Herald staff
BOISE, Idaho – Maybe it’s the potatoes.
For whatever reason, Tim Merritt’s bat has come alive since the Everett AquaSox arrived in Boise.
Merritt, who went 4-for-5 with two doubles, two runs scored and five RBI in Thursday’s victory, homered twice and doubled in five at-bats Friday, driving in four runs in a 10-4 Everett victory at Boise’s Memorial Stadium.
The AquaSox (21-22) have won four in a row and five of seven games against Boise (29-15), the team with the Northwest League’s best record.
After having six doubles among their 12 hits in Thursday’s 10-6 win, the Sox had 10 extra-base hits out of their 14 total Friday.
Doing as much damage as Merritt were Greg Dobbs, who had three doubles and a triple in five at bats while scoring three times, and Luis Oliveros, who hit a game-breaking two-run homer.
Merritt smashed his second straight home run, a two-run jolt with Dobbs on base via a double, to break a 4-all tie in the fifth inning.
An infield hit, a fly out and a walk later, Oliveros bashed his first AquaSox homer to give Everett a five-run cushion.
Everett padded its lead in the sixth as Dobbs tripled with one out and scored on a two-out double by Merritt.
Boise made up a three-run deficit to tie the score in the third. The Hawks began the inning with four straight singles for a run, then got a second as the AquaSox turned a double play.
Sox pitcher Travis Blackley had a chance to strand the tying run at third, but Corey Slavik punched a single to right.
Blackley (4-0) pitched three scoreless innings after the third and reliever Dan Head retired nine of the 10 batters he faced o earn his second save.
The AquaSox offense got started early, scoring its first run on back-to-back, one-out doubles by Jose Lopez and Dobbs in the first inning.
Then Everett, which scored four unearned runs Thursday, continued to cash in on Boise defensive mistakes. After John Williamson was hit by a pitch, Dobbs scored and the runners reached second and third when Boise left fielder Keto Anderson dropped Merritt’s drive to left.
Orlando Hernandez followed with a sacrifice fly to drive in Williamson.
Boise’s Condor Cash hit a two-out, 0-2 pitch over the left field wall for a home run in the bottom half of the inning.
But Everett’s Merritt countered with a two-out solo shot in the top of the third.
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