Vancouver, B.C.— The Everett AquaSox cannot catch a break and their tough start to the 2011 season continues.
A seemingly fair ninth-inning, two-out, two-run, go-ahead double by Everett shortstop Marcus Littlewood was called foul, and he struck out on the next pitch to send the Sox to their eighth-straight loss. Vancouver won the Thursday afternoon game 2-1 at Nat Bailey Stadium.
Vancouver’s Blake McFarland, making his first Northwest League start this season, pitched six effective innings for the Canadians (11-3). He earned his second victory of the season, allowing one run on four hits while striking out one.
Balbino Fuenmayor had three hits, including a go-ahead RBI double in the sixth, to help Vancouver earn the win and sweep the three-game series.
Things started well for the AquaSox (3-11). In the second inning, James Wood laced a leadoff double into the left-field corner and advanced to third on a grounder to second by Jorge Agudelo. Patrick Brady followed with a sacrifice fly to center to score Wood and put the AquaSox in the lead 1-0.
Everett starter Jordan Shipers, the Seattle Mariners 16th round draft pick in 2010, kept the Canadians in check until the fifth inning, when Vancouver first baseman Randy Schwartz lofted a long home run to left field to tie the score 1-1.
Shipers pitched five solid innings, scattering five hits and allowing one run while striking out three and walking one.
Joseph DiRocco came on in relief in the sixth inning for Everett, and promptly issued a leadoff walk to Vancouver second baseman Jonathon Berti. Berti stole second base, and was brought home on a double to the right-center field gap by Fuenmayor to give the Canadians a 2-1 lead and the win. The loss was DiRocco’s first of the season.
The AquaSox put together four different two-out rallies between the fifth and ninth innings, but could never get the clutch hit they needed to secure the win and end their losing streak.
Everett’s best chance to break the game open came in the fifth inning. With two outs, Larry Gonzalez singled to right field off of the second baseman’s glove. Ethan Paquette was then hit by a pitch and Mario Yepez walked, loading the bases for Littlewood, who grounded out to short to end the threat.
In the controversial ninth inning, Vancouver brought in closer Drew Permison, who twice previously earned saves against the Frogs. Permison quickly retired the first two batters he faced, but then walked Paquette and allowed a single to left by Yepez to bring up Littlewood. The Everett shortstop hit a long fly ball down the left field line and into the corner, seemingly scoring both base runners and giving the AquaSox the lead.
However, home plate umpire Sean Ryan intervened, announcing the ball foul and sending the runners back to their bases, much to the amazement of the Everett bench. Permison struck out Littlewood on the next pitch to end the game and earn his sixth save of the season, the third against Everett.
The AquaSox move on to play the last-place Salem-Keizer Volcanoes in a three-game series in Salem starting tonight at 7:05 p.m.
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