Ems Bats Heat up to Crush Dust Devils in Series Opener
NWL Eugene Emeralds

Ems Bats Heat up to Crush Dust Devils in Series Opener

Published on June 17, 2026 under Northwest League (NWL)
Eugene Emeralds News Release


EUGENE, OR - The Emeralds were able to defeat the Tri-City Dust Devils by a final score of 10-6 to open up the series with a win on the road. The Ems have hit the Dust Devils well this season, and that trend continued in tonight's game. Eugene is 42-22 with two games remaining in the first half before the second half will start this Friday.

It was the Dust Devils who got the scoring started in tonight's game as they took the early lead in the first inning. Jorge Ruiz led off the frame with a single before David Mershon got hit by a pitch to put two runners on with nobody out. Matt Coutney brought home the first run with a single before Juan Flores hit a sac-fly to drive home the second run and make it 2-0 after one complete.

After that it was all things Ems as they ripped off 10 unanswered runs across a three inning stretch. They took their first and final lead of the night in the top of the third. Lisbel Diaz led it off with his first triple of the season. Trevor Cohen hit him home on an infield single to bring home the first run of the game for the Ems. There was an error on the play that sent Cohen into scoring position. Jhonny Level hit a groundout but it was a productive out as Cohen got into third base. Gavin Kilen hit into a groundout but it brought Cohen home to tie up the game at 2-2.

The inning didn't stop there as Dakota Jordan got an infield single to put a runner on for Carlos Gutierrez. Gutierrez crushed a two-run home run to give the Ems the 4-2 lead. It's his seventh home run of the season, and he's pacing for his first ever double-digit home run season in his career.

Eugene followed up their big inning with an even bigger fourth inning. They sent nine batters to the plate and were able to capitalize with five runs. Jakob Christian led off the frame with a walk and Zander Darby singled. Trevor Cohen crushed his second triple of the season to bring home both runners. He was able to score on a balk for the third run of the inning. After the second out, Eugene had another two-out rally in them. Gavin Kilen doubled and Dakota Jordan scored him on his first triple of the season. The Ems had five triples through the first 64 games this season, and they recorded three in the first four innings. Carlos Gutierrez capped off the inning with a single to put Eugene out in front 9-2.

They added their final run of the night in the fifth. Christian once again led off the inning with a walk. Christian reached all five plate appearances tonight, with one hit and four walks. Lisbel Diaz singled to put runners on the corners before Cohen reached on a fielding error that scored the run.

Tri-City kept fighting back and scored two runs in consecutive innings late, but it wasn't enough as Eugene hung on to defeat them by a final score of 10-6 to open the series. It was a great showing tonight for the Ems, and a much needed win to start this six-game road trip. The Emeralds are now 6-1 this season against Tri-City, and are averaging almost 8.6 runs a game at Gesa Stadium.

Eugene will look to keep the momentum rolling tomorrow night. First pitch is set for 7:05 PM with Tyler Switalski on the mound.

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. For more information, please visit our website at www.EmeraldsBaseball.com or call the Emeralds front office at 541-342-5367.

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Northwest League Stories from June 17, 2026


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