EVERETT – The Hops were brewing something up.
After the Everett AquaSox built up a 6-2 lead going into the seventh inning at Funko Field on Tuesday, the Hillsboro Hops cut it to 6-4 with a pair of RBI singles. Pitcher Stefan Raeth allowed the second single after coming in for damage control, but still had a chance to stop the bleeding.
Facing Hops first baseman Ben McLaughlin with two runners on base, Raeth placed his first pitch just above the zone. McLaughlin fouled off the second pitch down the middle. Raeth placed the ball in nearly the exact same spot on the next pitch, but it was not the same outcome.
McLaughlin crushed the pitch over the right-center field wall, rounding the bases on a three-run home run that gave Hillsboro (3-1) a 7-6 lead, which they held on to win. In a home-opener for Everett (2-2) that started out promising, the night was spoiled with one swing of the bat.
Final: Hops win 7-6
Hillsboro rides a 5-run 7th to win the game.
Hops RP Luke Craig strikes out two for the save. 1B Ben McLaughlin with the go-ahead, 3-run HR.
C Josh Caron, RF Lazaro Montes and LF Carson Jones all had HRs in the loss for Everett@HeraldNetSports
— Joe Pohoryles (@Joe_Poho) April 9, 2025
“I think just not enough strikes,” AquaSox manager Zach Vincej said. “(We) fell behind in some counts, and yeah, they capitalized on it. So if we’re throwing more strikes, getting ahead more, I think it gives us more of a shot.”
The bats were alive at Funko Field. Aside from McLaughlin’s go-ahead homer, four other batters between the two teams went yard. For Everett, that was right fielder Lazaro Montes (1-for-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI), catcher Josh Caron (2-for-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI) and left fielder Carson Jones (1-for-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI). Starting pitcher Nick Payero allowed seven hits and two earned runs while striking out four and walking two across 4.1 innings.
McLaughlin (2-for-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI) nearly had his big moment come in the top of the second inning with a ball sent to deep right field, but Montes tracked it with speed and accuracy to end the inning with a running catch in the corner. In the next at-bat to lead off the bottom of the frame, the 6-foot-4 Cuban slugger smacked a home run to center to give Everett the early 1-0 lead. After third baseman Luis Suisbel (1-for-2) struck out, Caron joined the party with a homer to left to double the lead.
“The first two swings of that at-bat were pretty ugly,” Caron said. “But no, I just kind of had to simplify things and get back to my approach, and kind of let the ball travel a little bit. And he (Hops pitcher Daniel Nunez) left the changeup up, and I made a good swing on it.”
After Payero stranded two runners in the top of the third, the AquaSox padded their lead. Designated hitter Michael Arroyo (1-for-5, 1 R) led off the frame with a double to left, ending his 0-for-11 start to the season. Center fielder Tai Peete (1-for-5, 1 R) moved Arroyo to third with a single to left-center, then stole second base.
The attempted put-out from Hops catcher J.J. D’Orazio (0-for-3) slipped into the outfield, allowing both runners to advance. Montes followed that with a sacrifice fly to right field to score Peete and make it 4-0.
“I’m always looking forward for an opportunity to take a bag, be aggressive,” Peete said. “I think that’s just the way I was taught to play. So in that situation, (runners on) first and third, just knowing, ‘Okay, I got to be aggressive here. Force the throw.’ And I did force the throw and it got away from him. So being able to move up, and obviously ‘Lachi’ (Montes) is gonna do what ‘Lachi’ does.”
The two sides traded two-run homers in the fourth inning, first from Hops third baseman Jansel Luis (2-for-5, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R) before Jones restored the four-run advantage in the bottom of the frame.
Things got dicey in the fifth, as Payero allowed two batters to reach base before righty Elijah Dale (1.2 IP, 0 H, 1 BB, 1 K, 0 ER) entered in relief. After walking his first batter to load the bases, Dale retired the next two batters to avoid — or rather, delay — disaster.
However, Everett found itself in the same situation in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases in what would turn out to be a critical opportunity to score more insurance runs, but Jones struck out to end the inning.
Suisbel exited the game in that inning, limping off the field after running to third with what Vincej believes is a hamstring injury. Suisbel is day-to-day and will be evaluated on Wednesday. Shortstop Colt Emerson (0-for-3) was also pulled from the game between the fifth and sixth inning with a tight back, but Vincej said the team was “playing it safe,” and he’s also day-to-day.
With Everett down two starters and Hillsboro starting a rally with a leadoff double from center fielder Druw Jones (2-for-5, 1 R), the Hops turned the tide with their five-run seventh inning.
“I know they’re probably bummed out in that situation, and rightfully so,” Vincej said. “But they’re still only down by one run, and so you still have to keep fighting all the way to the end, and I’ve been around this group for the past couple years and they’ve been doing that for the last couple years.”
Hillsboro nearly scored another run in the top of the ninth when second baseman Demetrio Crisantes (0-for-4) walked and made it to third via two wild pitches, but designated hitter Angel Ortiz grounded into a 5-2 fielder’s choice. After the AquaSox gave themselves new life protecting their plate, Hops reliever Luke Craig struck out two in a 1-2-3 ninth to earn the save and shut down Everett’s hopes to force extras.
“We didn’t get it across (the plate) this time, but we were competing all night and doing our best to get it done,” Caron said. “Tonight just wasn’t our night, and I think you’re just going to have games like that. It’s a long season.”
Indeed, the AquaSox have a chance to get back in the win column against the Hops every day through Sunday, just the first home series of the 2025 season.
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