Ems upend Hops, gain series split

EUGENE, ORE. --- The Eugene Emeralds scored three times in the first inning off Hops starter Drey Jameson on Sunday night at P.K. Park, and it proved to be enough in a 5-2 win. The Hops and Ems split the six-game set at three apiece.

Jameson gave up back-to-back singles to Patrick Bailey and Will Wilson to start the first, and with one out, Diego Rincones hit a sacrifice fly. Tyler Fitzgerald singled to put two on. Jameson, throwing in the upper 90s, stuck almost exclusively with his fastball in the first inning, and Eugene made him pay when Ismael Munguia doubled home two. Jameson, mixing in his secondary offerings, then retired 10 of the final 11 hitters to face him, but the damage had been done.

Eugene starter Caleb Kilian took a shutout into the sixth, when Leodany Perez singled leading off the inning and Axel Andueza doubled him home. With two out, Spencer Brickhouse walked. Nick Avila came out of the Eugene bullpen, and Buddy Kennedy's infield single brought home Andueza to make it 3-2. Then, with runners at fist and second, Avila retired Ricky Martinez on a come-backer to keep the lead intact.

Eugene added a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth on a walk to Bailey, a double by Wilson --- the league's leading hitter --- a sac fly by Roby and an error. Those two runs --- one earned --- came off Kenny Hernandez. He allowed one earned run on two hits in his four innings in relief of Jameson.

The Hops put the leadoff man aboard in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings, but couldn't get any of them into scoring position.

Eugene (8-4) remains in second place, two games behind red-hot Everett --- winners of eight straight --- while the Hops (5-7) remain in fourth place, five games out.

Hillsboro will have Monday off, and then they're home to face Vancouver in the opener of a six-game series on Tuesday. Airtime will be 6:20PM on Rip City Radio 620 AM and www.RipCityRadio.com. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35.