Everett Bullpen Shuts Down Hillsboro, Frogs Win 5-4
June 21, 2023 - Northwest League (NWL)
Everett AquaSox News Release
Hillsboro, OR: The Everett bullpen won the game against the Hops on Tuesday. The trio of Kyle Hill, Michael Flynn and Logan Rinehart fired 3.1 scoreless innings giving up no runs on only one hit and seven strikeouts to preserve a tight 5-4 lead all the way to the end as Everett won their third straight and fifth in their last six games.
The game was a wild back and forth affair in the first five innings. The Frogs scored in the first when Hogan Windish doubled to score Alberto Rodriguez and make the game 1-0. Hillsboro would answer immediately in the bottom of the first when Ivan Melendez singled in Wilderd Patino to tie ballgame. The Hillsboro rally could have been much bigger if it were not for Randy Bednar making a spectacular jumping over the head catch to save what was probably going to be an RBI triple from Junior Franco.
The Frogs would score the next two runs thanks to RBI hits from Victor Labrada. The spark plug center fielder singled in a run in the third to make it 2-1 and then doubled in a run in the fourth to make it 3-1. Labrada ended Tuesday's contest with a .381 batting average in his first five games of the Injured List.
Hillsboro was not done by any means. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Jesus Valdez sent a soaring home run over the center field wall to give the Hops a 4-3 lead.
If that hit was supposed to sink the Everett momentum, the Frogs did not receive the memo. In the top of the fifth the AquaSox retook the lead again as Axel Sanchez doubled in Alberto Rodriguez to tie the game. After Sanchez advanced to second on a wild pitch, Ben Ramirez did his job and knocked in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly to make it 5-4 Frogs.
The scoring for both teams would end after that. Reid VanScoter got through the fifth and two outs of the sixth. He did what aces do and gave his team a chance to win despite not having his best stuff. He ended up giving up four runs on eight hits in 5.2 innings.
A one run lead was all the pen needed. Kyle Hill finished off the sixth and got through the seventh setting it up for Michael Flynn and Logan Rinehart to finish the game off in the eighth and ninth. Flynn and Rinehart both struck out the side in their respective innings, retiring six of the seven men they faced. Rinehart picked up his fifth save of the season and VanScoter picked up his seventh win to tie him for the Northwest League lead in that category.
LOOKING AHEAD: The AquaSox have now won three straight and five of their last six. They will look to continue their run of success on Wednesday night at 7:05 in Hillsboro. Tune in to 1380 AM/95.3 FM for all of the action. The games will also be on MiLB.TV. The Frogs return to the friendly confines of Funko Field for a six-game homestand against the Eugene Emeralds beginning Wednesday, June 28th.
Northwest League Stories from June 21, 2023
- Emeralds Bounce Back for Game 2 Against the Vancouver Canadians - Eugene Emeralds
- Long Ball Snaps C's Winning Streak - Vancouver Canadians
- Everett Bullpen Shuts Down Hillsboro, Frogs Win 5-4 - Everett AquaSox
- Dust Devils Inch Past Indians - Tri-City Dust Devils
- Big Inning Helps C's Coast to 11-4 Win - Vancouver Canadians
- Sox Bullpen Silences Hops - Hillsboro Hops
- Emeralds Lose First Game of Homestand Against Vancouver - Eugene Emeralds
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