Everett Downs Eugene In Series Finale

The Eugene Emeralds (34-25) dropped the series finale against the Everett AquaSox (39-19) on Sunday evening by a final of 10-5 in front of 2,083 fans at PK Park.

THE DETAILS:

• Winning Pitcher: Taylor Dollard (3-0, 4.74 ERA): 6.0 IP | 8 H | 4 R | 4 ER | 1 BB | 2 K
• Losing Pitcher: Seth Corry (3-3, 5.40 ERA): 3.2 IP | 6 H | 6 R | 6 ER | 5 BB | 6 K
• Save: N/A
• HR(s): Eugene: Aldrete (3), Emery (1) | Everett: DeLoach (6)

HOW IT HAPPENED: Playing as Los Monarcas de Eugene as part of Minor League Baseball’s Copa de la Diversión initiative, the Monarcas entered Sunday aiming to finish what had been a frustrating series on a high note after finding themselves on the wrong side of lopsided scoring margins in each of the previous four games.

Everett had made a knack of putting up crooked numbers in early innings during the six-game series in Eugene, and that trend continued in Sunday’s series finale. The visitors got the scoring started in the first after a Zach DeLoach leadoff single, a Patrick Frick ground-rule double, and a Jack Larsen RBI single together made it 1-0, Everett, right from the jump. Later in the inning, after Jack Larsen stole second to put runners at second and third, Connor Hoover singled to right to bring home both Larsen and Frick and make it 3-0.

Eugene wasted no time responding, though, as the Monarcas tallied two runs in the bottom of the first to quickly cut Everett’s lead back to one, and it all came with two outs. Following an Ismael Munguia groundout and a Tyler Fitzgerald flyout to deep left, Armani Smith singled and Sean Roby doubled to put runners at second and third. Ricardo Genovés stepped up and brought both runners home with a single to left field, making it 3-2 after just one inning of play.

One inning later, it was a brand-new ballgame thanks to Carter Aldrete. Having homered in the game prior, Aldrete stepped up in the second and blasted his second opposite field shot in as many days, teeing off for a solo homer off Everett’s Taylor Dollard for his third homer of the season, tying the game at 3-3.

Homers in BACK-2⃣-BACK games for @CarterRoo21 and we're all tied up. #GoEms x #SFGiants pic.twitter.com/MxFL84PvCd

— Eugene Emeralds (@EugeneEmeralds) July 12, 2021

Eugene, however, was never able to pull in front on Sunday. Two innings after Aldrete’s game-tying blast, Everett put up three runs in the fourth thanks to a flurry of free passes. Monarcas starting pitcher Seth Corry retired the first batter of the inning, Connor Hoover, on a flyout, but then issued four consecutive walks – three of which came on full counts – resulting in a run being forced home and the AquaSox retaking the lead, 4-3. Corry then got a strikeout to move one out away from escaping the self-induced jam, but Zach DeLoach squeaked a two-out single into right field that scored a pair of runs to stretch Everett’s lead to 6-3.

BOBBY (BIG) KNOCKS @RobertEmery_44 #GoEms x #SFGiants pic.twitter.com/6byW9SFYaj

— Eugene Emeralds (@EugeneEmeralds) July 12, 2021

Eugene responded in the fifth thanks to San Francisco native Robert Emery who, getting the start at the DH position, belted his first home run as an Emerald, an opposite field solo blast that cut Everett’s lead back to two.

Both offenses were held at bay the next two innings, but the Frogs added a hearty helping of insurance in the eighth. Walks again plagued the Monarcas as reliever John Russell issued back-to-back one-out walks, and Zach DeLoach immediately made him pay with a three-run blast to right field, his sixth homer of the season, making it 9-4. Later in the inning, after Chris Wright entered in place of Russell, Austin Shenton just avoided what would have been an inning-ending 6-3 double play by legging out the fielder’s choice and allowing the runner at third, Cody Grosse, to score and make it 10-4.

The Monarcas added a late run in the ninth when Ismael Munguia singled home Franklin Labour with two outs, but it was far too little, too late as the Monarcas dropped the series finale against the Frogs by a final of 10-5.

Despite the disappointing end to the series, the game wasn’t without plenty of fun and fanfare as Oregon Women’s Basketball star Sedona Prince was in attendance to throw out a first pitch, participate in an on-field promo, and even serve as a fill-in PA announcer for part of Sunday’s action.

Thank you so much @EugeneEmeralds for having me today. What do y’all think of my fastball? pic.twitter.com/iXNZtdZyss

— Sedona Prince (@sedonaprince_) July 12, 2021

PEAK PERFORMERS:

• Carter Aldrete – 3B: The versatile infielder/outfielder went 2-for-4 on Sunday with the solo homer while also flashing the leather in the infield, highlighted by a stellar sliding pick-and-throw in the fifth.
• Austin Reich – RHP: After retiring all eight batters faced and striking out five of them in his Emeralds debut earlier in the series, Reich picked up right where he left off by firing 2.1 scoreless innings while allowing no hits, one walk and tallying three strikeouts.

WHAT’S NEXT: The Eugene Emeralds hit the road on Monday before opening up a six-game series in Eastern Washington against the Spokane Indians (Colorado Rockies). First pitch on Tuesday at Avista Stadium is slated for 6:05pm PST.

You can listen live to all the action with Alex Stimson on the call via 95.3FM The Score, via MiLB.com or on the MiLB app.

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

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