Rally in 9th falls short, AquaSox lose to Bears 4-3

YAKIMA — The Everett AquaSox’s trip to Yakima was supposed to catapult the Sox within range of first place in the Northwest League’s West Division.

But things didn’t go as planned for Everett, and now the Sox have their work cut out for them.

Everett’s series against Yakima ended on yet another low note as the Sox fell 4-3 Friday night.

Everett went into the series riding a seven-game winning streak, and the Sox were thinking about closing on first-place Salem-Keizer against a Yakima team with the worst record in the league.

However, Friday’s loss meant Everett won just once in the five-game series, and the Sox remain 6 1/2 games behind Salem-Keizer with 18 games remaining.

Renton native Ian Harrington pitched six solid innings and Anthony Smith slugged a two-run homer for Yakima (21-37), which won the final three games of the series.

Ben Billingsley went 3-for-4 and hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth as Everett (25-33) tried to rally. However, the Sox stranded the tying run on third base. Everett pitcher Walter Suriel threw six solid innings, but was saddled with the loss.

Symbolizing Everett’s unraveling in Yakima, Sox manager Jose Moreno was ejected from the game in the bottom of the seventh inning, arguing a delayed call when Yakima’s Roberto Rodriguez was awarded first base for being hit by a pitch.

Everett grabbed the lead in the top of the first inning. Luis Nunez popped a triple down the right-field line, then scored on Manelik Pimentel’s groundout, giving the Sox a 1-0 lead.

Yakima tied it up in the second when Jhoan Pimentel, batting .121, blooped an RBI single to right-center, making it 1-1.

The Bears then took the lead in the third when Smith launched a two-run homer to right-center. His fifth homer of the season gave Yakima a 3-1 lead and gave Smith eight RBI in the past three games.

Yakima tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh when Greg Bordes’ bunt single scored Andrew Fie from third, making it 4-1.

That run proved decisive as Billingsley cut the lead to one in the ninth. However, Daniel Vasquez came in and got the final two outs to earn his third save.