EVERETT — Don’t look now, but the Everett AquaSox have a little something going.
The Sox smacked out 16 hits Sunday afternoon en route to a 9-4 Northwest League victory over the Boise Hawks. It was Everett’s fourth straight victory.
The Sox had an uninspiring first half to the NWL baseball season, tying for last place in the West Division at 16-22.
But by taking the final four games of their five-game series against the Hawks, the Sox are off to a strong start in the second half at 4-2.
“It’s feeling good right now,” said AquaSox outfielder Jim Wood, who was one of three Everett batters with three hits. “We’re playing good, we’re playing loose, we’re having fun, getting some hits, putting up some runs. So things are working out well right now.”
Almost all of Everett’s offensive damage was done by the latter half of the batting order. The final five batters in the Sox lineup combined to go 13-for-19 with seven runs and six RBI. Wood, Ramon Morla and Patrick Brady each went 3-for-4, and Larry Gonzalez doubled, tripled and drove in three runs.
“We’re playing as a team and that’s good,” Wood said. “When you get winning streaks going, that’s what it is, you play as a team. It’s not just one or two guys doing it, it’s everybody. Each night someone’s going to chip in and we all have faith that someone’s going to do it each night.”
Jorge Agudelo, the final component in that fab five at the end of the lineup, finished 2-for-3 with two RBI. Jharmidy De Jesus chipped in with a two-run homer as the Sox (20-24 overall) head into the second of three off days this season.
Everett also received a typically strong performance from starting pitcher Jose Campos. The right-hander from Venezuela, who turned 19 Wednesday, didn’t mess around as he poured pitches over the plate. He allowed just two runs — only one of which was earned — on four hits in six-plus innings. He walked none and struck out six in improving to 3-3 and lowering his earned-run average to 2.79.
“Campos has an unbelievable arm,” Everett manager Scott Steinmann said. “He’s an unbelievable prospect for us. He kept going out there and challenging the hitters. You have to keep tipping your hat to him, he keeps learning and growing as a player.”
Kenny Socorro went 2-for-4 and scored two runs to pace Boise (2-4, 19-25). Starter Austin Reed took the loss, allowing four runs in five innings to fall to 0-3.
Everett broke the ice in the bottom of the second. Gonzalez pulled a grounder down the third-base line that ended up going for a double, scoring Wood from second to stake the Sox to a 1-0 lead.
The Sox extended their lead in the third when De Jesus laced a liner over the fence in center for a two-run shot. De Jesus’ third homer of the season made it 3-0.
Everett then got a fourth run in the fourth thanks to Agudelo’s legs. Agudelo stole second, with the ball skipping into center on the play. Agudelo headed for third, and center fielder Reggie Golden’s throw skipped into the dugout, allowing Agudelo to trot home and make it 4-0.
Boise got on the board in the sixth on Rafael Lopez’s sacrifice fly, making it 4-1.
But the Sox put it away with four more runs in the bottom of the sixth. An RBI double by Brady, a two-run triple by Gonzalez and a sacrifice fly from Agudelo stretched the lead to 8-1.
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