EVERETT — The Everett AquaSox were like a sculptor, methodically chipping away at a block of stone in order to create an image.
Unfortunately for Everett, it was no match for the Boise Hawks’ sledgehammer blow that smashed the stone to pieces.
All of Everett’s delicate work was rendered meaningless by Drew Rundle’s tie-breaking grand slam home run, and the Sox fell to the Hawks 7-4 Monday night at Everett Memorial Stadium.
Everett overcame an early 3-0 deficit by scratching out one run at a time, tying it at 3-3 and grabbing the momentum. But that momentum came screeching to a halt with one swing from Rundle, whose fifth-inning slam was a blow the Sox could not overcome.
“They had base hits with men in scoring position, we didn’t have too many people get around the bases,” Everett manager Jose Moreno lamented. “We tried to build, but they got doubles and a home run with the bases loaded. Our offense has to work a little better.”
Josh Vitters added three hits for the Hawks (3-4). Mark Pawelek picked up the win with three innings of relief, and John Muller tossed a scoreless ninth for the save, his second of the season.
Travis Howell went 2-for-3 and scored three runs to lead Everett (3-4). Walter Suriel took the loss.
Midway through the game everything seemed to be headed in the right direction for Everett. After a rocky first inning Suriel had settled down. The Sox had chipped away one run at a time to tie it at 3-3. And there seemed to be little threat in the top of the fifth with two out and a runner on first.
However, Suriel’s control disappeared as he walked back-to-back batters to load the bases. Then after a trip to the mound by Everett pitching coach Jack Uhey, Rundle launched a moonshot over the wall in right-center for a grand slam home run, and just like that a tie game turned into a four-run Hawks lead.
“Any time you get a grand slam that’s a tough blow,” Boise manager Tom Beyers said. “That’s excellent for your team, that’s four runs right there.
“When you’ve got the pitcher struggling like that, if you get a pitch in your zone you’ve got to be aggressive,” Beyers added. “Drew did a good job of that.”
Everett continued to try and chip away, but only pushed one run across the plate after that.
It was rough outing for Suriel. The right-hander from the Dominican Republic was dominating in his first start of the season, giving up just one run in seven innings in defeating Spokane. But Suriel could not produce a repeat performance against the Hawks. He lasted just 4 2/3 innings and was charged with all seven Boise runs.
“The main thing was his command,” Moreno said of Suriel. “Over there (in Spokane) he was aggressive and attacked the zone and all the time was ahead in the count. Today was different, he was behind and deep in the count most of the time and he battled with his control, so he tried to do the best he could.”
Everett ran into trouble right at the outset. In the top of the first the Hawks loaded the bases with one out on a pair of walks and a single. Rebel Ridling’s groundout to short drove in one run, then Ryan Keedy’s liner to right-center brought home two more, staking Boise to a 3-0 lead.
Everett got on the board in the top of the second. With two out the Sox loaded the bases on consecutive singles by Howell, Brandon Fromm and George Soto. A wild pitch allowed Howell to score from third to cut the deficit to 3-1.
The Sox pulled within one in the third. Tyson Gillies led off by popping a triple off the wall in right-center, then scored on Luis Nunez’s sacrifice fly to make it 3-2.
Everett tied it up in the fourth, but missed out on a big inning. Pawelek entered the game at the start of the inning and promptly loaded the bases on two walks and a hit batter. However, he induced Ryan Royster into a double play. A run scored on the play, but it was the only run the Sox would get as it remained 3-3.
After Rundle’s slam made it 7-3, the Sox tried to start crawling back again, loading the bases in the sixth. However, Royster’s sacrifice fly produced the only run of the rally, and the Sox never threatened again.
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