Like an epic lightsaber fight, the Eugene Emeralds seemed to answer every attack by the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes with an identical play or inning for most of Saturday night. However, Darth Vader eventually dealt the fatal blow to Obi-Wan Kenobi in the seventh inning, as the Volcanoes handed the Emeralds a 5-4 loss on Star Wars Night at PK Park.
In the first inning, Miguel Gomez notched the Volcanoes’ first hit of the game with a single to right. The single extended his hitting streak to 20, breaking the team’s all-time record.
With runners on first and second in the next at bat, Fernando Pujadas singled to right field. However, as Christopher Shaw, the San Francisco Giants’ first round compensatory draft pick, tried to score from second, he was thrown out at the plate by Ricardo Marcano to end the inning.
The Volcanoes would return the favor in the third, however, when the Emeralds’ Matt Rose was gunned down at the plate by Steven Duggar, limiting the Ems’ rally.
In the bottom of the first inning, Salem-Keizer shortstop C.J. Hinojosa scooped a sharply hit groundball by Rose and turned a double play to end the inning.
As if to say “That’s all you’ve got?,” Eugene shortstop Ho-young Son made a diving play to rob Christian Lichtenthaler of an RBI single. He then flipped the ball to second to start an inning-ending double play.
Manager Gary Van Tol said the momentum swings from the identical defensive plays made an impact early in the game.
“It gives everybody a boost when it happens to you in a positive way,” Van Tol said.
The scoring began in the top of the third inning.
After Salem-Keizer’s Steven Duggar reached third, the Volcanoes hit back-to-back-to-back doubles to take a 3-0 lead. The doubles came with two outs in the inning.
“When you have two quick outs, you’ve got to have that instinct to finish it off. Today was a perfect example,” Van Tol said.
Nonetheless, the Emeralds managed to come back the very next inning to score 3 runs of their own after Frandy Delarosa and Eloy Jimenez each singled to start off the inning. A double and two singles by Matt Rose, Blake Headley and Alberto Mineo, respectively, tied the game.
After the top of the third inning, Van Tol said he was unsure whether or not he would send Carson Sands, the starting pitcher, out for the fourth. The three-run bottom of the third, however, helped his case.
“I’m glad that I ran him back out there and he was able to get some of that confidence back,” Van Tol said.
In his previous outing at Vancouver, Sands allowed 10 hits and couldn’t make it out of the first inning. Van Tol said his five innings in which he gave up just the 3 runs with 6 hits, 4 walks and 2 strikeouts was a “huge step forward.”
The tie would not last, however, as the Fernando Pujadas hit a two-out, two-RBI single off of Greyfer Eregua in the seventh inning to give the Volcanoes the lead. Eregua pitched three innings after relieving Sands.
Though Donnie Dewees added an RBI single in the eighth, the Volcanoes would hold on two win the game and the series.
The Emeralds (17-20) have now lost their fourth consecutive series with one home series left against the Boise Hawks before the All-Star break. They sit in third in the Northwest League South standings.
“We’ll address some of things we need to do a better job of, reestablish and set some goals as a team,” Van Tol said of his approach to the end of the season’s first half. “I expect these guys to respond, so I’m excited for that.”
Van Tol said Justin Steele, who was supposed to start tomorrow, will rest. Instead, Kyle Miller and Casey Bloomquist will, in that order, pitch the first few innings of tomorrow night’s home game against Boise at 7:05 p.m.. Van Tol said he hopes to have both pitch about two innings.
Follow Jack Heffernan on Twitter @JackTHeffernan