EUGENE, Ore. — The Everett AquaSox defeated the Eugene Emeralds 9-6 in 11 innings to win Game 1 of the 2025 Northwest League Championship Series at PK Park on Tuesday.
Charlie Pagliarini got things started right away, crushing the first pitch over the right field fence to give the AquaSox a 1-0 lead. Everett built it up to 4-1 in the fifth inning before Emeralds third baseman Parks Harber tied it with a two-run home run in the eighth.
With momentum flipped, the AquaSox could have folded — and they nearly did, a couple times — but they ultimately stepped up when they needed to, working five walks in the 11th inning alone to go up 9-5. After holding off one last push from Eugene, the AquaSox walked away with a crucial series lead.
Eugene entered the series with wins in 11 of their last 12 games — including five against Everett — but the AquaSox proved the postseason is a different animal.
“We believe in our group,” Everett starting pitcher Ryan Hawks said. “We’ve taken a couple bumps and bruises, but I believe we have a strong group. Just taking it one pitch at a time, really trusting each other and just allowing the defense to work, the bats to swing.
“I think this game said a lot about our group, you know, able to fight through for 11 innings and still come out with the ‘dub.’”
Hawks pitched six innings of two-run ball, allowing six hits and one walk while notching two strikeouts. Meanwhile, Pagliarini, shortstop Felnin Celesten and designated hitter Matthew Ellis each drove in two runs, while outfielder Tai Peete went 2-for-3 with two walks and a run scored to lead the offense.
Hawks retired the first three Emeralds batters via fly outs in a clean first inning, and survived the second after Eugene put runners on the corners.
After infielder Carter Dorighi led off the third by legging out an infield single, Celesten doubled Everett’s lead with an RBI single to make it 2-0.
Shortly after Eugene outfielder Damian Bravo led off the bottom of the frame with a ground rule double, outfielder Jonah Cox got the Emeralds on the board with an RBI single up the middle to make it 2-1.
Hawks settled in for another 1-2-3 inning in the fourth, capped by first baseman Brandon Eike securing a pop-up in foul territory by nearly flipping over a fence into the far end of the Emeralds dugout.
The AquaSox loaded the bases with the first three batters of the fifth inning. Dorighi hit a leadoff double and Pagliarini worked a full-count walk before outfielder Jonny Farmelo laid down a bunt and beat out the throw to reach first safely.
Everett took advantage by scoring two more runs — one from a Celesten sacrifice fly and the other coming from an RBI groundout by Ellis — to take a 4-1 lead. AquaSox manager Zach Vincej previously pointed to Celesten as a player with less playoff experience than his teammates, but the 19-year-old showed he was ready for the moment.
“It was a great night for him,” Vincej said. “A lot of energy, competed well. He was able to put the ball in play in big spots, collect a couple RBIs, I believe, especially on that sac fly earlier in the game. Yeah, it was great to see him. He looked like he was comfortable and confident.”
Emeralds infielder Charlie Szykowny cut the deficit to 4-2 with an RBI double to deep center field in the bottom of the fifth, but Eike ended the inning with stellar glove work to secure a hard-hit grounder and connect with Hawks for the putout.
Entering the sixth inning, AquaSox pitching coach Matt Carasiti told Hawks that it would be his last of the night, so the 24-year-old emptied the tank. He retired three batters in 12 pitches, striking out shortstop Zane Zielinski to end the frame. He spun around and flexed towards the AquaSox dugout after getting the final punchout
“To get that strikeout there, I had to get a little fired up with the boys, you know,” Hawks said. “We’re in this thing to win it, so I think the message is plain and simple: We’re not going to be taken for granted.”
Everett reliever Ben Hernandez pitched a clean seventh inning to maintain the lead, but Calvin Schapira allowed Parks’ tying home run, which ultimately led to the game reaching extras.
Despite blowing the lead, Everett’s confidence never wavered.
“It was a chess match,” Pagliarini said. “We were just very confident in each other and playing as a team, and we got it done.”
The two sides batted in their ghost runner in the 10th to make it 5-5, with AquaSox reliever Jose Geraldo rebounding from overthrowing a putout at first as the tying run scored to striking out the next two batters to extend the game.
After Celesten reached third on a wild pitch to start the 11th as the automatic runner, Ellis bounced a single to left field to bring him home and give Everett a 6-5 lead. Four of the next five batters walked, loading the bases and scoring two runs before Pagliarini hit a sacrifice fly to score one more.
“Just continue to perform in those big-time moments,” Pagliarini said. “And I think that was the difference today, was we should be able to really not (let) the game get too big and be able to do what we do, and it worked out great.”
AquaSox closer Gabriel Sosa allowed an RBI double to Onil Perez in the bottom of the frame, then walked Zielinski to put the tying run at the plate. After retiring the next batter, Sosa induced a grounder to third baseman Luis Suisbel, who tossed it to Dorighi at first. Dorighi dropped the ball, turning what would have been the game-ending out into bases loaded with the winning run at the plate.
On the verge of disaster, outfielder Anthony Donofrio saved the day by making a sliding grab in right field to catch a Jean Carlos Sio line drive and secure the win.
Game 2 returns to PK Park on Wednesday before the series shifts to Everett for Game 3 on Friday.
“Normal day tomorrow, same thing that we did today,” Vincej said. “We’re going to get some good work in, and just compete at 6:35 (Wednesday’s start time).”
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