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NWL1 Eugene Emeralds

Mort Loses No-Hit Bid in Seventh as Ems Fall in Hillsboro

July 22, 2019 - Northwest League (NWL1)
Eugene Emeralds News Release


The Eugene Emeralds dropped (16-21) a late afternoon matchup against the Hillsboro Hops (23-14) on Sunday, falling by a final score of 5-2 in front of 4,252 at Ron Tonkin Field.

The Ems took the field Sunday hoping to deliver the knockout blow to the playoff hopes of Hillsboro, who entered the day two games behind Salem-Keizer with just two games left in the first half, and Eugene got exactly the start it was looking for when it took an early lead in the first.

The game's first three batters each reached base safely with Fernando Kelli leading off with a walk, followed by a single from Nelson Maldonado and another walk issued to Chase Strumpf. A Jake Slaughter strikeout and a Zac Taylor popout put the Hops one out away from escaping from the early bases-loaded jam unscathed, but Hillsboro pitcher Drey Jameson was then called for a balk with Grayson Byrd batting, allowing Kelli to trot home from third to give the Ems a 1-0 lead.

Three innings later, the Emeralds doubled their advantage. With Zac Taylor standing on second after hitting his fifth double of the season, Edmond Americaan grounded a single into right field that gave Taylor enough time to round third and score, making it a 2-0 game in favor of Eugene.

Meanwhile, Emeralds starting pitcher Zach Mort's performance on the mound quickly became the primary storyline of the afternoon. Mort retired the first twelve Hops batters he faced before surrendering a walk to Kristian Robinson to lead off the fifth, but Mort carried the no-hitter into the seventh inning. After getting Jorge Barrosa to ground out to start the seventh, Mort issued a walk on a 3-2 count to Steven Leyton, and Jesus Marriaga followed with a single on the very first pitch of the ensuing at-bat, breaking up the no-hit bid at Ron Tonkin Field.

Mort was immediately lifted by Emeralds Manager Lance Rymel after giving up the single to Marriaga, departing having tossed a career-high 90 pitches. Reliever John Pomeroy entered aiming to limit the damage, but after getting Kristian Robinson to ground out for the inning's second out, a passed ball by catcher Jonathan Soto allowed Leyton to score from third, cutting Eugene's lead to 2-1. A walk to Andy Yerzy in the same at-bat brought Tristin English to the plate, and he singled on the first pitch he saw from Pomeroy, scoring Jesus Marriaga and tying the game at 2-2.

One inning later, Hillsboro took the lead for good. With David Garza on second and one out in the eighth inning, Steven Leyton doubled on a line drive to right field, scoring Garza from second and giving the Hops their first lead of the game. Two batters later, Kristian Robinson smacked his second homer of the series and seventh of the season, a two-run blast over the left field fence that make it a 5-2 game in favor of the Hops.

A single from Fernando Kelli and a walk issued to Nelson Maldonado to leadoff the ninth inning gave the Emeralds a glimmer of hope for a comeback, but Hops reliever Bryan Menendez retired the following three batters in order to seal a 5-2 win for Hillsboro.

Unfortunately for the Hops, Salem-Keizer also won their game on Sunday, therefore clinching the first-half South Division title and eliminating the Hops.

Emeralds starter Zach Mort finished with a final line of 6.1 innings pitched with one hit allowed, two walks, and two runs (both earned) along with six strikeouts, tying his season-high.

At the plate, Edmond Americaan went 2-for-4 with an RBI while Jake Slaughter extended his hit streak to 12 games with a 1-for-5 day. Ultimately, the Emeralds had their chances but couldn't cash in, going 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position.

The Emeralds aim to salvage the series on Monday when they wrap up the first half of the season against the Hillsboro Hops at 7:05pm PST at Ron Tonkin Field. You can listen to the action live on 95.3FM The Score or on the TuneIn app.

The Emeralds return home on Tuesday to start the second half with a three-game series against the Boise Hawks, the first matchup between the two teams in Eugene this season.

You can find the full promotional schedule for the 2019 Eugene Emeralds season by visiting www.EmeraldsBaseball.com.

Tickets to Emeralds home games are on sale now at www.EmeraldsBaseball.com or by calling (541) 342-5367.

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