Emeralds Grit out Victory in Series Opener against Vancouver
NWL Eugene Emeralds

Emeralds Grit out Victory in Series Opener against Vancouver

Published on April 8, 2026 under Northwest League (NWL)
Eugene Emeralds News Release


VANCOUVER, BC - The Ems were able to grit out a tough win against the Vancouver Canadians to open up their first road trip of the year by a final score of 4-3. Eugene has now won 4 games in a row to start the season and they remain in a tie with the unbeaten Tri-City Dust Devils atop the Northwest League standings.

Gavin Kilen picked up right where he left off last week as he delivered a 1st inning RBI base knock. Trevor Cohen started the game off with a walk and stole 2nd base. A throwing error allowed him to advance into 3rd base and a few batters later Kilen knocked him in for the 1st time in the game.

It didn't take long for the exact thing to happen a 2nd time as Kilen drove Cohen home in the 4th inning to extend the Emeralds lead. Cohen drew a 1-out walk and once again stole 2nd base before Kilen hit him in with a single to left field with 2-outs to give the Ems the 2-0 advantage.

In the top of the 5th inning Carlos Gutierrez started off the inning with a bang by crushing an oppo-taco home run to left field. In 61 games last year with San Jose, Gutierrez hit just 2 home runs but is already on the board in just his 3rd game played.

The Ems took a 3-0 lead into the home half of the inning but the C's responded with a pair of runs in the 5th. After a couple of early base runners a wild pitch brought home the 1st run of the game for the C's before Carter Cunningham smoked a single to right field to cut the deficit to just 1 run.

The Ems got one of the runs back in the top of the 6th inning to grow their lead back out to 2. Zander Darby doubled down the third base line and advanced into 3rd on a groundout. Dakota Jordan hit a routine flyout to centerfield, but for the 2nd time in the game Alexis Hernandez dropped the ball and it allowed Darby to score.

The C's made the game interesting in the 9th as Cunningham delivered a solo home run with 2-outs and the C's down to their final strike of the game, but Ben Peterson was able to slam the door shut against Hernandez to hang on for his first save of the season.

This ballpark is never easy to win in, and to start off the series with a victory is a massive boost of confidence for the young Emeralds.

The Ems will be back in action tomorrow night for game 2 of 6 against the Vancouver Canadians. Tyler Switalski will be on the mound for Eugene. It is his first start of the season on the bump, but his 2nd appearance of the year. He pitched 3.2 scoreless innings on Opening Night and allowed just 2 hits while striking out 8. First pitch is set for 7:05 PM.

The Eugene Emeralds are the High-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants. The Eugene Emeralds are dedicated to providing the best in family entertainment and creating a fun, safe environment for everyone to enjoy watching a baseball game.

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Northwest League Stories from April 8, 2026


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