Giesting, Norris & Meza Shackle Sox, Hops Win 2-1

EVERETT, WASH. (August 16, 2023) --- One batter into the bottom of the first inning, Hillsboro led Everett 2-1, and it looked like yet another Everett Memorial Stadium slugfest was on tap Wednesday night.

But no. Though the Hops were unable to score another run in the league’s most hitter-friendly park, they made the 2-1 advantage stand up behind a trio of left-handers. Spencer Giesting, Liam Norris and Carlos Meza combined on a five hitter, and the Hops evened the six-game series at one game apiece. Hillsboro (19-25 in the second half) trails Everett (24-20) by five games for the Northwest League’s final playoff spot.

Everett sent a left-hander of their own to the mound to begin the game. Reid VanScoter entered the night with a 9-4 won-loss record and tied for the league lead in victories. The Hops greeted him with back-to-back singles from Wilderd Patino and Jack Hurley to start the game. Tommy Troy then singled to bring home Patino, and Christian Cerda’s sacrifice fly made it 2-0 Hillsboro, four batters into the game.

Mariners’ top prospect Cole Young led off the bottom of the first by lofting a fly ball over the short porch in center field to cut the Aquasox deficit to 2-1. It would have been a routine fly out in any other park in professional baseball. Giesting --- the league leader in walks, whose command has been much better the second half of the season --- appeared unbothered by this. Instead of becoming wary of the short dimensions and beginning to nibble, he attacked the Sox, retiring the next nine batters in a row.

Everett mounted threats in each inning from the fourth through the eighth, but were denied each time.

Sox catcher Harry Ford singled and stole second to begin the fourth. Gabriel Gonzalez lofted a fly ball to right, and Hops right fielder Kevin Graham raced in and made a falling catch. When Ford tagged up and headed to third, Graham got to his feet and made a strong throw, and third baseman Juan Corniel made a nifty lunging tag to double up Ford.

In the fifth, Giesting pitched around a leadoff double from Walking Cabrera, and through five innings, not only had Giesting not walked anyone, he hadn’t even been to three balls in the count.

That changed in the sixth. Giesting walked Cole Young on five pitches, bringing up Ford. He battled Giesting, fouling off four 3-2 pitches before finally drawing a walk on the 11th pitch. One out later, Tyler Locklear also walked on a 3-2 pitch to load the bases.

Giesting --- again, unperturbed --- responded by striking out Hogan Windish looking on a fastball on the outside corner, then whiffing Walking Cabrera swinging, also on a fastball. Giesting’s final totals: six innings pitched, four hits, one run, three walks and three strikeouts.

His final two strikeouts began an impressive streak for Hillsboro, as the final 11 outs of the game for Everett came via the K. Norris came on for the seventh, and struck out the side, pitching around a two-out walk and stranding a runner at second. Norris struck out the first two batters of the eighth, before Locklear reached base on a throwing error by Troy. When Windish singled to put the tying run at third and the go-ahead run at first, Cabrera had another chance in a key spot. He struck out again, this time looking at a 1-2 fastball over the outside corner.

All the while, the Hops were unable to add to their lead. They had some early chances, leaving a runner at third in the second inning, and stranding the bases loaded in the fifth. VanScoter allowed two runs on seven hits in his six innings, striking out seven and walking none. Leon Hunter Jr. worked two perfect innings, notching a pair of strikeouts. And Kyle Hill pitched a scoreless ninth despite a pair of singles. (All nine Hops hits were singles.)

But it wouldn’t matter. Facing the bottom third of the batting order, Carlos Meza struck out the side in the last of the ninth, getting James Parker (looking), Colin Davis (swinging) and Blake Rambusch (looking), all on fastballs. Meza earned his first save, and Giesting improved to 3-6.

Everett went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position, and stranded eight runners.

Hillsboro has alternated losses and wins throughout the first eight games of this 12-game road trip to Spokane and Everett. They’ll try to break that trend in the third game of the six-game set at Everett on Thursday. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05PM, with airtime at 6:50 on Rip City Radio 620AM, and on the internet at www.RipCityRadio.com.