Not every game can be a no-hitter.

Each leadoff batter got a hit in what was poised, in the first inning, to be an offensive showdown – but it turned out to be the opposite. 

The Emeralds failed to convert with runners in scoring position and went 1-13 for the game in that scenario. 

Eugene racked up only six hits compared to Vancouver’s 13, as the Emeralds defense failed to hold up in the latter half of the game. 

RHP Nick Morreale was credited with the loss, while RHP Anders Tolhurst secured the win. 

Lefty Jack Choate got the nod Thursday after Eugene shut out Vancouver in a 5-0 combined no-hitter on Wednesday. 

Choate gave himself a lot to deal with at the top of the first frame, as he surrendered a single and a walk to the first two batters. His first of four strikeouts and a wacky double-play that ended in a pickle helped him get out of trouble. 

Choate pitched 4.0 innings on Thursday night with only 1 ER – his third-straight solid start. 

Quinn McDaniel continued his red-hot start to the season with his 11th hit of the season – he entered the game hitting .345. Shortly after, Onil Perez’s single to left-center drove him all the way from second for the first score of the contest. 

The Canadians found their response at the top of the third with a single and a subsequent RBI from Jace Bohrofen, which appeared to be a routine pop-up. 

Eugene right-fielder Tanner O’Tremba had a hard time tracking it down in the shallow outfield, and ended up whiffing on the catch. That drove Dasan Brown home from second to make it a 1-1 ballgame. 

Perez raked in his second RBI of the night in the bottom of the third on a double to left center that drove in Scott Bandura for a 2-1 lead. 

An Alex Suarez double spelled the end for a 3.2 IP, 2 ER and 2 K outing for Vancouver righty Kevin Miranda. 

That gave way for reliever Alex Amalfi to take over in the fourth. 

The middle innings passed without much of note. Some walks brought two runners into scoring position for Eugene in the bottom of the fifth, but Amalfi was able to figure a way out of that jam. 

Morreale subbed in for Rodriguez after 1.1 innings of scoreless ball, which included him hitting Nick Goodwin in the head. 

The Ems stayed patient and drew a few walks from Amalfi in the bottom of the sixth, which gave them two RISP. 

Vancouver made a deft switch on the bump, as it brought in Tolhurst, who closed out the sixth by drawing weak contact for a groundout.

Morreale ran into trouble in the top of the seventh, as he loaded the bases through the first three batters of the inning. The Emeralds faced a critical full count to Jeff Wehler, but Morreale couldn’t deliver and walked Wehler for a score. 

Even a nifty double-play on the next at-bat couldn’t save him, as that still drove in Bohrofen on the fielder’s choice. 3-2 Vancouver. 

Still, Eugene did not pull Morreale, a decision they’d quickly regret.

With Goodwin on third, Morreale chose Changeup to throw to Brennan Orf, who crushed one to deep right-center into the Emeralds’ bullpen. 

A rocket from Orf brought the Canadians three runs ahead for a 5-2 lead in the top of the seventh. 

Eugene’s offense continued to stagnate going into the later innings, which made the three run deficit much more difficult to come back from. 

That remained true through the bottom of the seventh, where the Ems stranded another runner on third. 

After Morreale’s subpar, 4-earned run performance in what was a 2-1 ballgame forced the Emeralds to look to righty Ben Madison in the eighth. 

Madison struggled to find his rhythm, as he loaded the bases before managing an out. 

Just like Morreale, Madison walked his first batter in the jam, which was the Canadians’ sixth run of the game. A sac-fly to right field drove in a seventh Vancouver run. 

In just a three-out stretch over two innings, the Emeralds found themselves going from a competitive, tie game to trailing by five runs. 

That proved to be the final action of the contest, as the Canadians safely closed this one out in the last two innings. 

The Emeralds fought hard, but now have to go back to the drawing board for tomorrow’s contest at the same time in the same place.