KEIZER, Ore. — In recent days the Everett AquaSox have gotten their hitting in order.
Friday night the pitching followed suit.
Three Everett pitchers combined on a five-hitter, and the AquaSox defeated the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes 4-2.
Everett’s offense came alive the past week, scoring 36 runs in the five games leading in to Friday. The pitching had been less effective, and as a result the Sox were just 3-2 during that stretch.
But there was no problem with the pitching Friday. Starter Kenn Kasparek threw five solid innings to get things started, then Javier Martinez and Matt Renfree combined on four scoreless innings of relief. Kasparek, who gave up two unearned runs and struck out five, improved to 2-0. Renfree, who got the final eight outs, picked up his second save.
Offensively, Luis Nunez went 3-for-5 to lead Everett (14-17), which won its third straight. It is the Sox’s first three-game winning streak of the season, and Everett pulled within two games of the West Division-leading Volcanoes.
Francisco Peguero was the only offensive threat for Salem-Keizer (16-15), going 4-for-4 as the Volcanoes lost their third straight.
Salem-Keizer struck first in the bottom of the first, Mike Loberg’s RBI groundout making it 1-0.
Everett struck back in the third. Back-to-back RBI doubles by Kevin Reynolds and Brandon Fromm gave the Sox a 2-1 advantage.
The Sox scored two more in the fourth. Nate Tenbrink came home on the back end of a double steal and then Welington Dotel grounded an RBI single to right, increasing the lead to 4-1.
The Volcanoes made it 4-2 in the bottom of the fourth. Peguero doubled, advanced to third on an error and scored on Jose Flores’ groundout. But that was it for Salem-Keizer.
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