EVERETT — The Everett AquaSox snapped a four-game losing streak with an 11-2 victory against the Spokane Indians at Funko Field on Wednesday.
The AquaSox generated 13 walks, including eight in the sixth and seventh innings alone, to go with nine hits on the night. Outfielder Jonny Farmelo and infielder Milkar Perez each had three walks, while Brandon Eike hit a pair of home runs to join shortstop Felnin Celesten and catcher Matthew Ellis as players with multiple hits.
After starter Evan Truitt fended off Spokane, which went 0-for-3 with one walk against him with runners in scoring position, AquaSox outfielder Tai Peete led off the bottom of the fourth with a solo home run crushed 396 feet to right-center, his 18th of the season, to give Everett a 1-0 lead.
“I think he just willed himself to get in a good outing,” Ellis said of Truitt. “I mean, he didn’t have his A-plus stuff tonight, but he competed well. We got pitches in big situations where we got out of there without giving up any runs, which is huge.”
The lead was short-lived, as Pedro Da Costa Lemos opened the fifth by throwing six straight balls, walking Tevin Tucker before allowing a single to Max Belyeu. A double-steal put both runners in scoring position, and Spokane first baseman Aidan Longwell ripped a two-run triple to right field, clearing the bases and pushing the Indians ahead 2-1.
The AquaSox bounced back in the bottom of the fifth, putting together three consecutive RBI base hits to jump ahead 4-2. After a Farmelo walk, Celesten hit a game-tying RBI triple to the same right field corner as Longwell in the previous frame.
Ellis gave Everett a 3-2 lead with an RBI double to center field, and Suisbel stretched to connect with a pitch outside to bring Ellis home with a line drive to center field.
“It was my third at bat of the game, so in the last two ABs, I missed just a little bit, those (pitches), and I (wanted to) find that pitch for that AB,” Suisbel said.
The walk party started in the sixth inning, when Indians pitcher Hunter Mann walked four straight batters to give the AquaSox another run. Suisbel was hit by a pitch in his hand right after to bring another run across, and Peete kept the chain moving with another bases-loaded walk to make it 7-2 entering the seventh.
Out of Everett’s five walks in the sixth inning, four came on a full count. If just a couple of pitches were placed differently, it could have been a 1-2-3 inning with no runs scored.
“I think, not trying to do too much,” AquaSox manager Zach Vincej said about full count situations. “Sticking to your plan, and just trying to put a good swing on something. I think that can help with the swing decision part of things, and guys did a great job taking advantage of those walks, and we were able to put some runs up because of it.”
Eike tacked on four more insurance runs with a pair of two-run homers in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively, reaching nine long balls on the season.
“He’s been grinding, man,” Vincej said about Eike. “He’s been up and down a lot this year, but I love how he’s just competing every single night.”
With Truitt and Lemos combining for six innings, relievers Ben Hernandez, Calvin Schapira and Jose Geraldo collectively allowed just one hit and one walk across the final three frames, not allowing a Spokane runner to advance past first base.
“I think there’s a lot of good ball left for us to play,” Ellis said. “Down the road, and as we get into the playoffs.”
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