Frogs strike back: AquaSox wallop Canadians 10-0 to tie series
By Callaghan Bluechel, edited by Charles Hamaker
Everett, WA – The Everett AquaSox avenged their game 1 loss in resounding fashion Wednesday, as they clobbered the Vancouver Canadians 10 runs to none. The AquaSox jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, giving their fans a relaxing, stress-free home finale to tie the Northwest League Championship Series at one game apiece.
Everett AquaSox third baseman Ben Ramirez’s three-run homer cracked this game open early (Photo by Liv Lyons)
Offense puts the game away quickly
Everett got going early, scoring all ten runs in the first three innings of the game. In the first, the Frogs got two men on with two men out for third baseman Ben Ramirez, who drilled a ball over the fence to put Everett up by three. In the second, left fielder Mike Salvatore got on with a leadoff double, moved to third on a groundout, and then scored on a Blake Rambusch sacrifice fly.
In the third, however, the Frogs took their lead from strong to giant. Right fielder Gabriel Gonzales led off with a single up the middle, first baseman Hogan Windish got hit by a pitch, and then Ben Ramirez loaded the bases with a bunt single. Everett scored their fifth run on a walk by second baseman Josh Hood, their sixth on an error by Canadians third baseman Cade Doughty, and then center fielder Victor Labrada capped off the inning by walloping a grand slam beyond the wall in right center.
The AquaSox had further chances for the rest of the game, getting runners in scoring position in the fourth, fifth, and sixth, but they were unable to bring any more runners home. However, this would not matter, as the game had, for all intents and purposes, already ended in the bottom of the third.
Everett AquaSox pitcher Raul Alcantara was strong on the mound through five innings against the Canadians (Photo by Liv Lyons)
Pitching keeps the Canadians far away from any kind of comeback
While the star of the show on Wednesday was the offense, the pitching and defense kept a strong lid on Vancouver’s batters. The Canadians never got a runner past second base after the first inning, but they did get a runner on second in each of the next two innings.
AquaSox starter Raúl Alcantara went five innings, striking out eight while walking only one and giving up four hits. He worked through a first-inning double and wild pitch, as well as two runners on in both the second and third, but after the Frogs’ six-run third, the Canadians’ offense went into hibernation, and the fourth and fifth were smooth sailing for Alcantara.
Everett manager Ryan Scott went to his bullpen in the sixth, and the succession of Bernie Martinez, Jarod Bayless, Peyton Alford, and Leon Hunter Jr, each of whom went one inning, kept the Vancouver offense quiet for the rest of the game, sealing Everett’s 10-0 win.
The Everett AquaSox bats ran wild on the Vancouver Canadians in game two of the Northwest League Championship series (Photo by Liv Lyons)
Prospects play well
Several of Everett’s top prospects performed well on Wednesday, including shortstop Cole Young and outfielder Gabriel Gonzales, are on 2023’s top 100 prospect list. Hogan Windish, Ben Ramirez, and Raúl Alcantara also had solid games, and Victor Labrada capped the game off with his grand slam. Here are their stat lines:
Cole Young: 0-2, 3 BB, K
Gabriel Gonzales: 1-3, 2 R, BB
Hogan Windish: 1-3, 2 R, BB
Ben Ramirez: 3-4, 2 R, HR, 3 RBI
Victor Labrada: 1-5, R, HR, 4 RBI, K
Raúl Alcantara: 5 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 H, BB, 8 K
Everett AquaSox star and catcher Harry Ford was behind the dish for the big win (Photo by Liv Lyons)
AquaSox give fans and players a home finale to remember
The game on Wednesday was the last AquaSox home game of 2023, as the Northwest League Championship Series moves to Vancouver for the remainder of its games. The Frogs put on quite a performance for the fans, leaving them on a positive note as they travel north of the border to finish the year.
Ryan Scott noted after the game that it was a good, energetic win after the team’s shutout loss in game 1. “It was good for the guys to come out, bounce back, and respond like that, and now we’re ready to go to Vancouver,” he said.
The AquaSox have at least two more games in Vancouver on Friday, September 15th and Saturday, September 16th. If necessary, game five of the Northwest League Championship Series will take place on Sunday, September 17th.
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Check out our previous Everett AquaSox articles here
Check out our previous CSS Futures articles here
Check out our previous articles with photos by Liv Lyons here, with their portfolio here
Check out our previous articles with writing by Callaghan Bluechel here