Vancouver Tops Everett 5-2
August 17, 2014 - Northwest League (NWL1)
Everett AquaSox News Release
EVERETT, Wash. - The Vancouver Canadians might have been tired after a long day of travel, but they found a way to beat the Everett AquaSox and win an important game at the start of a crucial series for both teams' playoff hopes.
After the Canadians were stuck at the USA-Canada border for five hours, causing the start of the game to be delayed until 7:30, Franklin Barreto hit two doubles, the second of which drove in the go- ahead run in the eighth inning, to lead Vancouver to a 5-2 win over the AquaSox in a tight, back-and- forth series opener at Everett Memorial Stadium Saturday night.
With the game tied a 2-2 in the top of the eighth after both teams' starters turned in quality efforts, Barreto put Vancouver on top with an RBI ground-rule double off Everett reliever Logan Seifrit. The Canadians shortstop hit a deep fly ball to right center field that went through one of the open slots of the hand operated scoreboard with two runners on, bringing home Alexis Maldonado from second base. One batter later, Vancouver appeared to have picked up a valuable insurance run when a pitch in the dirt got away from AquaSox catcher Luke Guarnaccia and Roemon Fields scampered toward home, but Guarnaccia's throw to the plate hit the batter, Ryan McBroom, and McBroom was called out on interference and Fields was sent back to third base. Seifrit left the game after walking Chris Carlson to load the bases with two outs, but Kody Kerski came on and struck out Gunnar Heidt to end the inning and avoid further damage.
But the Canadians added two runs in the ninth on Tim Locastro's two-RBI single to create some breathing room and Everett failed to do anything in the bottom of the inning. The win, combined with a loss by the Tri-City Dust Devils, moved Vancouver into a tie for first place in the Northwest League North Division second half standings. The AquaSox remained one-game off the pace for the last playoff spot.
The game was scoreless for the first three innings as both starters, Luiz Gohara for Everett and Dan Lietz for the Canadians, had their good stuff going. Gohara retired the first eight hitters he faced before issuing a two-out walk in the third while Lietz worked around two hits by striking out the side in the second. But both teams broke through in the fourth inning. Barreto got Vancouver's first hit off Gohara when he laced a one-out double off the left field wall in the top of the fourth. After a costly strikeout that saw starting AquaSox catcher Adam Martin leave the game when he took a foul ball off his wrist, Carlson hit a two-out RBI single up the middle to plate Barreto and give the Canadians a 1-0 advantage.
Everett answered with a two-out rally in the bottom half of the inning to take a one-run lead. After Lietz retired the first two hitters, Kyle Petty doubled off the manual scoreboard in right and Kristian Brito followed by belting a two-run homer over the scoreboard to put the AquaSox up 2-1. It was Brito's third home run of 2014.
Locastro tied the game for Vancouver in the fifth with an RBI base hit. Fields reached on a fielder's choice and stole second base to move into scoring position before Locastro singled to left. Locastro was thrown out at second attempting to extend the single into a double to end the inning, but Fields scored the tying run before the third out was recorded. Gohara had his best home outing of the season in the no-decision, working six innings of two-run ball.
He allowed five hits and walked just one while striking out four. It was the first time Gohara had worked past the fourth inning since he threw six innings at Spokane on July 20. Seifrit (0-1) took the loss for Everett after giving up the go-ahead run. Petty had two doubles and Brito had two hits for the AquaSox, who managed just six base hits as a team and just two after the fifth inning. Lietz matched Gohara pitch-for-pitch in the matchup of lefty starters. The 2013 fifth round pick also took a no-decision after he allowed two runs on five hits in six innings of work, striking out six and walking only one. Alberto Tirado (1-0) picked up the win after throwing two scoreless innings of relief and Phil Kish closed out Everett in the ninth to earn his first save. Locastro and Barreto each had two hits for the Canadians and Maldonado was 3-3 to help Vancouver to the win. The AquaSox (10-13 second half, 21-40 overall) match up with the Canadians (11-12, 36-25) for the fifth straight game Sunday in the middle game of their three-game series at Everett Memorial Stadium. Ramire Cleto (2-2, 4.56) will get the ball for Everett against Vancouver's Zak Wasilewski (3-5, 7.04). First pitch is at 4:05.
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Northwest League Stories from August 17, 2014
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- Vancouver Tied For Division Lead After 5-2 Win In Everett - Vancouver Canadians
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- Hops Win 6-3 in Eugene, Now Tied for First with Salem-Keizer - Hillsboro Hops
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