EVERETT — It looked as though the Everett AquaSox had once again missed their chance.
But Kevin Reynolds managed to get just enough wood on the ball to rescue the Sox.
Reynolds slapped a two-out, walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning, giving Everett a 5-4 victory over the Boise Hawks on Tuesday night at Everett Memorial Stadium.
“That’s the way baseball is,” Reynolds said. “Sometimes you’re going to get your momentum and sometimes you’re not. But you just got to keep plugging away. We just kept getting runners on base and got a situation where we could win the game.”
Everett repeatedly found itself in position to go ahead in the late innings, having the potential go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth thrown out at the plate, then having a bases-loaded, nobody-out situation in the ninth erased by a double play.
But Reynolds came through just when it looked like the Sox would again come up short. After falling behind in the count 0-2, Reynolds fought off a pair of pitches before poking a soft liner toward third. Boise third baseman Josh Vitters backpedaled and leapt, but the ball just eluded his glove. Nate Tenbrink sauntered home from third to end the game.
“I was down 0-2 and I was just looking to put something in play with two outs,” Reynolds said. “Luckily enough, I got something that was up a little bit and I just got enough of it to get it over the third baseman’s head. Luckily he couldn’t jump.”
The play happened right in front of the AquaSox dugout, so Everett manager Jose Moreno had a great view as he watched anxiously to see whether the ball would get over Vitters.
“We were lucky because he was playing a little bit in, then he tried to move two steps back,” Moreno said. “But it looked like it was late. He needed an extra step.”
Eddy Fernandez earned the win with a perfect inning of relief, and Manelik Pimentel homered for Everett (4-4).
The Sox also received a solid outing out of starting pitcher Doug Salinas. The right-hander, who came into the game with a 21.00 ERA, looked like he was in for another long night when he ran into trouble in the first inning — the Sox actually had a reliever warming up in the bullpen in the first. But Salinas settled down and ended up going 51/3 innings, giving up two runs on four hits and two walks and striking out six.
“Salinas did a real good job,” Moreno said. “His first outing he battled with his control and today it looked like he was going to have the same problem. But he made an adjustment right away and attacked the zone with his first pitch, and after that he was able to work with his pitches.”
Rebel Ridling doubled twice and drove in two runs to lead Boise (3-5).
Everett was nearly left lamenting its missed opportunities. The score was tied 4-4 in the bottom of the eighth when, with George Soto on first, Ryan Royster grounded a single to right. Soto raced toward third and right fielder Kyler Burke skipped his throw past the bag. Soto then headed home, but Vitters made a fantastic off-balance throw home to nail Soto and keep the score tied.
Then in the ninth, the Sox loaded the bases with nobody out. Luis Nunez led off with a single, then on consecutive sacrifice bunts pitcher Bubba O’Donnell tried unsuccessfully to get the lead runner.
O’Donnell nearly redeemed himself when he induced Travis Howell into a grounder to short for a home-to-first double play. But Reynolds prevented O’Donnell’s escape.
Everett led 4-1 after five innings, but Boise scored single runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth to tie it. The tying run in the eighth came via an Everett mistake as, with two out, pitcher Phil Hann threw low to first on what should have been the third out. Pimentel was unable to dig out the throw and Ryan Sontag trotted home from second to make it 4-4.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
