PASCO – The Everett AquaSox let victory slip away, but the Tri-City Dust Devils tossed it right back.
The Frogs scored the winning run in the 11th inning Thursday thanks to two throwing errors on the same play, taking a 6-5 Northwest League win at Dust Devils Stadium.
It was Everett’s fifth-straight victory, matching the AquaSox’s season high. And, yes, they were once again wearing their tie-dyed jerseys. The Frogs, who evened their season record at 22-22, have not lost since donning the retro duds for their Frogstock promotion on Saturday.
Everett’s Marcos Villezcas led off the 11th with a single and was replaced at first base by pinch-runner Leury Bonilla.
Bonilla advanced to second on an errant pickoff attempt by Tri-City’s pitcher Ethan Katz. He went on to third when first baseman Jeff Kindel recovered the ball and threw it into left field while trying for an out at second.
With the infield drawn in, Bonilla had to stay at third on Joe White’s grounder to second. But he managed to score on Dan Santin’s slow roller to first.
Doug Fister (3-4) was the winning pitcher in relief, but he had to pitch out of a jam in the bottom of the 11th. He walked Bret Berglund to start the inning, then balked, sending Berglund to second.
However, Fister struck out three straight batters to end the game.
In all, Everett pitcher struck out 15 batters, inclung five in a row at one point, three to end the sixth with a runner in scoring position and two to start the seventh.
The AquaSox came within an out of closing out the game in the bottom of the ninth inning, but the bullpen couldn’t get the job done.
Reliever Kam Mickolio began the inning with a four-pitch walk. Berglund followed with an RBI triple to center.
Mickolio struck out the next two batters before giving up an RBI double to Anthony Jackson.
But then he had to leave the game with blisters on his pitching hand.
Geoff Strickland greeted Doug Fister with an RBI double to tie the score.
Everett built the bulk of its lead on a pair of gap doubles by Gavin Dickey. The Frogs loaded the bases with one out in the fourth and Dickey cleared them with a drive to left-center.
Kevin Reynolds drove in Dickey with a single to right.
In the seventh, Jair Fernandez led off with a single to center, moved to second on a ground out and scored on Dickey’s liner to right-center.
AquaSox starter Ricky Orta retired the first eight batters he faced before walking Matt Repec. Jackson followed with a double to right, but Orta struck out Strickland to strand the runners.
The Dust Devils’ Michael McKenry led off the fourth with a double, went to third on an infield single and scored on a single by Kindel.
In the bottom of the fifth, Victor Ferrante led off with a single, took second on a one-out wild pitch, moved to third on an infield single and scored on a single by Strickland.
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