The Eugene Emeralds dropped game 3 by a final score of 5-3. The Emeralds dropped all 3 games against Vancouver. The Emeralds now have a 7-11 record to start the 2nd half.
Reggie Crawford got the start for Eugene in tonight’s ballgame. It was his debut for the Emeralds and while he did give up a run he looked fantastic in his inning of work. He struck out a batter, walked two and gave up an RBI-Single. For Crawford the most impressive part of his game was he was able to sit around 99 miles per hour on the fastball and even hit 100 miles per hour on one of his heaters. The RBI-Single for Vancouver was a 2-out single from Cade Doughty.
Hayden Wynja came in for relief of Crawford and Wynja was making his Emeralds debut. He pitched 4 scoreless innings, allowing 2 hits, 4 walks and 3 strikeouts. It was great to see both Emeralds pitchers make their debut tonight and both guys like very solid. In the 6th inning the Canadians were able to take a 2-0 lead after Cade Doughty got in on the action once again and struck a solo home run to make the game 2-0 through the first six innings.
The Emeralds were held scoreless through the first two frames but got the offense rolling in the 8th inning. Grant McCray started the inning off with a bang as he connected with a baseball and drove it out to right field for a solo home run and cut into the deficit. The next two batters were retired, and that brought up Sean Roby to the plate. Roby was able to slap a single over the head of first baseman Michael Turconi head for a 2-out single. The next batter, Luis Toribio, crushed a baseball off the wall in left center field for the double. Roby turned on the burners and was able to come home and score from 1st to tie the ballgame up at 2-2.
In the top of the 9th Aeverson Arteaga led the inning off. With two strikes, he ripped a shot out to left field that got over the outstretched glove of Gabby Martinez for the go-ahead solo home run in the top of the 9th to make the score 3-2 in favor of the Emeralds. The next couple of batters weren’t able to do much and the Ems headed to the bottom of the 9th with a 1-run lead.
Hunter Dula was the pitcher in the 9th, and he had pitched a dominant bottom of the 8th inning where he didn’t allow a single runner to reach base. Dula walked Gabby Martinez to start the inning and then Estiven Machado to put the game winning run on 1st base. That brought up Devonte Brown to the plate with 2 runners on and nobody after. After seeing a couple of pitches, Dula challenged him in the zone and Brown got a hold of the ball and hit a no-doubt shot out to left center for the walkoff 3 run home run.
It was a tough ending for Eugene who had fought back all game to be in a spot to win it. With the walkoff victory the Canadians have swept the Emeralds in the 3-game series. The Emeralds will now head back to Oregon to get ready for a 6-game series against the Hillsboro Hops that starts on Tuesday. First pitch is set for 7:05 P.M.
