Montes and Suisbel Homer in Sox 6-5 Win
June 4, 2025 - Northwest League (NWL)
Everett AquaSox News Release
EUGENE, OREGON: Lazaro Montes and Luis Suisbel hit back to back home runs in the fifth inning, propelling the Everett AquaSox into a lead that they would not relinquish on the way to a 6-5 victory over the Eugene Emeralds. The win pulls the AquaSox to within a game and a half of first place.
The AquaSox scored the game's first run in the top of the second inning. Suisbel led off the inning with a walk and moved over to third base when Tai Peete doubled down the right field line. Suisbel scored two batters later when Milkar Perez grounded out to third base.
Charlie Pagliarini led off with top of the third inning with a single. After a couple of outs it was Montes who kept the inning going with a two-out single to move Pagliarini to second base. Suisbel then drove in Pagliarini with single that dropped into shallow left field for a 2-0 AquaSox lead.
AquaSox starting pitcher Nick Payero kept the Emeralds off the scoreboard for the first three innings before running into some trouble in the fourth inning when the first four batters reached base. James Tibbs III led off the inning with a single followed by a walk to Charlie Szykowny. Both players advanced to second and third on a passed ball before Onil Perez drove in Tibbs with an RBI single. Scott Bandura then hit a sharp line drive over the head of Peete in center field for a triple, scoring Szykowny to tie the game at 2-2. The Emeralds moved into the lead for the first and only time in the game when Zane Zielinski hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Bandura to make it 3-2 Emeralds.
The Emeralds lead would be short lived as the AquaSox would move back out in front in the fifth inning by answering the Emeralds three run inning with three of their own. Michael Arroyo walked with one out which was followed by a Montes two-run home run over the center field fence to put the AquaSox ahead 4-3. It was the league leading 12th home run of the season for Montes. The home run chased starting pitcher Cesar Perdomo from the game as reliever Ryan Vanderhei entered the game. Vanderhei then faced Suisbel who after taking the first pitch for a ball, hit the second pitch over the right field fence to increase the lead to 5-3.
The AquaSox added on one final insurance run in the top of the sixth inning when Milkar Perez led off with a walk and then scored on Anthony Donofrio's double to make it 6-3.
The Emeralds would then start to chip away at the AquaSox lead. First by scoring a run in the bottom of the sixth inning when Onil Perez scored on a Zielinski double to make it 6-4. Then with another run in the eighth inning when Szykowny scored on a throwing error by Milkar Perez, cutting the AquaSox lead to 6-5. That would be as close as the Emeralds would get though as AquaSox relief pitcher Gabriel Sosa would close out the game with his fourth save of the season, allowing only a two-out walk before getting Quinn McDaniel to fly out to Montes in right field for the game's final out.
Payero was credited with the win for the AquaSox, his first of the season as he pitched five innings, allowing seven hits, three earned runs, one walk and six strikeouts. Montes and Suisbel both went two-for-four at the plate with two RBI each.
Things have also become very interesting in the Northwest League as all six teams are within two games of each other in the standings. Hillsboro and Spokane are tied for first place with matching 27-25 records. Eugene is one game back at 26-26. The AquaSox are tied for fourth place with Tri-City at 25-26 followed by Vancouver at 25-27. The first half of the season will conclude on June 19th with the team in first place earning an automatic berth into the Northwest League Championship series to be played at the conclusion of the regular season in September.
LOOKING AHEAD: Game two of the six game series is scheduled for Wednesday June 4 beginning at 6:35 p.m. RHP Marcelo Perez (1-2, 2.79 ERA) will take the mound for the Aqua Sox. Eugene will counter with RHP Brayan Palencia (2-0, 4.94 ERA).
Northwest League Stories from June 4, 2025
- Everett Slugs 4 Home Runs En-Route to 2nd Straight Win against Eugene - Eugene Emeralds
- Montes and Suisbel Homer in Sox 6-5 Win - Everett AquaSox
- Tri-City Trips at Final Hurdle, Falls to Vancouver - Tri-City Dust Devils
- Room at the Top: Tribe Ties Hops with Late HR - Hillsboro Hops
- Condon Slugs Indians Past Hops in Series Opener - Spokane Indians
- Ems Fall Just Short to Open Series against Everett - Eugene Emeralds
- Nick's Ninth Inning Homer Earns C's a Goodwin - Vancouver Canadians
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