Tuesday night, it took until the Eugene Emeralds’ final game of their three-game series to avoid being swept for the first time this season.
Thanks to shortstop Jace Peterson’s three-run home run and a stellar start from pitcher Cody Hebner Wednesday night, the Emeralds won’t have to worry about being swept in their five-game series against the Spokane Indians.
First-year Emeralds manager Pat Murphy heaped praise on Peterson, saying “This kid is just a great athlete, a great competitor, and wants it real bad. Nothing he does surprises me right now.”
The Emeralds won 7-3 over the visiting Indians at PK Park, and it started with their two-run bottom of the first inning. After Peterson led off the inning with a walk, he scored on a two-out double down the third base line from third baseman Duanel Jones. Jones, in turn, was driven in on a double from left fielder Justin Miller to right-center field. Miller was caught trying to steal third base to end the inning, however.
Emeralds designated hitter Jose Dore thought he hit a three-run home run in the second inning, but the ball bounced high off the right field wall, and he nearly ran up the back of right fielder Kyle Gaedele, who was on first base. Dore was eventually tagged out trying to return to first base and the Emeralds failed to score in the inning.
“Our baserunners didn’t do a very good job on that play,” Murphy said.
Eugene tacked on single runs in the fourth inning and fifth inning, with Gaedele scoring on a Peterson single to left-center field in the fourth inning and second baseman Casey McElroy scoring on a wild pitch in the fifth inning.
“I’m just getting good pitches to hit and I’m putting good swings on them,” Peterson said. “Hopefully we can it rolling.”
Spokane, in the meantime, could not handle the pitching of Hebner, who held the Indians to two hits in five innings while striking out six batters.
“Lights out,” Murphy said of Hebner’s performance. “This guy believes he’s real good. He thinks he’s going to get them out, and that’s half the battle.”
The Indians did score two runs off reliever Warren Slack in 1/3 of an inning before he was replaced in the top of the sixth inning, giving up back-to-back doubles to Indians third baseman Nick Vickerson and second baseman Rougned Odor, who later scored on a single from catcher Yefry Castillo.
The Emeralds got those runs right back in the bottom of the inning with Peterson’s three-run home run into the Emeralds’ bullpen in right field, scoring Dore and catcher Jeremy Rodriguez.
“I’m just trying to not do too much with the pitches,” Peterson said. “I’m getting kind of lucky; they’re going out the yard a little bit, but hopefully we can keep swinging it.”
Spokane picked up a lone run in the ninth when Castillo doubled to center field to score designated hitter Brent Nicholas, but Castillo was tagged out at third base by Jones to end the threat.
The Emeralds and Indians will play game two of their five-game series Thursday night at 7 p.m. at PK Park.