Roby's Round Tripper Ruins Sox Comeback, 8-7
August 21, 2021 - Northwest League (NWL)
Everett AquaSox News Release
EUGENE, Ore. -- Sean Roby hit the first and only pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning over the left field fence for a walk off home run as the Eugene Emeralds (55-39) defeated the Everett AquaSox (55-37), 8-7.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The AquaSox scored in the top of the first inning for the fourth consecutive night, getting on the board when Victor Labrada scored on a Jake Anchia single. Connor Hoover scored two batters later on a Dariel Gomez sacrifice fly and the AquaSox had a 2-0 lead to start the game.
The lead didn't last long; Brett Auerbach and Tyler Fitzgerald led off the bottom of the first inning with back-to-back home runs to tie the game at 2-2. The Emeralds added on four additional runs in the inning with an RBI single from Marco Luciano, a two-run double from Carter Aldrete followed by an RBI double from Kwan Adkins that scored Aldrete, giving the Emeralds a 6-2 after one inning of play. Eugene scored an additional run in the second inning when Fitzgerald scored on a Logan Wyatt single, increasing the lead to 7-2.
The score remained unchanged until the sixth inning when the AquaSox came storming back with five consecutive one-out at bats. Anchia got things going with a walk and then scored when Cade Marlowe hit a two-run home run way beyond the right field fence to cut the deficit to 7-4. The next at-bat, Gomez hit a solo homer over the right field fence. Tyler Keenan then walked to bring up Justin Lavey who hit his third home run of the season, tying the game at 7-7.
The score remained tied right up until Roby's game-winning home run over the left field fence, giving the Emeralds a dramatic victory.
WRAPPING IT UP
Franklin Van Gurp and Benjamin Onyshko both pitched well in relief. Van Gurp went three innings, allowing four hits, one run, zero walks and four strikeouts. Onyshko threw three hitless and scoreless innings, walking one batter and striking out five. Peyton Alford made his AquaSox debut and struck out three consecutive batters in the eighth inning prior to giving up the Roby home run in the bottom of the ninth
Emeralds starting pitcher Ryan Murphy went five innings, allowing only one hit, one earned run, one walk and seven strikeouts. At one point Murphy retired 14 straight batters. Everett pitchers struck out 14 batters while Eugene struck out 13. Both teams struck out 10 or more opponents in each of the first four games of the series.
LOOKING AHEAD
The AquaSox and Emeralds are scheduled to play a doubleheader on Saturday, August 21. RHP Stephen Kolek (3-0, 5.36 ERA) will start for the AquaSox in the first game and RHP Kai-Wei Teng (4-4 4.74 ERA) will start for Eugene. The starting pitchers for both teams in the second game are to be determined. Listen to all of the action on KRKO; the pregame show will begin at 4:50 p.m. with the first pitch scheduled for 5:05 p.m. The seventh and final game of the series is scheduled for Sunday, August 22 with a 5:05 p.m. start time.
Northwest League Stories from August 21, 2021
- Roby's Round Tripper Ruins Sox Comeback, 8-7 - Everett AquaSox
- Six-Run Second Gives Spokane Sixth-Straight Win - Spokane Indians
- C's Even Series with Team Win over Dust Devils - Vancouver Canadians
- Sullivan's Travails Lead to Hops 5th Straight Defeat - Hillsboro Hops
- Emeralds Walk off over Everett Behind Roby's Ninth Inning Rocket - Eugene Emeralds
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