Nine-Run Sixth Fuels Second Straight Comeback Win

More comeback victories? More comeback victories. Fresh off a come-from-behind win over Hillsboro on Wednesday, the Eugene Emeralds (23-15) repeated recent history on Thursday as a nine-run sixth inning fueled another comeback win over the Hillsboro Hops (16-21) at PK Park, this time by a final score of 10-9.

THE DETAILS:

• Winning Pitcher: Nick Avila (2-5, 7.57 ERA): 5.1 IP | 5 H | 3 R | 2 ER | 1 BB | 4 K
• Losing Pitcher: Nick Snyder (1-2, 3.95 ERA): 0.0 IP | 3 H | 4 R | 4 ER | 1 BB | 0 K
• Save: Chris Wright (2): 0.1 IP | 0 H | 0 R | 0 BB | 1 K
• HR(s): Eugene: Ismael Munguia (2) | Hillsboro: N/A

HOW IT HAPPENED: Making his first start of the season after eleven prior appearances out of the bullpen, lefty Bryce Tucker took the mound as Eugene’s ‘opener’ and worked a scoreless first but then ran into trouble in the second and was only able to tally one out before being lifted for right-hander Nick Avila.

Hillsboro ultimately batted around in a second inning that started with Tristin English reaching on a throwing error by Sean Roby. After an Eduardo Diaz single and a walk drawn by Nick Dalesandro loaded the bases, Reece Hampton delivered a two-RBI double to put the Hops up first, 2-0. A Cam Coursey RBI groundout followed in the next at-bat to make it 3-0, Buddy Kennedy singled home another run to make it 4-0, and Dom Canzone capped the scoring with a double that plated Kennedy and finished off a five-run second inning.

Eugene got on the board in the fifth when Franklin Labour, who delivered a go-ahead three-run homer in the eighth inning of Eugene’s 7-4 win the night prior, brought home the first Emeralds run of Thursday’s game with a double down the left field line that scored Tyler Fitzgerald and made it 5-1.

Hillsboro restored their five-run advantage in the top of the sixth when another throwing error from Roby allowed a runner to score from third on a would-be inning-ending groundout, but that was quickly forgotten in the home half of the sixth.

Eugene had only mustered two hits over the game’s first five innings, but that would all change in the sixth when Eugene sent twelve batters to the plate, bringing home nine of them.

It all started with a leadoff double from recent addition Heath Quinn, his first hit as an Emerald in what was his first start as an Em after joining the team just earlier this week. Ismael Munguia followed with single and then Will Wilson worked a walk to load the bases, forcing Hillsboro’s hand as they turned the bullpen for the first time of the night with Hops starting pitcher Bryce Jarvis lifted in favor of 6’7 southpaw Nick Snyder. However, Snyder, who was tasked with putting out the fire, instead took the mount with a barrel’s worth of gasoline.

Roby rudely greeted Snyder by sending a fly ball to deep center field that ricocheted in-and-out of Hops center fielder Eduardo Diaz glove as he approached the wall, scoring Quinn and Munguia to make it 6-3, Hops. The lanky left-hander then fired six straight balls over the next two batters faced, walking Rincones on four pitches and then falling behind to Fitzgerald, 2-0. Snyder battled back briefly to even the count at 2-2, but Fitzgerald got the best of him with a double to right that scored both Wilson and Roby to shrink Hillsboro’s lead to 6-5. Hillsboro’s lead was finally fully squandered one batter later when Labour came through with his second RBI single of the day, this one tying the game at 6-6 and forcing Hillsboro into their second pitching change of the inning.

Mailon Arroyo entered in place of Snyder to face Tyler Flores, and while Arroyo was able to accomplish a feat that Snyder was not – that feat being recording a single out – Flores’ out was a productive one, skying a fly ball to right field that proved well deep enough to score Fitzgerald from third and put the Emeralds in front for the first time on the evening, 7-6.

Ismael Munguia saved the best moment for last, though. After Quinn worked a walk in his second at-bat of the inning to put runners on first and second, Munguia mashed his second homer of the season, a three-run blast over the Emeralds bullpen in right to cap an incredible nine-run inning that saw twelve total Emeralds come to the plate.

The cherry on top of a NINE run inning 🍒😊#GoEms x #SFGiants pic.twitter.com/IlVFADPVGR

— Eugene Emeralds (@EugeneEmeralds) June 18, 2021

Hillsboro made it interesting over the final three frames, though, scoring runs in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings while also putting the tying and go-ahead runs on base in the ninth, but Chris Wright came in to retire the final batter of the game and notch his second save in the process to seal Eugene’s second come-from-behind victory in just over a 24-hour span, downing the Hops by a final of 10-9.

With Everett losing to Vancouver on Thursday night, the Emeralds move back into sole possession of first place in the High-A West and will enter Friday leading both Vancouver and Everett by 0.5 game.

PEAK PERFORMERS:

• Ismael Munguia – CF: Munguia’s three-run bomb in the sixth was the icing on the cake of a memorable inning. All told, the Nicaraguan finished the night 2-for-5 with a pair of runs scored and three RBIs.

• Tyler Fitzgerald – 2B: Another night of productivity for Fitzy. The versatile infielder finished the evening with a Logan Wyatt-esque line, going 1-for-2 with two walks, two RBIs, two runs scored and a stolen base.

• Franklin Labour – RF: Last night’s hero delivered again tonight, finishing the game going 2-for-4 with two RBIs, a run scored and a stolen base.

• Nick Avila – RHP: Avila kept the Emeralds in it as the first man out of the bullpen, firing 5.1 innings while allowing just two earned runs and striking out four Hops batters.

WHAT’S NEXT: The Emeralds and Hillsboro Hops face off again on Friday at 7:05pm PST at PK Park. You can listen live to all the action with the voice of the Emeralds Matt Dompe on the call via 95.3FM The Score, via MiLB.com or on the MiLB app, and you can also watch all the action live on MiLB.tv.

Information regarding tickets to Emeralds home games is available at www.EmeraldsBaseball.com or by calling (541) 342-5367.

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