead run with an RBI single to center field with one out in the ninth.
Ryan Royster doubled to lead off the final frame and advanced to third on an infield single by Hawkins Gebbers.
Royster batted 2-for-3 with two doubles and two walks.
Royster failed to score twice in the first three innings despite advancing to scoring position. The left fielder led off the game with a double to left, but was stranded at third as Mailloux grounded out, ending the threat.
Royster was in position again in the third inning after drawing a walk. After advancing to second on a wild pitch from Yakima starter Miguel Pena, Royster tried scoring on a Rivers single to right field, but was gunned down at the plate on a strong throw from Yakima right fielder Henry Zabala.
Pena kept AquaSox hitters off balance for the first six innings, striking out five and walking two while inducing 11 ground balls.
Everett recorded six hits off Pena, but just one for extra bases (Royster’s lead-off double to start the game).
Yakima (12-15) grabbed a slim lead early by taking advantage of a little wildness from Everett starter Anthony Fernandez.
Fernandez allowed a lead-off double to second baseman Michael Freeman in the second inning. Freeman advanced to third on a wild pitch and was subsequently driven in by an RBI-groundout from first baseman Jimmy Comerota.
Justin Hilt finished 2-for-4 with a double to lead Yakima.
Everett threatened with two outs in the sixth after back-to-back singles by Mailloux and Mickey Wiswall and a walk to Jimmy Jacquot to load the bases, but Evan Sharpley grounded out to end the inning.
Mailloux extended his modest hitting streak to five straight games with his sixth-inning single.
AquaSox reliever Willy Kesler retired the first six hitters he faced before Hilt’s lead-off single in the ninth led to Kesler being lifted in favor of Pryor.
Kesler (2-2) recored the win and Pryor earned his second save of the year for the first-place AquaSox.
The five-game series continues tonight with a 7:05 p.m. game at Yakima County Stadium.
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