PASCO — The Everett AquaSox struck out 14 times as they fell 7-3 to the Tri-City Dust Devils in the rubber match of the teams’ Class A Northwest League season-opening series before 1,579 fans Sunday at Gesa Stadium.
Everett starter Brandon Miller (0-1) did not make it out of the third inning as he allowed five runs on six hits.
His counterpart Will Headean (1-0) was virtually unhittable. Headean struck out eight and allowed two hits in five innings of work in his first start of the season for Tri-City (2-1).
Nate Easley, Chris Baker and Alan Garcia each had a pair of hits for the Dust Devils, who banged out 10 on the night.
Easley was particularly bothersome to Miller as he led off both the first and third innings with triples. Easley scored on Aldemar Burgos’ RBI double in the first for a 1-0 lead, and then began the third with another triple as the Dust Devils broke it open with five runs in the inning. Baker drove in Easley with a single, and Garcia scored Burgos for a 3-0 lead to chase Miller.
Taylor Kohlwey greeted reliever Lane Ratliff with a two-run triple and scored on a groundout by Luis Asuncion as Tri-City took a 6-0 lead.
The Dust Devils pushed it to 7-0 when Garcia doubled in Baker in the fourth.
Meanwhile, the AquaSox mustered virtually nothing against Headean.
The AquaSox needed some help to get three back in the top of the sixth after Headean was lifted for reliever Chasen Ford. Kristian Brito’s single scored Greifer Andrade and Austin Grebeck before Eric Filia singled in Gus Craig. All three runs were unearned after Andrade led off the inning by reaching on an error.
That was all for the scoring as Tri-City relievers Will Stillman and David Bedner combined for three scoreless innings.
Everett relievers Elliot Surrey, Michael Korval and Marvin Gorgas matched the Dust Devils’ bullpen prowess with four scoreless innings, but the damage had already been done. Gorgos fanned one as he pitched two perfect innings.
Brito and Filia each had two hits for the Frogs, who had just four hits on the night. Everett stranded five runners on the night and committed two errors in the field.
The AquaSox (1-2) continue their season-opening road trip tonight when they play at Vancouver.
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