VANCOUVER, BC — It has become a season of two stories for the Eugene Emeralds – the beginning of the season there was no team playing like the San Diego Padres’ Single-A affiliate out of Oregon, who set the Northwest League record for consecutive wins (14), and over the last six games they have won only one game.
Things were looking up for Eugene on Monday night as they entered the ninth inning with a one run lead, but the Canadians rallied for a run with two outs to tie the game at five runs each and send it to extra innings.
After three scoreless extra innings Vancouver (20-11) sealed the victory with a walk-off homerun by left fielder Steven McQuail, his 10th of the season, ending the game at 6-5.
McQuail leads the NWL with 10 home runs on the year.
The win narrows Eugene’s lead in the NWL West division to two games.
The Emeralds (22-9) jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. The first run of the game was scored off a RBI-double by Lee Orr to center field and brought Mykal Stokes around from first base. Orr scored during the next at-bat when Zach Kometani hit a single McQuail.
Orr finished the game 2-for-5 at the plate with a double and two RBI’s.
Mike Gallic put Eugene up 3-0 in the top of the second inning when Vancouver’s short stop Shane Opitz.
The Canadians responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning when Nicholas Baligod scored on a ground out by Roan Salas — closing in on the Emeralds lead 3-1.
Vancouver wasn’t finished bouncing back from being down early and had a three-run rally in the fourth inning – which put them ahead 4-3.
The first two runs of the rally were scored on a ground ball by Chris Schaeffer — which scored both Baligod and McQuail and the final run crossed the plate on a bases-loaded walk by John Barbato to Opitz, scoring Salas.
Schaeffer finished perfect at the plate batting 3-for-3.
The Eugene offense got it going in the next inning and they re-claimed the lead 5-4 with a two-run rally. Rashad Ingram scored on a line-drive single to right field by Orr. Then the next at-bat Stokes stole home plates on a double steal by he and Orr.
The steal was Stokes’ eighth of the season and he finished the day with three hits in five at-bats.
After three scoreless innings the Canadians scored the run in the ninth before winning in extra innings.
The Emeralds will look to get back to their winning ways today at 7:05 p.m. in Vancouver, British Columbia at Nat Bailey Stadium.
Alan K. Fox can be reached at alanfoxjr@gmail.com and on Twitter @alankfox.
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