After Wednesday night’s 10-2 route, the Everett AquaSox kept the bats rolling on Thursday night in Eugene with a 10-4 victory. Consistent hitting mixed with a valiant effort from starter Levi Stoudt did the job for the AquaSox, as they now climb to a 2.5-game division lead over the Emeralds.
Getting out to an emphatic start was the recipe for Everett in last night’s victory, and Thursday was no different. With two outs in the first, the AquaSox grinded two walks off of Emeralds starter Connor Nurse. Kaden Polcovich stepped up next and lined a two-run triple to the right field corner.
The next batter, Jack Larsen, had four RBIs in Wednesday night’s onslaught, and he kept the hot bat going with a soft single to center to give Everett an early 3-0 advantage.
The Emeralds got one of those runs back with a Sean Roby solo blast to left field on his 23rd birthday.
A bunt single and ground rule double later in the inning set up the Emeralds with runners in scoring position. The next batter was Nolan Dempsey, and in his first at-bat with the team, Dempsey lined a ball that Everett left fielder Joseph Rosa appeared to lose in the sun.
Two runs came around to score on the play, and the game was knotted at three.
A pair of walks from Nurse and a passed ball by Robert Emery gave the AquaSox some two-out life in the third. The red-hot Larsen was up next, but he struck out looking on a fastball perfectly placed on the outside corner.
With the score 4-4 in the fifth, the AquaSox pulled ahead. A single and a double put runners at second and third with just one out, when the Emeralds opted for Jasier Herrera out of the bullpen.
Herrera’s first pitch out of relief was lined by Polcovich into right for a two-run single. He came around to score later in the inning when Cade Marlowe doubled to give Everett the 7-4 lead.
After somewhat of a shaky start by Everett’s starting pitcher Stoudt, the righty proved why he’s 4-1 with more strikeouts than innings pitched. He struck out the side in the fourth and sixth inning in an effort that saw him get better with each inning.
A pair of Everett solo home runs in the seventh and eighth inning by Marlowe and Austin Shenton grew the AquaSox’ lead to 9-4. In the last two games, Polcovich, Larsen and Marlowe have combined to go 9-for-23 with 13 RBIs.
The AquaSox added a 10th run in the ninth off an Emery passed ball, his second of the game.
Everett manager Louis Boyd opted for Stephen Kolek out of the bullpen in the ninth to end Stoudt’s impressive day. He went eight innings, while giving up four runs on eight hits and striking out 10.
Kolek worked a scoreless ninth to preserve the 10-4 win.
With the win, the AquaSox improve to 36-19, while the Emeralds fall to 34-22. With three games left in the series, the Emeralds still have a chance to regain the division lead, and it begins Friday at 7:05 at PK Park.
