Sox win, tie record for wins

Published 7:27 am Monday, August 30, 2010

EVERETT — If the Everett AquaSox can play the way they did on Sunday in the Northwest League playoffs, they will be just fine.

Everett used a combination of great pitching and great hitting to beat the Eugene Emeralds 7-2 at Everett Memorial Stadium.

Sunday’s victory was the AquaSox’s 44th, tying the team record for wins in a season. The franchise record was set by the Everett Giants with 49 in 1987.

The AquaSox took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI single by Kevin Rivers to score Terry Serrano. The next batter, Evan Sharpley, hit a towering home run over the left field wall to give the AquaSox a 3-0 lead.

“I was just looking for a fastball I could drive,” Sharpley said. “I was trying to stay with my approach and my strength and I got a pitch I could do some damage with.”

Sharpley’s home run gave him five RBI in four games.

“He’s been doing a really good job. His contribution to this team is huge,” AquaSox manager Jose Moreno said. “That was a big hit for us.”

AquaSox starting pitcher Ogui Diaz protected the early lead. After giving up two hits in the first inning, Diaz allowed only one more hit in his five innings of work. Diaz struck out two and walked none, retiring 13 of the last 14 batters he faced.

“He made good adjustments,” Moreno said. “The first inning is sometimes a tough one to go through and get your rhythm.”

Diaz improved his record to 4-3 on the season.

The AquaSox increased their lead to 4-0 on Kevin Mailloux’s RBI double in the third inning.

Mailloux, Rivers and Sharpley all had at least one RBI on Sunday. Mailloux batted 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Rivers batted 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Mailloux leads the team with 48 RBI, Rivers is right behind with 43 and Sharpley has 39.

“Even if you don’t score early, you feel like you are in the game because you have those guys in the middle of the lineup to help you get back on track,” Moreno said.

The Emeralds scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning to cut Everett’s lead to 4-2. But the AquaSox closed the door with three more runs in the bottom of the eighth.

Rivers singled to right field to score Serrano. One out later, Steven Baron hit a two-run double to give the AquaSox a 7-2 lead.

“It’s not just those three guys,” Moreno said, referring to Mailloux, Rivers and Sharpley. “Everybody has their contribution.”

And on Sunday that was Baron.

“He was taking too many pitches his first two or three at-bats,” Moreno said of the AquaSox’s catcher. “His body language was different in that at-bat (when Baron doubled in the eighth).”

“It could be a different guy every night and I think that is what is special about our team,” Sharpley said.

Moreno and Sharpley both seemed pleased with the team’s overall performance on Sunday.

“It was a very solid game right there,” Moreno said.

“As a team we are trying to peak right now. Our key is when we play pretty good defense it puts the other team in a bind, and it gives our offense a chance to strike really at any time,” Sharpley said.