Ems Shine Bright Under the Friday Night Lights
NWL Eugene Emeralds

Ems Shine Bright Under the Friday Night Lights

Published on May 22, 2026 under Northwest League (NWL)
Eugene Emeralds News Release


EUGENE, OR - Eugene defeated the Hillsboro Hops by a final score of 7-3 to move to 33-10 on the season. Eugene is 3-1 this week against the Hops as they have now secured a series split at worst this week. They'll have a chance to win their 8th consecutive series to start the season.

For the first time this week the Emeralds were able to get the scoring started with a run in the first inning. Trevor Cohen led off the frame with a double before Gavin Kilen roped a 107.3 mph single to right field to bring home the run. For Kilen, it was his Northwest League leading 38th RBI of the season. For Cohen, it was his league leading 14th double and 39th run.

Eugene added on another pair of runs in the second inning. Carlos Gutierrez hit a double to start the inning. Jakob Christian struck out on a dropped third strike, but the throw sailed from the Hops catcher Alberto Barriga which allowed Gutierrez to score from second base on the play. Trevor Cohen hit a rocket single which brought home Christian from second base to give the Ems a 3-0 lead after just two innings.

The Hops answered back with a run of their own in the top of the third. Wallace Clark led it off with a double and Adrian Rodriguez singled to put runners at the corners for Jose Mejia who hit a sac-fly RBI to cut the lead down to 3-1.

As the Ems have done many times this season, they immediately answered back to extend out their lead. Kilen hit his second single of the game to right field to put the leadoff man on. Jancel Villarroel crushed a two-run home run to left-center field 393 feet with an exit velocity of 100.4 mph for his second straight game with a home run against the Hops.

The teams kept trading runs as Brady Counsell led off the fourth with a single before Slade Caldwell got ahold of a baseball and sent it over the left-center field wall for his first home run in a Hops uniform. The Ems led 5-3 after four innings.

Both bullpens really settled in after what looked like it might be a true shootout between the two teams. The next runs of the night came in the bottom of the sixth for the Ems. Carlos Gutierrez led off the inning and was able to reach after a fielding error against the Hops shortstop Wallace Clark. Jean Carlos Sio punished them for the error with a two run no-doubt home run to right field that landed on top of the bullpen building. It traveled 377 feet and is Sio's third home run in just nine games. He has now reached base safely in all nine games and has 10 RBIs on the season.

That proved to be all of the scoring in tonight's game as the Ems closed it out by a final score of 7-3. Ryan Vanderhei picked up his fourth win on the mound after not allowing a hit or a walk over his two innings of relief while striking out three. Esmerlin Vinicio closed it out over the final three innings as he picked up his second save. He allowed just one hit and one walk and struck out a season-high seven batters in his most dominant showing of the season.

The Ems have now secured a series split here against the Hops and they'll look to make it a series victory now this weekend. First pitch is set for 5:05 PM tomorrow night with Charlie McDaniel on the mound for the Emeralds.

#RootedHere

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Northwest League Stories from May 22, 2026


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