Castillo's Two-Out Grand Slam Sends Hops over Sox
May 2, 2024 (Everett, WA) – The Hillsboro Hops and Everett AquaSox met for the sixth time this season at Funko Field on Thursday. Neyfy Castillo continued his hot hitting with his fifth extra-base hit in eight games with the Hops, a opposite field two-out grand slam in the seventh
May 2, 2024 (Everett, WA) – The Hillsboro Hops and Everett AquaSox met for the sixth time this season at Funko Field on Thursday. Neyfy Castillo continued his hot hitting with his fifth extra-base hit in eight games with the Hops, a opposite field two-out grand slam in the seventh inning. Kyle Amendt closed the door over the final two frames as the Hops won a thriller, 6-5.
Brandyn Garcia was on the bump for Everett in a matchup of southpaws on Thursday. Garcia easily got through the top part of the Hillsboro order in the first and second innings, including striking out four consecutive batters.
The Hops’ lefty Avery Short also got through the first two innings without any harm, sending a scoreless game to the third inning where Everett struck first. Leadoff hitter Brock Rodden narrowly missed his fourth home run of the season and instead hit his fourth double of the season and 13th RBI to give the Sox a 1-0 lead.
That lead didn’t last long, as the Hops took it right back in the fourth. The first two batters of the inning Castillo and Hurley both reached base, Castillo on a walk and Hurley on a single. They each came into score on RBIs by Jose Fernandez and Manny Peña respectively.
Everett responded with a run of their own in the fourth inning, but it could have been a lot worse for Short. Williamson and Schreck both singled to start the inning, followed by a Bill Knight sacrifice fly that scored a run. Short then threw eight consecutive balls to Sanchez and Moncada, loading the bases. Short got just what the doctor ordered, as the nine-hole-hitter Freuddy Batista grounded into a 5-4-3 inning-ending double play.
Both teams’ top of the order went down one-two-three in the fifth inning, keeping the score at 2-2 entering the sixth.
Garcia’s night was complete after the frame, striking out six and allowing two earned runs on 66 pitches. Short came back out for the sixth inning and allowed a leadoff double to the NWL league leader in 2B, H and XBH, Ben Williamson. Junior Cerda entered the game and walked the first batter he faced, giving the AquaSox two runners on and one out. Axel Sanchez roped a line-drive single with the infield playing in, a two-RBI single that gave Everett a 4-2 advantage.
David Martin started off the seventh inning with his second double of the season, after being hit-by-pitch in each of his first two at-bats. The next two hitters flew out, leaving Martin at second base with two outs. A pair of walks by Juan Corniel and Gavin Conticello loaded the bases for Neyfy Castillo. Castillo got ahead in the count 3-0, before taking a fastball right down the middle bringing the count to 3-1. On the very next pitch, Castillo hit an opposite field grand slam, the Hops first grand slam of the season making it 6-4 Hillsboro. Castillo has 13 RBI in just eight games this year.
Kyle Amendt entered the game with 13 scoreless innings to start his professional career and was being asked to get a multi-out save on Thursday. He got through the seventh and eighth innings without harm, but ran into trouble in the ninth. Labrada and Rodden had back-to-back singles, sending the winning run to the plate with none out. Josh Hood struck out, but both runners advanced on a wild pitch, putting the tying run at second base. A sac fly by Jared Sundstrom made it a one-run game and left the tying run 90-feet away with two outs. The best hitter in the Northwest League Ben Williamson was up and Amendt struck him out swinging to end the game and record his first save of the season.
Game four of the series will be a 1:05 start tomorrow at Funko Field, with the pregame show starting at 12:50 on Rip City Radio 620 AM.