Mail Tribune Sports - TJs falter at Everett

Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)

2000-09-14

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TJs falter at Everett EVERETT, Wash . -- The Southern Oregon Timberjacks squandered a five-run lead and lost their fourth straight Northwest League game against the Everett AquaSox Tuesday. Everett pushed across the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning off Southern Oregon reliever Matt Gage to post a 6-5 victory at Everett Memorial Stadium. After dropping the opening three games of the five-game series to Everett, the Timberjacks appeared on their way to ending the slide when they scored two runs in the top of the fourth to grab a 5-0 lead. But Southern Oregon was held scoreless the rest of the way, while the AquaSox got their offense in gear. The Timberjacks opened the scoring in the first inning when Carlos Rosario walked, stole second, went to third on a ground out and scored on a wild pitch by Everett starter Sam Walton. With one out in the third inning, the TJs increased the margin to 3-0 with a pair of back-to-back solo home runs by Kirk Asche and Jorge Soto. Then with one out in the fourth, Southern Oregon's Jason Clements walked, Jamie Porter singled and Rosario reached base on shortstop Justin Leone's error to load the bases. After walking G.W. Keller to force in a run, Walton was pulled for reliever Hawkeye Wayne, who walked Asche to give the T'jacks a 5-0 lead. Wayne settled down by striking out Soto and Aaron Nieckula to end the threat. Everett scored a pair of runs in the fourth to go with a single run in the seventh and two more in the eighth to knot the score at 5-5. Gage walked Willie Bloomquist to open the ninth. Bloomquist advanced to second on Chris Snelling's sacrifice bunt. After Jerry Amador was walked intentionally, Termell Sledge delivered the winning hit to right-center field to score Bloomquist. Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune   Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, OR U.S.A.