EVERETT — The Everett AquaSox thought they’d delivered a first-round knockout.
When it ended up going the distance, the Sox still won a unanimous decision.
Everett erupted for eight runs in the bottom of the first inning, and the Sox continued to slug themselves to a 16-9 victory over
the Spokane Indians on Thursday night.
Jabari Blash homered twice and James Wood hit a grand slam and drove in six runs as Everett doubled its previous best run output this season. Wood and Blash smacked back-to-back homers during Everett’s first-inning outburst, which staked the Sox to an eight-run lead they never relinquished.
“Mike (Kinkade, Everett’s hitting coach) must have done something special in the cage with them beforehand,” Everett manager Scott Steinmann quipped.
“We got on the board early and we just kept scoring. We got some confidence and (Spokane starting pitcher Victor Payano) struggled a little in the first inning. We took advantage of some of his mistakes.”
Thursday’s game was Everett Memorial Stadium at its finest — or worst, depending on one’s point of view. The Northwest League’s premier hitter’s haven had a gentle breeze blowing out to center, meaning plenty of carry for balls hit in the air. The park not only surrendered a combined 25 runs, it also gave up seven hits that either cleared the wall or hit it on the fly, and it frightened pitchers into allowing 17 walks — 13 by the Indians.
Everett led by as many as 11 runs. However, Spokane twice closed the gap to six to at least keep the Sox’s attention.
Jharmidy De Jesus went 4-for-5 with three RBI for Everett (11-16), which has won eight of its past 13 after getting off to a horrendous start.
“We saw the ball well today and we hit it pretty hard,” Blash said. “The pitcher left a lot of balls up and we put good swings on pretty good pitches to hit.
“We obviously have the chemistry to play good baseball,” Blash added. “I think sometimes we make a lot of mental errors, including myself. But we’re definitely pulling together and trying to get something going.”
Drew Robinson homered and Trever Adams went 2-for-5 with three RBI to pace Spokane (14-13).
Everett hasn’t been an offensive juggernaut so far this season. Going into Thursday, the Sox were seventh in the eight-team Northwest League in runs scored. But Everett wasted little time building a commanding lead Tuesday, pushing eight runs across in the bottom of the first.
Wood got the party started. Everett’s first three batters of the game all reached to load the bases. Wood got all of a full-count pitch from Payano and put it well over the fence in right-center for a grand slam. The homer was his third of the season and second in two nights.
But Everett was just getting started. Blash made it back-to-back homers, launching a line drive that just kept rising before slamming into the net above the fence in center. The Sox reloaded the bases with two out when Payano walked Marcus Littlewood, sending Payano to the showers in favor of Carlos Melo. Melo didn’t fare much better. He walked Jorge Agudelo to force in a run, then gave up a two-run double to De Jesus as the Sox surged to an 8-0 lead.
Blash slugged his second homer of the game came in the fourth. While this one was hit to a similar location — center field — it took a completely different trajectory. This time it was a towering fly ball that went for a two-run shot and made it 10-1.
Everett eventually built its lead to 12-1. But the Indians took advantage of tiring Everett starter Stephen Kohlscheen, who was strong through four innings, to score five in the fifth and make it 12-6. The teams traded three-run rallies in the bottom of the sixth and the top of the seventh, but that was the end of the fireworks.
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