AquaSox Walk It off for the Second Straight Night
Published on May 16, 2024 under Northwest League (NWL)
Everett AquaSox News Release
Everett, WA: A walk-off RBI double from outfielder Jared Sundstrom sent Frogs fans home happy Wednesday night at Funko Field as the AquaSox secured a 5-4 victory over the free-swinging Emeralds.
Left-handed starting pitcher Brandyn Garcia was dialed in and was nothing short of stellar from the mound. Making his seventh appearance and fifth start, Garcia struck out a career-high 11 Emeralds, breaking his previous career high of six strikeouts set on May 2 versus Hillsboro. Garcia broke his career high on a looking strikeout of Rodolfo Nolasco in the top of the fourth inning. He ultimately finished his night after five innings of one-run baseball, allowing only one earned run.
The AquaSox provided Garcia run support immediately at the start of the game. After Brock Rodden knocked a leadoff single, and a walk by RJ Schreck, Josh Hood knocked an RBI single that scored Rodden. With an early 1-0 lead in hand, the AquaSox were not done.
The very next batter, Bill Knight, smacked a towering, opposite-field triple over the head of Nolasco in deep right field. Nolasco was unable to track down the baseball as it took a high bounce off of the fence, allowing Knight to hustle to third base as Schreck and Hood came home to score. Knight's triple was the second of his career and the AquaSox ninth of the year.
Eugene would add a run in the top of the seventh to cut the Frogs' lead to 3-2. Everett would respond the next inning. Following a leadoff single and stolen base from Victor Labrada, Hood would hit his second RBI single of the game to extend the AquaSox lead to 4-2. The Frogs would attempt to extend the lead further but a bases-loaded 5-4-3 triple play would kill the rally.
In the top of the ninth, Eugene first baseman Andrew Kachel would tie the game 4-4 after hitting a game-tying, two-run home run to right center field. However, the Frogs had an answer in the bottom half of the ninth. After Rodden walked and stole second base, Sundstrom would hit a walk-off RBI double to deep right field to send Eugene packing for the night, winning the game 5-4. It was the AquaSox second walk-off victory in as many days as Gabriel Moncada hit a walk-off double in Game One of the series.
Blake Townsend, Bryan Pope, Chris Jefferson, and Jason Ruffcorn threw the final four innings of the game for the AquaSox. Townsend lowered his season ERA to 1.86 after throwing a scoreless inning in which he struck out two. It was his eighth appearance allowing zero earned runs. Pope struck out two, Jefferson struck out all three batters he faced, and Ruffcorn struck out two. Everett's pitching was overpowering most of the night, allowing only three earned runs in total while striking out 20 Emeralds.
Backing Everett's dominant pitching was a hitting performance that saw the Frogs tally eight hits and seven walks. Sundstrom and Hood led the team in hits with a pair each, and Rodden, Labrada, Knight, and Andrew Miller all hit safely. Miller currently holds a seven-game hitting streak. Infielder Caleb Cali reached base in his AquaSox debut by walking in the fifth inning. The Frogs also displayed super speed on the bases, swiping four bags during the game. Sundstrom, Labrada, Hood, and Rodden all stole one base each.
LOOKING AHEAD: Tomorrow night is Throwback Thursday! Right-hander Ty Cummings will take the mound at 7:05 p.m. Cummings, a Campbell University alumni, has been stellar across six starts this season. He has pitched to a 2.40 ERA with 21 strikeouts in 30 innings, including four starts where he has allowed one earned run or less. Come hang out and celebrate Throwback Thursday with $3.00 hot dogs, sodas, popcorn, and 12 oz. cans of Coors Light as the AquaSox take on the Emeralds at 7:05 p.m. at Funko Field!
Northwest League Stories from May 16, 2024
- Indians Erupt for 13 Hits in 8-6 Win over C's - Spokane Indians
- Emeralds Suffer a Walk-Off Defeat for 2nd Straight Night - Eugene Emeralds
- Allergic to Giesting's Efforts, Dust Devils' Win Streak Ends - Tri-City Dust Devils
- Big Inning, Stout Relief Add up to C's Win - Vancouver Canadians
- Big Inning, Stout Relief Add up to C's Win - Vancouver Canadians
- AquaSox Walk It off for the Second Straight Night - Everett AquaSox
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