Emeralds Score 7 Unanswered Runs to Win Game 2
June 15, 2023 - Northwest League (NWL)
Eugene Emeralds News Release
The Eugene Emeralds rallied late in the game and won by a final score of 11-7. The Emeralds now move to 29-30 on the year and 4.5 games out of first place in the Northwest League with just 7 games remaining in the first half.
The Emeralds got the scoring started early tonight. Brett Auerbach ripped a 1-out double to the outfield to give the Ems their first base runner of the night. Carter Howell followed it up by drawing a walk on a full count to give the Ems a pair of base runners. Victor Bericoto followed it up by slapping a single through the left side of the infield. The left fielder, Juan Guerrero, wasn't able to field the ball cleanly and Howell was hustling around the basepaths and was able to score all the way from first base to give the Emeralds the 2-0 lead in the first inning.
Spokane answered back quickly however, as Adeal Amador led the inning off with a solo home run out to right field to cut the deficit in half on just one swing. Both teams were held scoreless during the 2nd inning. In the top of the 3rd Eugene would get the bats rolling again. Carter Howell led the inning off with a single and Victor Bericoto was able to follow it up for his 2nd base hit of the night, a single to the outfield. The next batter, Adrian Sugastey, hit a groundout and was able to score Howell on the play. Aeverson Arteaga followed it up with a sacrifice fly that scored Bericoto to give the Emeralds the 4-1 lead.
In the home half of the 3rd inning Spokane was able to chip into the lead. With one out Benny Montgomery ripped a double into the gap and Sterlin Thompson was able to score him on a groundout. The Ems took a 4-2 lead into the 4th inning. The 4th inning was a quick inning for both ballclubs as each team sent just 3 batters to the plate. They did get a base runner each but followed it up by hitting into a double-play. It was the 5th inning where things started to unravel for Eugene.
The Indians were able to load up the bases with two outs. The Emeralds had left-handed pitcher Seth Lonsway on the bump but elected to make a move to the bullpen to bring in Nick Morreale to face the cleanup hitter, Jordan Beck. Beck was able to battle at the plate and earned himself a walk. The walk scored a run and the lead was cut to 4-3. That brought up the left-handed hitter Zach Kokoska to face the right-handed pitcher Morreale. After taking a couple of pitches, Kokoska was able to connect with a baseball and send it over the opposite field wall for a grand slam. The home run gave the Indians the 7-4 lead after 5 innings.
The Emeralds blew a 3-1 lead in yesterday's ballgame, but they weren't going to let that happen for a 2nd consecutive night. Aeverson Arteaga led the inning off by ripping a double into left field. Luis Toribio followed it up with a walk and the Emeralds quickly had 2-runners on. Ghordy Santos then followed it up by ripping a double down the left field line and scored Arteaga from 2nd. That brought up Grant McCray who was able to walk. During his at-bat there was a wild pitch that scored Toribio. McCray was then able to steal not just 2nd base, but third base as ewll. During Brett Auerbach's at-bat there was a wild pitch again that got past the catcher and McCray came home to score to tie the ballgame up at 7-7 after 6 innings.
The 7th inning was a scoreless frame for both ballclubs. In the 8th inning the Emeralds were able to really blow this game open. With one out, Edison Mora clubbed a home run out to right field. It was his 2nd home run of the season and even though the Emeralds scored 11 runs tonight, they had just one home run. Grant McCray followed it up with a single. Eugene then had two outs and that brought up Carter Howell who had been held hitless through the first two ballgames. He ripped a ball into left center field and McCray was able to score easily. It was an RBI-Triple for Howell and an incredibly clutch hit with 2-outs.
The two out extra base hits wouldn't stop there for Eugene. Victor Bericoto followed it up by ripping a double into the gap scoring Howell. Adrian Sugastey wanted to get in on the fun and got a 2-out RBI-Double of his own that scored Bericoto. This completed the comeback for Eugene as they had scored 7 unanswered runs to take the 11-7 lead late in the ballgame.
Mat Olsen pitched the 7th and the 8th inning tonight for Eugene and was dominant. He allowed just 1 base runner via walk and struck out 3 hitters. He earned the win tonight and now moves to a 2-2 record on the year. Even though it wasn't a save opportunity, the Emeralds brought in Tyler Myrick in the 9th inning to close the door shut against Spokane and he did just that. He was facing the heart of the Indians order and sent them packing 1-2-3 with a pair of strikeouts. His ERA has now dropped to a ludicrous 0.87 ERA as he continues to be one of the most consistent pitchers in all of Minor League Baseball.
The Emeralds needed to win this game to keep alive in the first half Northwest League race. A lot of things still need to go their way, but they have to first take care of business on the field which they did tonight. They'll be back in action tomorrow night against Spokane with a chance to take the early series lead and potentially move back to .500 on the year.
Northwest League Stories from June 15, 2023
- VanScoter Continues Dominance, Frogs Win 4-1 - Everett AquaSox
- Spain Reigns Again: C's Seize First Place - Hillsboro Hops
- Everett Evens Series by Besting Tri-City - Tri-City Dust Devils
- Citizen Spain: Garrett's Blast Walks It Off - Vancouver Canadians
- Emeralds Score 7 Unanswered Runs to Win Game 2 - Eugene Emeralds
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
