Arroyo and Knight’s Bats Hot in Extra-Innings Loss

August 10, 2024 - HILLSBORO, OR: Knotted 3-3 at the conclusion of nine frames of baseball, the Hillsboro Hops ultimately emerged victorious over the Everett AquaSox 5-4 in 10 innings Saturday night at Hillsboro Ballpark.

Michael Arroyo began yet another strong night from the batter’s box by smacking his seventh double to lead off the game. Everett had a pair of runners on base in each of the first two innings, however neither scoring attempt resulted in any runs. Hillsboro hopped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning, and the AquaSox would later respond in the top of the fourth inning.

In the top of the fourth inning, Bill Knight singled and Freuddy Batista walked to put Everett’s third pair of runners on base. After coming up scoreless in their first two attempts, the Frogs would knot the game 1-1 as Arroyo knocked an RBI single to center field. The base hit was Arroyo’s third of the night and 10th of the series. The Seattle Mariners’ ninth-ranked prospect’s efforts this series have raised his batting average to a stellar .296 (42/142).

Michael Arroyo is now 10-20 in the series against the Hops pic.twitter.com/24rSwINIYA

— Everett AquaSox (@EverettAquaSox) August 11, 2024

The Hops reclaimed the lead in the bottom half of the fourth inning, jumping ahead by a slim 2-1 margin. From there, both offenses were sat down scoreless for the next four innings. Right-hander Ty Cummings was spectacular for the AquaSox, hurling six innings of two-run baseball- only one of which was an earned run. He struck out five Hops and walked only one in his 13th start allowing only two runs or less.

Out of the bullpen, southpaw C.J. Widger was spotless, tossing one shutout inning while tallying a pair of strikeouts in his second AquaSox appearance. Tyler Cleveland also threw a scoreless inning, allowing only one base hit while striking out one Hop.

Still trailing by a run entering the game’s final frame, Everett put up a fight to steal the lead away from Hillsboro. Knight hit a leadoff triple to spark a rally, and Hunter Fitz-Gerald was hit by a pitch to put runners on the corners with no outs. Tying the game 2-2 was Freuddy Batista, who smacked his ninth double to right field to score Knight. Giving Everett the lead was none other than Arroyo, who delivered a sacrifice fly to bring home the tiebreaking run.

The Hops would not back down, tying the game 3-3 in the bottom of the ninth inning. Jared Sundstrom scored in the top of the 10th inning as Caleb Cali reached base on a throwing error, but four runs would not be enough to secure a Saturday night victory. Hillsboro’s Gavin Logan walked off Everett in the bottom half of the 10th, reaching base by walking to give the Hops a 5-4 win and a series victory.

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PICTURED: Hunter Fitz-Gerald
PHOTO CREDIT: Evan Morud

LOOKING AHEAD: The AquaSox conclude their series down south in Hillsboro Sunday afternoon at 1:05! Right-hander Ryan Hawks is slated to make the start for Everett. After the series, the Frogs return home for six games against Tri-City beginning August 13! Our homestand is packed full of epic giveaways and promotions such as Union Solidarity Night, Funko Friday, Sunday Fun Day, Faith and Family Night, and Salute to the Mariners! Get your tickets now and don’t miss out!

ABOUT THE EVERETT AQUASOX: The Everett AquaSox are the High-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. Everett is a member of the Northwest League and has been a Mariners affiliate since establishing the AquaSox moniker in 1995. For updates on the 2023 season, community initiatives, and Webbly appearances follow the Frogs on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, or visit our website, AquaSox.com. Flex tickets, ticket plans, group outings, and picnics outings can be purchased by calling (425) 258-3673 or visiting the AquaSox Front Office at 3802 Broadway.