The final three innings featured more drama and lasted nearly as long as the first seven innings Friday night as the Eugene Emeralds scored in the bottom of the 10th inning on a passed ball to defeat league-leading Salem-Keizer Volcanoes 4-3.
The crowd of 4,182 witnessed countless mistakes and then saw the Ems (11-10 overall) catch fire late to avenge allowing a run in each of the first two innings to the Volcanoes (15-6).
Chad Huffman, who was hit in the ankle by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the 10th inning for the Ems, reached second base on a balk by Volcanoes’ pitcher Adam Paul. Paul then intentionally walked Ems catcher Kody Valverde to set up a double-play option, which Luke Cannon hit into during the next at-bat. Huffman reached third base on the double play and scored one pitch later as the ball hit off Volcanoes’ catcher Adam Witter’s glove and reached the backstop.
“This group of guys don’t panic at all,” Eugene manager Doug Dascenzo said. “I just keep telling them to put yourselves in a position to have some success and win ball games and eventually you are going to have a nice little streak going. That’s the kind of stuff you see in a championship-caliber team, guys who never quit and continue to fight to the end and they’ve been doing that all season long.”
The Ems’ offense was stagnant most of the game, playing from an early 2-0 deficit. Eugene grounded into a double play to end the third and fifth, stranding a runner in scoring position in both innings.
However, after a big defensive stand in the top of the eighth, the Ems’ bats answered in the bottom of the inning. With runners on the corner and one out in the eighth, the Volcanoes failed during a squeeze bunt attempt, tagging out the lead runner between third base and home plate. Salem-Keizer failed to score in the inning and Eugene second baseman Nick Kliebert started the rally in the bottom of the inning.
Kliebert lead off with a flare single over the first baseman and Mike Epping followed with a full-count walk.
“Just getting on base, that is where it starts,” said Epping, who walked three times in the game. “Early in the count I was looking for something, I mean if I could put something in the gap I’d end up on second with a runner on third and possibly scoring. Once I got down two strikes I was just trying to battle my way on base.”
The duo was sacrificed into scoring position on a bunt by Matt Antonelli before Craig Cooper hit an RBI single on a full count that scored Kliebert. Huffman was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out for Valverde.
“There was only one out so I wanted to put it in motion and hopefully it finds a hole in that situation,” Valverde said. “He threw me a first-pitch slider and it hung up there a little bit and I just got enough bat on it to get it out of the infield.”
Valverde smoked the first pitch for an RBI single to tie the game. Cannon followed by hitting the ball into the outfield and with Cooper tagging at third base, a play at the plate was inevitable. Volcanoes’ left fielder Evan Bush caught the ball and fired home, where Witter appeared to have it in time to tag out Cooper. However, the ball fell out of Witter’s glove and Cooper stepped on home to give the Ems’ their first lead of the game at 3-2. Casey Smith ground out to end the inning.
R.J. Rodriguez entered the game for the save opportunity in the ninth. Eugene dodged a bullet when second baseman Bradley Boyer, who hit a single into left field to begin the ninth, was called out on a steal attempt at second. Shortstop Emmanuel Burriss then hit a sharp grounder to Cooper, who bobbled it, allowing Burriss to reach base. Burriss then stole second and third as Valverde couldn’t get the ball out of his mit on either attempt.
“The first time, he’s a quick runner – one of the fastest guys in the league – and I was probably trying to be too quick,” Valverde said. “The second time, I looked up and the third baseman wasn’t covering third base so there was no need for a throw.”
Following a strikeout of outfielder Robert Felmy, designated hitter William Thompson dropped an RBI single into left field with two strikes to tie the game. First baseman Brett Pill struck out to end the top of the inning.
The Ems put a runner in scoring position with one out in the ninth when Tom King, who lead off with a single, was sacrificed by Kliebert to second base. Epping was intentionally walked before Antonelli hit into a fielder’s choice at second base, setting up runners on the corners with two outs. However, Cooper struck out to end the ninth.
Rodriguez didn’t allow a Volcano to hit a ball out of the infield in the 10th before the Ems won in the bottom of the inning.
Eugene is currently four games behind Salem-Keizer in the standings. The Ems have today off before hosting Yakima (7-14) for a five-game series beginning Wednesday at 7:05 p.m.
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