AquaSox Cut Off Rooster Tails Comeback

A three-run 5^th inning rally proved decisive Thursday night for the Everett AquaSox (29-31), who held off the comeback efforts of the Tri-City Dust Devils (31-29) to hang on for a 4-3 win in front of 2,203 at Gesa Stadium.

Tri-City, playing as the Columbia River Rooster Tails, held a 2-1 lead going into the 5^th after C Myles Emmerson’s two-out, two-run double in the bottom of the 4^th scored SS Arol Vera and 3B Werner Blakely. Both Vera and Blakely had drawn walks from Everett starter Raúl Alcantara (1-2) to get aboard in front of Emmerson’s hit.

The lead would be short-lived, though, with the AquaSox rallying for three runs on five hits in the 5^th, driving Rooster Tails starter Chase Chaney (4-2) out of the ballgame. A combination of relievers Roman Phansalkar, Nathan Burns and Nick Jones held the visitors off the scoreboard for the remainder of the night, giving Columbia River a chance to rally.

The home nine would get a run in the bottom of the 8^th, taking advantage of back-to-back-to-back walks with a sacrifice fly to center field by 2B Adrian Placencia that scored Emmerson to make it a 4-3 game. Then rally hats went on in the bottom of the 9^th inning on Rooster Tails Hat Giveaway Night presented by Community Real Estate with Keller Williams, but Everett reliever Sam Carlson pitched a perfect 9^th for his first save of the year.

Columbia River drew ten walks in all, providing them chances at the plate to find the big hit that would either tie or win the ballgame. AquaSox relievers, though, worked around the walks by holding the Rooster Tails hitless after 1B Gabe Matthews’s one-out single in the bottom of the 5^th, stranding 12 Columbia River runners on base.

At the plate, three Rooster Tails hitters reached base three times: Myles Emmerson (1-2, 2B, 2 BB, 2 RBI), Adrian Placencia (2-3, BB, RBI) and Gabe Matthews (1-3, 2 BB). Also, though Joe Stewart and Werner Blakely saw hitting streaks come to an end, both walked to convert them into on-base streaks (Stewart at 12 games, Blakely at 9 games).

Despite the loss, Columbia River lost no ground in the Northwest League First Half race due to victories by Eugene, over Spokane, and Hillsboro, over Vancouver. It was, however, an opportunity lost to gain ground with the team remaining 2.5 games out of first place with six games to play before the First Half race ends June 22.

Game four of the six-game set between Tri-City and Everett is scheduled for a 7:05 p.m. start Friday night at Gesa Stadium, on a Family Feast Night presented by Grocery Outlet. Hot dogs, 12 oz. Coke products, bags of chips, ice cream sandwiches and Laffy Taffy ropes can all be purchased for $2 throughout the night.

The Dust Devils will turn to right-hander Connor Van Scoyoc (3-3, 2.91 ERA) to try to even the series, while the AquaSox will activate righty Nick Davila (0-1, 3.27 ERA) from the injured list to make the start. Broadcast coverage will begin with the pregame show at 6:45 p.m. both here and at the MiLB First Pitch app.

Tickets for both Friday night's game and the weekend’s clashes with the AquaSox are on sale now, with special ticket rates available for groups of 20 or more. For more information on Dust Devils single game, season, mini-plan (11, 22, 33) and group tickets, visit dustdevilsbaseball.com, call the team office at (509) 544-8789, or visit the team office (10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on game nights, or Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. otherwise).