The Eugene Emeralds’ winning streak was cut short Sunday, as they were defeated 6-2 by the Everett AquaSox. The Ems had won the first two games of the series in Everett, but the bats cooled down in game three and amassed only three hits.
Emeralds shortstop Chase Jensen got the scoring started in the second inning with a solo home run to center field, his first of the season. The lead would be short lived, as the AquaSox answered in the bottom of the inning. Kyle Petty led off with a double and later advanced to third on a ground out by Christian Carmichael. With two outs and two men on after Bryan Brito walked, a successful double steal was executed, resulting in Petty scoring and Brito reaching third on a throwing error by Ems catcher Michael Miller. With one run in, Phillips Castillo singled to center, driving in Brito.
Everett would add on in the fourth when Christian Carmichael drilled his third home run of the season off of Michael Kelly, who replaced starter Bryan Verbitsky after two innings. Then in the fifth, the AquaSox once again successfully pulled off a double steal attempt with Jack Reinheimer on third and Petty on first with two outs. With the score 4-1 and Petty on second, Austin Wilson singled to first base, allowing Petty to come around to score on an error by first baseman Marcus Davis.
All-Star center fielder Ronnie Richardson led off the sixth with a walk and would score two batters later courtesy of a double by Donavan Tate, the first hit for Eugene since Jensen’s home run in the second inning. Tate would get as far as third base, but was stranded there when Henry Charles struck out to end the inning.
In the home half of the inning, AquaSox shortstop Lonnie Kauppila went deep off Genison Reyes, ending his season-long home run drought and increasing Everett’s lead to 6-2, where it would remain until the end of the game.
Everett starter Lars Huijer (8-1) lasted six innings, allowing two runs on only two hits with five strikeouts. The 19-year-old Dutch pitcher hasn’t lost a decision since July second, his lone loss of the season.
For the Ems, Verbitsky (0-5) only allowed two runs on two hits through two innings, but walked three and was pulled after walking the first two batters of the third inning. His 0-5 record doesn’t fully reflect his performance this season. His ERA is a very respectable 3.68; he’s been hurt by low run support in many of his starts.
The loss was Eugene’s sixth in their last eight games, dropping the team to fourth in the Northwest League South Division standings. Despite the recent slump, the Ems are still alive in the playoff race, 4.5 games behind Salem-Keizer with 14 games remaining on the schedule. The Ems and AquaSox continue their series Monday and wrap it up Tuesday, then the Emeralds return home for six games against Hillsboro and the division leading Volcanoes.
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