EVERETT — For a brief moment Sunday afternoon the Everett AquaSox were the living embodiment of Murphy’s Law.
During a span of about five minutes, everything that could possibly go wrong did.
And as brief as that span may have been, it was enough to cost the AquaSox the game.
Salem-Keizer scored the game-winning run in the top of the ninth inning thanks to a string of Everett mishaps, and the AquaSox’s malaise continued with a 3-2 loss to the Volcanoes at Everett Memorial Stadium.
“Unfortunately in the ninth inning we got into some control issues and didn’t execute the pitch,” Everett manager Mike Tosar lamented.
The result kept the teams streaking in opposite directions. For Salem-Keizer (17-3) it was the eighth straight win. For Everett (9-11) it was the sixth straight defeat.
” (Today) hopefully we’ll break out of the slump,” said Everett first baseman Manelik Pimentel, who hit his third homer of the season. “We just have to put everything together in the same game.”
Instead of coming together, everything fell apart for Everett during a span of three batters in the top of the ninth inning, gift-wrapping Salem-Keizer the winning run.
With the score tied 2-2, reliever Nick Hill walked leadoff batter Jackson Williams. On the first pitch to Sharlon Schoop, the Sox had Williams caught between first and second after Schoop pulled back a bunt attempt. However, shortstop Ogui Diaz’s throw to first skipped past Pimentel and Williams was safe at first. Schoop continued to try to bunt, but was hit by a pitch, putting runners on first and second.
That brought Shane Jordan to the plate. Jordan also tried to bunt and he put his attempt right back to the mound. Hill fielded it and had the out at third, but his throw was wide. The ball trickled toward the Everett dugout and managed to find the one small gap in the fence, dropping into the dugout and out of play, allowing Williams to score the go-ahead run. Hill hit the next batter to load the bases, then hit the showers.
The Volcanoes didn’t get any more runs as Bryan Harris came in to work out of the jam. But that single run proved decisive.
“The only thing that really broke right for us was the ball rolling into the dugout to score the run,” Salem-Keizer manager Steve Decker said. “I don’t know how to explain it, he hit the guys. You don’t walk a guy and hit two guys with a tie game in the ninth, you’re asking for trouble.”
The tables nearly turned in the bottom of the ninth as, on what should have been the game’s final out, Salem shortstop Schoop mishandled Gregory Halman’s grounder. The Sox eventually had two runners on with cleanuup batter Craig Hurba at the plate. However, Hurba grounded out to third to end the game and extend Everett’s losing skid.
“This is something we’re going to play out of,” Tosar said. “It was a good game today, we competed all nine innings and took it down to the wire. We got the tying and winning run on base and that’s a good sign. We’re competing the whole game.”
Salem Keizer’s bullpen turned in another fantastic performance, tossing six scoreless innings after throwing four scoreless innings the night before. Jesse English earned the win with two scoreless innings and Danny Otero earned his seventh save in seven appearances.
Matt Downs and Williams each homered to provide the Volcanoes with their other two runs. Everett starter Nolan Gallagher saw another solid start go for naught. The right-hander made it 4-for-4 in quality starts, giving up just one run on six hits in six innings. He walked none and struck out four, but received a no decision and is still seeking his first professional win, despite an ERA well under two.
Hill took the loss to fall to 0-3. Joe Dunigan went 2-for-4 for the Sox.
Everett jumped on the board first in the bottom of the second when Pimentel blasted a solo shot out to dead center field, staking the Sox to a 1-0 lead.
Everett got another run in the third. Jermaine Brock walked, stole second and scored on Edilio Colina’s single to right, making it 2-0.
Salem-Keizer pulled within one with a home run in the fifth. Downs hit a fly ball to right center that would have been an out in most parks, but just cleared the fence at the shallowest point of the park, making it 2-1 with his third of the season.
After Gallagher departed the Volcanoes quickly tied the score. Williams, the first batter against reliever Keith Meyer, sent a bullet over the fence in left-center, tying it at 2-2 with his second homer of the season.
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