Casey Clobbers Game Winner, C's Outlast Ems In 10

EUGENE, OR – #26 Blue Jays prospect Jake Casey’s go-ahead three-run shot in the top of the tenth – his second home run of the game that gave him a career-best seven RBI – proved to be the difference in a 12-10 Canadians win over the Eugene Emeralds (SF) Friday night at PK Park. It was the longest game the C’s have played in this year; the final out was recorded three hours and 33 minutes after first pitch.

Tied 9-9 after nine, JoJo Parker worked a one-out walk to join the placed runner on base and set the table for Casey, who crushed an 0-1 pitch from closer Ryan Slater (L, 1-2) to dead centre to put Vancouver in front 12-9.

Carson Myers (S, 4) would allow an unearned run to score in the bottom of the tenth then worked around a two-out bloop double, a walk and a double steal to strand the tying runs in scoring position and secure the win.

The game was back-and-forth all evening. A lead-off homer from Austin Smith started the first, Casey added a two-run double in the second and the C’s raced out to a 4-1 lead after two, but the Ems rallied for three runs in the bottom of the third to tie the score at four.

Parker put the Canadians back in front with a run-scoring groundout in the fourth before a two-run homer from Jose Ramos in the home half gave the Emeralds their first lead of the game.

After a scoreless fifth, both teams scored twice in the sixth. It was Casey’s two-run homer that put Vancouver back in front then a walk and three singles saw Eugene pull ahead by a run.

Dariel Ramon logged the biggest hit of his young Canadians career thus far when he doubled in a pair in the seventh to make it 9-8, but the one-run advantage would only last until a two-out double in the bottom of the eighth evened the score for the eighth lead change on the night.

Franly Urena (W, 1-0) – who gave up the game-tying two-bagger – pulled off a high wire act in the ninth that saw the Ems put the winning run at third with one out, but a strikeout and a groundout ended the threat and forced extra innings.

With the win and an Everett loss tonight, the C’s are a half game back of Eugene for first place in the second half and have a three-game lead on the AquaSox for the second playoff berth in the Northwest League with 14 games to go.

Troy Guthrie looks to keep the momentum going tomorrow night opposite #26 Giants prospect Luis De La Torre. First pitch is set for 5:05 p.m. on the C’s Broadcast Network.

For tickets and more information throughout the 75^th anniversary season of The Nat, visit CanadiansBaseball.com, call 604-872-5232 and follow the C’s on social via @vancanadians.