HILLSBORO, Ore. — The Everett AquaSox seemed to benefit from their first off day of the season.
Everett collected eight hits and drew 10 walks while taking advantage of three errors as it knocked off the Hillsboro Hops 7-3 in the first game of a five-game set at Ron Tonkin Field. Neither team played Tuesday as six of the eight Northwest League teams had the day off.
The Frogs (14-12) got a solid outing from Jake Brentz, who allowed three hits and walked three while allowing two runs in five innings. Relievers Joselito Cano, Michael Korval and Marvin Gorgas combined to allow two hits and one run in the final four innings.
Donnie Walton and Austin Grebeck each had two hits and drove in a run for the Frogs.
Trailing 2-1, the AquaSox took the lead for good in the top of the sixth inning when they loaded the bases with no outs. Nick Thurman walked to drive in Eric Filia, and Yojhan Quevedo hit into a double play while Kristian Brito crossed the plate.
Grebeck followed with a two-out, two-strike single to drive in Johmbeyker Morales and the Frogs took a 4-2 lead.
Quevedo then led off the eighth with a double and scored when Hillsboro threw Grebeck’s sacrifice bunt attempt down the left-field line. That scored Quevedo, and Grebeck ended up at third base. Walton drove in Grebeck with an RBI single and Brito chased home Walton with an RBI double for a 7-2 lead.
The Hops added a run in the bottom of the ninth when Luis Veras drove in Marcus Wilson with a two-out single.
The Frogs struck first when Kyle Lewis, the first-round pick of the Seattle Mariners in last month’s MLB draft, ripped a two-out triple to the fence in the first inning, and Filia finished with an RBI single up the middle to give Everett a 1-0 lead.
Anfernee Grier, the top pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks in last month’s draft, hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the third inning with Sergio Alcantara aboard to give the Hops a 2-1 lead.
The AquaSox stranded 10 runners in the contest.
The series continues at 7 p.m. Thursday. Tim Viehoff (0-0, 0.82 ERA) will start for Everett against Hillsboro’s Tyler Mark (1-2, 4.55).
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