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Long Ball Launches Ems To Fifth Straight Win

Labour, Munguia and Wilson each touch ‘em all to push Eugene’s win streak to a season-high five
By Alex Stimson
June 20, 2021

Three homers and another ten-run offensive performance culminated in the Eugene Emeralds (25-15) extending their win streak to a season-high five games behind a 10-5 win over the Hillsboro Hops (16-23) on Saturday night at PK Park. THE DETAILS: - Winning Pitcher: Aaron Phillips (2-3, 5.40 ERA): 5.0 IP |

Three homers and another ten-run offensive performance culminated in the Eugene Emeralds (25-15) extending their win streak to a season-high five games behind a 10-5 win over the Hillsboro Hops (16-23) on Saturday night at PK Park.

THE DETAILS:

  • Winning Pitcher: Aaron Phillips (2-3, 5.40 ERA): 5.0 IP | 5 H | 4 R | 2 ER | 3 BB | 4 K

  • Losing Pitcher: Drey Jameson (0-4, 6.19 ERA): 1.2 IP | 8 H | 8 R | 8 ER | 3 BB | 5 K

  • Save: N/A

  • HR(s): Eugene: Franklin Labour (5), Ismael Munguia (3), Will Wilson (7) | Hillsboro: N/A

HOW IT HAPPENED: The Hops entered the evening with 106 stolen bases, a whopping nineteen more than the next closest team in the entire Minor Leagues. So, it was no surprise when they started swiping bases right out of the gate on Saturday night.

Hillsboro took the game’s first lead in the game’s first inning after an infield single from Dom Canzone, a stolen base from Canzone, and a Spencer Brickhouse single that scored Canzone to make it 1-0, Hops.

No matter for the Eugene offense, though, an offense that had scored ten runs in back-to-back contests. The bottom of the first saw all nine Emeralds come to the plate, five of which came all the way around to score.

Leadoff man Ismael Munguia got it started with a soft single to the left side and then advanced to second on a throwing error by Hops shortstop Blaze Alexander. After a Will Wilson walk and a Logan Wyatt strikeout, Armani Smith singled on a liner to center field that scored Munguia to make it 1-1 with runners on the corners and still just one out. Tyler Fitzgerald followed with a groundout to score Wilson from third and make it 2-1, Ems, and after a Franklin Labour walk put runners on first and second, Tyler Flores roped a double to right that scored both Labour and Smith to make it 4-1. Eugene added one more for good measure when Jacob Gonzalez looped a soft single to center field that allowed Flores to fly around from second and put the Ems up 5-1 after an inning of play.

The Hops bounced back in the second, though, and once again stolen bases proved to be a factor. Nick Dalesandro led off the inning with a single before promptly swiping both second and third base. Leodany Perez then reached on a throwing error by Ems third baseman Jacob Gonzalez that allowed Dalesandro to score, cutting Eugene’s lead to 5-2. Perez, of course, soon stole second to put another Hillsboro runner in scoring position, and Ricky Martinez brought him home soon thereafter with a single to center that made it 5-3, Ems.

After Martinez was picked off at first by Robert Emery, Tra Holmes drew a walk that was followed by a Buddy Kennedy single, putting Hillsboro base runners at second and third. You’ll be shocked to hear that Hillsboro then successfully executed a double steal, taking the double play ball off and putting the tying run in scoring position. After a Blaze Alexander walk loaded the bases, Dom Canzone skied a sac fly to left that scored Holmes to make it 5-4, but the Hops would get no closer in the second as Andueza flied out two batters later with the bases loaded to end the top of the second.

But while small ball largely dominated the headlines in the game’s first few frames, it was the long ball that took over in the middle innings.

In the bottom of the third, after Armani Smith led off the frame with his second single of the day, Franklin Labour stepped up two batters later and belted his fifth homer of the season, an opposite field blast to right-center field that gave the Emeralds some much appreciated breathing room, stretching the Eugene lead to 7-4.

One inning later, Ismael Munguia teed off for the second time this series, turning on an inside offering from Hillsboro starting pitcher Drey Jameson and sending it off the bullpen roof in right field to make it 8-4.

Two innings later, the Emeralds tallied their third four-bagger of the night when Will Wilson smoked his team-leading seventh homer of the season, a solo shot to left that made Eugene’s comfortable lead that much more comfortable, 9-4.

Hillsboro got one back in the seventh on an RBI single from Dom Canzone to make it 9-5, but Eugene’s five-run advantage was restored in the bottom half after an Armani Smith double and later a Franklin Labour sac fly that brought Smith home to make it 10-5.

Smith’s run in the seventh proved to be the final run scored for either side as Ryan Walker worked a scoreless final two innings out of the bullpen to seal Eugene’s fifth straight win – a season-high – while capping the third straight game in which the Emeralds scored exactly ten runs.

Emeralds starting pitcher Aaron Phillips, who has been no stranger to tough luck and bad bounces behind him, worked 5.0 admirable innings while allowing just two earned runs despite a rough second inning.

PEAK PERFORMERS:

  • Armani Smith – LF: It was a breakout performance at the plate for the recent addition from Low-A. The former UC Santa Barbara Gaucho went 3-for-4 with an RBI and three runs scored.
  • Franklin Labour – RF: It’s been an impressive homestand thus far for Labour, and that trend continued on Saturday night. Franklin finished the evening just 1-for-2 at the plate but with two walks, three RBIs, two runs scored and the two-run homer that came in the third.
  • Ismael Munguia – CF: The entire Emeralds outfield got in on the action offensively on Saturday, but Munguia did so defensively as well, making a highlight-reel diving grab in the fourth. At the plate, Munguia went 2-for-5 with the solo homer and two runs scored.

  • Will Wilson – SS: The 2019 first rounder has battled some ups-and-downs of late, but that trademark smooth swing of his was in fine form on Saturday. The Kings Mountain, NC native finished the night 2-for-3 at the plate with a walk, two runs scored and a solo homer.
  • Ryan Walker – RHP: The northwest native (Arlington, WA) continues to look like an absolute steal in the 2018 MLB Draft (31st round). The side-arming right-hander fired 2.0 scoreless innings with three strikeouts while allowing just one hit and one walk. On the season, Walker’s ERA now stands at 2.18 and he’s tallied 31 strikeouts in just 20.2 innings of work.

WHAT’S NEXT: The Emeralds and Hillsboro Hops face off again on Sunday at 5:05pm PST at PK Park where Eugene will aim to become just the second High-A West team this season to sweep a six-game series. 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.

Tickets to Emeralds home games are available at www.EmeraldsBaseball.com or by calling (541) 342-5367.

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