AquaSox overcome early deficit to win Game 3

EVERETT — The Everett AquaSox beat the Eugene Emeralds 8-5 in Game 3 of the 2025 Northwest League Championship Series at Funko Field on Friday, taking a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series.

The Frogs have a chance to clinch the championship in Game 4 on Saturday. First pitch will be at 7:05 p.m.

The AquaSox fought an uphill battle at the beginning. After Emeralds leadoff hitter Jean Carlos Sio reached first and advanced to second on a throwing error from Everett second baseman Carter Dorighi, outfielder Jonah Cox hit a bunt single to put runners on the corners.

That set up first baseman Charlie Szykowny, who crushed a low 1-0 pitch from Everett starter Evan Truitt over the right-center field wall to give Eugene a 3-0 lead in the top of the first.

However, AquaSox outfielder Jonny Farmelo scored shortstop Felnin Celesten with a leadoff triple in the bottom of the frame, then tied it up 3-3 with a two-run blast in the third, setting the comeback into motion.

Third baseman Luis Suisbel nearly gave Everett the lead just a couple of batters later, slipping a long ball just foul of the left field pole before striking out, but he made up for it in his next at-bat.

With two runners on in the fifth, Suisbel quickly fell into an 0-2 count by whiffing on a couple of outside pitches. He had to spin away from a pitch towards his face for Ball 1, and when Emeralds pitcher Cesar Perdomo went back outside for pitch four, Suisbel was ready.

Suisbel roped a triple into the right field corner, clearing the bases to give Everett a 5-3 lead before scoring from third on a wild pitch to make it 6-3.

AquaSox reliever Jose Geraldo notched two strikeouts in a scoreless sixth, and Everett scored two more runs in the bottom of the frame with a sacrifice fly from Charlie Pagliarini and an RBI double from Celesten.

Eugene added two more runs in the seventh, but reliever Casey Hintz came in to retire the next three batters and stop the bleeding before Calvin Schapira closed it out in the ninth with three strikeouts.

Farmelo (2-for-4, run, three RBI) and Suisbel (1-for-4, run, two RBI) led Everett’s offense, while Celesten went 3-for-3 with an RBI and three runs scored. Truitt pitched five innings, allowing six hits, two earned runs and two walks against two strikeouts.