EVERETT — Drew Jackson sure knows how to celebrate a birthday.
Right after learning he’s been named to the Northwest League All-Star team, Jackson showed why. The now 22-year-old went 2-for-3 at the plate, drove in two runs, scored three times, walked twice and stole three bases to lead the AquaSox past Vancouver 8-5 Tuesday afternoon at Everett Memorial Stadium.
“It was a good day, especially for the team,” Jackson said. “It’s nice to get back on that winning track for sure. … I’m just learning a lot from the coaching staff and the other guys on my team. It’s a great environment to learn and play.”
Just like Monday night’s game, the AquaSox struck early Tuesday. Jackson started things for the Everett offense, drawing a walk in the bottom of the first inning. An RBI double by Erick Mejia scored Jackson, and Mejia later scored on a base hit by Johan Quevedo to put the Frogs up 2-0.
Everett added to its lead with a four-run fourth inning on a two-run double by Jackson, an RBI single by Logan Taylor — scoring Jackson for the second time in the game — and an RBI double by Corey Simpson.
“We’re just trying to put good at-bats together everyday and get some clean innings out of our pitchers,” said Rob Mummau, the Everett manager. “Our guys have done a great job the last two days.”
Mejia again drove Jackson in with an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth and scored on an error to finish the scoring for Everett (2-0 second half, 24-16 overall).
“He just plays hard and comes to win,” Mummau said of Jackson. “That’s all you can ask.”
The game featured two high draft picks in the most recent Major League Baseball draft. Everett starter Andrew Moore was a second-round competitive balance pick with the 72nd overall selection and his Vancouver counterpart Jonathan Harris was drafted in the first round by the Toronto Blue Jays (No. 29 overall).
Moore, who pitched over 122 innings at Oregon State University this season before being taken in the draft, was on an innings limit to keep from exhausting his arm and left after three innings. Moore gave up the first walk of his professional career in the second inning after not allowing a free pass in his first 19 innings this season.
After Moore departed, Anthony Misiewicz took over for the AquaSox and struck out six in four scoreless innings to earn his second win of the season.
“We’ve been piggybacking (Moore) and Misiewicz all year,” Mummau said. “They’ve been splitting the game each time out. We’ll probably stick with that for awhile. They go out and pound the strike zone. They’ve done a great job.”
The victory gave the AquaSox the series win in the opening series of the Northwest League season’s second half. After dropping the first-half title by a tiebreaker to Tri-City, the AquaSox have come out swinging in the second half, scoring 14 runs on 23 hits in two wins against the Canadians.
“Obviously, we were upset that we couldn’t pull it off and clinch (the first-half title),” Jackson said. “The good thing about baseball, and playing every day, is that you have the next day. We’ve got this second half ahead of us and (the first half) was definitely motivation for us.”
Vancouver got its first two runs on errors by Everett and a two-run home run by Gabriel Cenas in the top of the ninth inning. The Canadians continued to threaten in the ninth with runners on first and second with nobody out. Matt Clancy entered the game and allowed just a sacrifice fly before getting a groundout to end the game and earn his third save of the season.
After the game, Jackson was thinking of heading to Seattle to finish up his birthday and watch the Seattle Mariners take on the Arizona Diamondbacks.
But the real present comes on Aug. 4 when Jackson, Taylor and Luiz Gohara head to Spokane for the Northwest League vs. Pioneer League All-Star Game.
“I’m looking forward to that. Me, Logan and Gohara are going to have a lot of fun,” Jackson said. “I think it’s going to be a great few days. My parents will be up there. I’m definitely looking forward to it.
“All the hard work pays off in ways like this. It’s been awhile since I’ve been on an all-star team — there weren’t any in college. It’s a true blessing. I’m really excited for it.”
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