Ems squeeze out 7-2 victory
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The Emeralds jumped ahead in the bottom of the 2nd inning scoring a pair of runs off of Boise starter Felix Pena. It was a leadoff walk to Goose Kallunki followed by a perfectly executed hit and run single from catcher Dane Phillips. Chris Burke picked up an RBI sacrifice fly followed by a two-out RBI single from Alberth Martinez.
Eugene got the fourth consecutive stellar start from Justin Hancock who went a season high six innings allowing only two hits and one walk while striking out five. The only run Hancock allowed came on a solo blast over the short fence in right field off the bat of Rock Shoulders.
Hancock was relieved by lefty Mark Picca who induced a double play ball to erase a leadoff single in the top of the 7th. He then walked Marco Hernandez but had him picked off of first when Goose Kallunki trying to complete the play threw wide of shortstop River Stevens into left field allowing Hernandez all the way to third. Rock Shoulders was at the bat and notched one of his four hits to pick up his second RBI of the game.
The Emeralds would come right back in the bottom of the 7th with a leadoff triple from third baseman Chris Burke. River Stevens followed with a walk setting up runners on 1st and 3rd with none out. With Alberth Martinez at the plate the Ems went to the safety squeeze which was executed perfectly. When Boise third baseman Jeimer Candelario chucked the ball down the right field line, River Stevens came in to score and Martinez made it all the way to third.
Two batters later the Ems would lay down another successful safety squeeze, this one from right fielder Corey Adamson to make the score 5-2. Eugene would add a couple more runs in the 8th using three walks and an error to make the score 7-2. Matt Shepherd came out of the pen to finish it off for the Emeralds as Mark Picca grabbed his third win of the season.
Eugene was out hit 6-4 and in fact Rock Shoulders matched the Ems' hit output. The 7-2 win helps the Ems keep pace in the western division first-half race, but Everett won again so the magic number is down to two.
