Everidge bashes three homers, plates 10

For some players, three home runs and 10 RBIs constitutes a good week or even a good month. For Tommy Everidge, it just meant Monday afternoon.

The 25-year-old first baseman went yard three times and reached the double-digit mark in RBIs as the visiting Midland RockHounds romped past the Tulsa Drillers, 17-6.

Everidge's career day doubled his previous career high, which he last accomplished with the Stockton Ports on May 13, 2006. The Sonoma State product became the seventh player in Texas League history to reach the double-digit mark in RBIs and the first since Arkansas' Tyrone Horne drove in 10 en route to hitting for the home run cycle on July 27, 1998.

"I've been feeling good over the last couple of games, because my swing is really starting to come together," said Everidge, who became the first Minor Leaguer to drive in 10 runs since Elizabethton's Deibinson Romero on July 9, 2007. "I knew if I got some good pitches to swing at I'd be capable of getting some hits, but I wasn't expecting anything like this."

After flying out in the second inning, Everidge caught fire. He hit a three-run homer in the fourth, singled and scored in the fifth, cranked the grand slam in the sixth and connected on the other three-run shot in the seventh. All three home runs came at the expense of three different pitchers.

"I was a little surprised they kept giving me pitches to hit, especially as the game went on," Everidge said. "I really tried not to think about the game I was having, because after you hit one home run you can screw yourself up mentally if you keep focusing about it. I was just looking for something up in the zone that I could drive."

With two outs in the ninth, he came to the plate with a chance to connect for a fourth. His opponent on the mound was Duke Sardinha, an infielder who came on to pitch the final frame in order to relieve the Drillers' overtaxed bullpen.

"He threw me a slider, and since he's a position player it was a little slower than what I'm used to," said Everidge, who now ranks third in the Texas League with 42 RBIs. "I got out in front of it and just lifted a shallow fly ball to left. I had to go for it in the situation, though."

Everidge's big day was just what the struggling RockHounds (26-24) needed, as the club had dropped eight of their previous 12 games. He boosted his average to .250 with 12 homers and 42 RBIs.

"We've got a bunch of great guys here, and we'll do anything to win," he said. "To change our luck, we stopped wearing undershirts and started growing mustaches. I know I look pretty ugly, but that's OK as long as I'm hitting well."

Joe Gaetti also had a big day at the plate for Midland, going 4-for-5 with two doubles, four runs scored and an RBI. Jesus Guzman went 3-for-5 with a dinger, a double and scored four times.

Ryan Webb (3-3) earned the win, yielding two runs on three hits over five innings. Scott Moore allowed four runs over three frames in relief.

Tomas Santiago (2-4) took the loss for the Drillers (18-32), allowing five runs on six hits over 3 1/3 inning. The right-hander was ejected, along with Drillers manager Stu Cole, after beaning Brian Snyder with a pitch in the fourth. Jon George and Luis Gonzalez combined to relinquish 11 runs over the next three frames.