The fans were sensing something.
They had just stood up and sung “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” and were ready to push on their beloved Eugene Emeralds to a win.
It was the bottom of the seventh, and Dionnar Martinez had just ripped a single down the left-field line with two outs. Blake Blasi then walked, which prompted the crowd to stomp their feet and clap their hands in unison to the tune of “We Will Rock You.”
Nic Jackson obliged the 3,541 fans at Civic Stadium on Monday night by poking a single just past the diving glove of Everett shortstop Guillermo Martinez, scoring Martinez and cutting the Ems’ deficit to two.
Then with Adam Morrissey at the plate, Aquasox pitcher Hawkeye Wayne threw a wild pitch, enabling both runners to move to second and third.
With Morrissey being the potential go-ahead run, Wayne dug down and threw a two-strike curve that Morrissey bit on and struck out swinging.
End of threat, and as it would turn out, end of game.
But there were positives the Ems (18-16) could take out of its 6-4 defeat to the Aquasox (18-16).
After all, Eugene had only scored two or less runs in five of their last six games. So by “busting loose” and bringing home four runs off nine hits, it should breathe a little bit of life into the offense.
“Tonight was better than last night,” said centerfielder Mike Mallory, referring to the Ems 6-0 defeat to Everett on Sunday. “Last night was kind of laid back, but we came out aggressive tonight. We came out swinging and hopefully we’ll keep it up.”
Mallory kept alive a five-game hitting streak when he laced a 2-2 pitch to left-field in the bottom of the first for an RBI single that tied the game at one. The Ems would tack on one more run in the first when Blair Barbier singled home Mallory and another one in the second when catcher Yoon-Min Kweon blasted a solo home run over the left-field fence.

“Kweon is coming around, but he still has a lot to work on,” Ems manager Danny Sheaffer said. “His game will improve at the pace that he improves on his English. It’s a tough language to learn.”
The starting battery for the Ems was certainly English-challenged as Kweon caught foreign pitcher Jose Cueto, who took the loss (1-3).
Cueto, who is one of only two returning players from a year ago, struggled with his control and surrendered five earned runs, five hits, four walks, while striking out five in his 4 2/3 innings of work.
“He’s a guy that’s going to be a very good pitcher when he learns to work both sides of the plate well,” Sheaffer said.
A key stat to the game was the base on balls as the Ems issued a total of seven walks as opposed to only one given by Everett.
Everett starter Roy Wells (3-1) didn’t issue any in his six innings of work as he has only walked two batters in his last five starts.
Even though the Ems dropped its first series since an early July tilt with Yakima, they still find themselves in first place in the South Division of the Northwest League — but only a precious half-game ahead of the Portland Rockies, who beat Yakima 8-3 Monday night.
Mallory, for one, isn’t just satisfied with being in first, however.
“It’s all starting to come together for us and I think we need a cushion between Portland and us,” Mallory said. “It’s going to be a battle and we’ll be ready for it.”
Eugene now gets a must-deserved day off today before it goes on a five-game road trip to Boise. It then comes back home next Monday for a six-game homestand that begins with a visit from those pesky Rockies.