EVERETT — It took an inning longer than the Everett AquaSox would have preferred, but that merely added to the drama.
Nick Rodriguez’s one-out single off the wall in the bottom of the 10th inning gave Everett the 6-5 walk-off win over the Vancouver Canadians on Wednesday before 2,503 fans at Everett Memorial Stadium.
Nick Rodriguez walks it off as AquaSox win 6-5 in 10 innings. pic.twitter.com/WIgrFVyqRn
— Jesse Geleynse (@JesseGeleynse) July 26, 2018
It was the first second-half win for Everett (1-1, 21-19). The AquaSox have already qualified for the postseason by winning the Northwest League’s first-half North Division title.
The AquaSox led 5-1 after six innings, but the bullpen was unable to hold the lead.
With two outs in the eighth, Vancouver’s McGregory Contrares doubled, and Griffin Conine followed with an RBI single up the middle. Bryan Lizardo then unloaded for a two-run home run to right-center that cut Everett’s lead to 5-4.
Vancouver tied the game in the top of the ninth against reliever Joey Gerber. Christopher Bec led off with a single and scored on a double by Tanner Kirwer. It was the second blown save of the season for Gerber, who has emerged as one of Everett’s most reliable late-inning relievers.
Everett reliever Dayeison Arias (1-0) fanned two and stranded the go-ahead run at third base in the top of the 10th, and Rodriguez’s single scored Cal Raleigh in the bottom of the inning for the win.
Bobby Honeyman finished a home run short of the cycle as he went 3-for-4 with a run and two RBI for the Frogs. Rodriguez also had two hits.
Everett took a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth. The AquaSox tacked on three more with RBI singles from Jansiel Rivera and Ryan Ramiz and led 5-1 through six complete innings.
Everett took the game’s first lead when Josh Stowers and Raleigh earned back-to-back two-out walks in the first. Honeyman followed with a bloop opposite-field triple that left fielder Contreras overran to score both and Everett took a 2-0 lead.
The Canadians touched Everett starter Jheyson Caraballo for one run in the top of the fourth when Bryan Lizardo’s infield single scored McGregory Contreras who had reached on a fielder’s choice.
That was the only run allowed by Carabello, who fanned two and walked two while scattering four hits in five innings of work.
The teams conclude their three-game set with the rubber match today at 11:05 a.m. at Everett Memorial Stadium.
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