May 5, 2026 — EVERETT, WA: The Everett AquaSox took down the Hillsboro Hops 8-6 on Tuesday night in the opening game of the six-game series at Everett Memorial Stadium thanks to an outstanding night at the plate from outfielder Curtis Washington Jr.
Everett jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first courtesy of Seattle Mariners No. 8 prospect Luke Stevenson. Carter Dorighi reached on a fielding error to lead off the inning, later advancing to scoring position on a wild pitch thrown by Hillsboro pitcher David Hagaman. Stevenson singled him home with two outs, hitting a line drive into right field to break the zeroes.
Hillsboro battled back in the top of the third inning, taking a 2-1 lead. Adrian Rodriguez walked to begin the frame, and the duo of Trent Youngblood and Yassel Soler singled to load the bases with no outs. Brady Counsell plated the tying run by hitting a sacrifice fly to center field, and Yerald Nin brought home the go-ahead run by doubling into the left center field gap.
The AquaSox outpaced Hillsboro’s efforts in the bottom half of the frame, scoring six runs of their own to go ahead 7-2. Mariners No. 6 prospect Jonny Farmelo smacked a leadoff double, and each of Josh Caron and Luis Suisbel walked to load the bases. Up to the plate with two outs, Mariners No. 21 prospect Carlos Jimenez lined a two-run single into right field, allowing Farmelo and Caron to cross home plate.
Continuing the scoring attack in the bottom of the third was Austin St. Laurent, who added an RBI single, and Washington Jr., who smashed a three-run home run to right center field. Washington Jr.’s home run was his fourth of the season, giving him a new single-season high.
The Hops sparked a comeback effort in the top of the fifth, scoring four runs to cut their deficit to one. With one out, Slade Caldwell walked, allowing Counsell to knock an RBI double to open the inning’s scoring. Nin added another run by hitting an RBI single, and Avery Owusu-Asiedu hit an RBI double to make the score 7-5. Contributing the final run of the frame was Modeifi Marte, who knocked an RBI single to right field.
Everett added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth, taking an 8-6 lead. Washington Jr. reached base after being hit by a pitch, later advancing to third base after stealing second and advancing another bag on a passed ball. Dorighi drove him home, hitting a sacrifice fly to left field with no outs.
Holding down the 8-6 AquaSox lead were right-handers Wyatt Lunsford-Shenkman and Casey Hintz. Lunsford-Shenkman dealt 2.0 scoreless innings, and Hintz closed out the game by throwing 2.0 scoreless innings to earn the save.
PICTURED ABOVE: Curtis Washington Jr.
PHOTO BY: Shari Sommerfeld
LOOKING AHEAD: The AquaSox continue their six-game series against the Hillsboro Hops on Wednesday, May 6, at 7:05 p.m! Promotions for the game include the AquaSox Student Discount and the Gesa Credit Union Military Pride deal. Additionally, Seattle Mariners pitcher Bryce Miller is scheduled to make a rehab start for the AquaSox during the game! Later promotions for the homestand include Coors Light Throwback Thursday, Star Wars Night, Sunday Fun Day, and the AquaSox Mother's Day Picnic.
ABOUT THE EVERETT AQUASOX: The Everett AquaSox are the defending 2025 Northwest League Champions and serve as the High-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. Established in 1984, the club has been affiliated with the Mariners since adopting the AquaSox name in 1995. For the latest updates on the 2026 season — including community initiatives and appearances by Webbly — follow the Frogs on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, or visit AquaSox.com. Season ticket packages, group outings, and picnic experiences are available now by calling (425) 258-3673 or by visiting the AquaSox Front Office at 3802 Broadway.
ABOUT MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: Minor League Baseball consists of 120 teams across four classification levels (Single-A, High-A, Double-A and Triple-A) that are affiliated with Major League Baseball’s 30 teams. Fans flock to MiLB games to see baseball’s future stars and experience the affordable family-friendly entertainment that has been a staple of MiLB since 1901. For more information, visit MiLB.com and follow MiLB on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.