May 27, 2023 – Northwest League (NWL) – Eugene Emeralds News Release
The Exploding Whales offense exploded against the Aquasox as they defeated them by a final score of 8-6. The Emeralds record now moves to 23-19 and they sit just a half game out of first place in the Northwest League behind the Spokane Indians.
The Aquasox were able to strike first in tonight’s ballgame. Alberto Rodriguez got the scoring started with a 2-out solo home run in the top of the first inning to score the first run of the game. Rodriguez had a big game tonight for Everett as he ended the day tallying up 3 RBI’s in total.
Eugene was able to respond quickly however in the 3rd inning. After the first runner was able to reach base, Logan Wyatt absolutely crushed a baseball over the bullpen in right field and on the roof to give the Whales the 2-1 lead. Wyatt continues to be a solid bat in the middle of the lineup and when he’s able to connect with a baseball he makes sure it has no chance at staying in the ballpark.
The 4th inning brought some action for both teams. Tyler Locklear recorded a base hit and a couple of batters later Axel Sanchez was able to single up the middle to tie the ballgame up at 2-2. It didn’t take long however for the Whales to respond. Jimmy Glowenke was able to reach base on an infield hit. A couple of batters later Damon Dues slapped a ball into the gap and Glowenke put on the burners to score and give the Whales the 3-2 lead after 4 frames.
Eric Silva got the start tonight for the Whales. He went 4 innings strong, allowing just 4 hits and a pair of earned runs. He walked two as well. The most impressive thing about Silva tonight was that he struck out 7 batters over those 4 frames. It was a very strong showing from the young right-hander. Matt Olsen came in for relief of Silva in the 5th and the 6th inning and allowed just 1 base hit and struck out 3. It was a strong 1-2 punch for the Whales tonight.
In the 5th inning the Whales continued to build on their lead. Ghordy Santos was able to reach base to start the inning off and after advancing all the way to 3rd, he was able to score on a wild pitch and gave the Emeralds the 2-run lead. Adrian Sugastey stepped into the box a couple of batters later and with a runner on base he was able to connect with a baseball and send it over the fence for the 2-run home run. The Whales held a 6-2 lead after the first 5 frames of work.
The Aquasox wouldn’t go down without a fight however. In the 7th inning the Aquasox were able to drive some runs home. With 2 base runners on Ben Ramirez singled up the middle to score the 2 runs and cut into the Whales lead. The Aquasox continueds to chip away as Alberto Ramirez stepped into the box with 2 runners on and doubled into the gap to tie the game up at 6-6 in the top of the 7th.
It didn’t take long however for the Whales to respond as Adrian Sugastey hit a solo home run to give the Whales the 1 run lead. It was Sugastey’s 2nd home run of the ballgame and one of the best games he’s played since he’s been in Eugene. It didn’t stop there however as Ghordy Santos was able to rip a ball down the right field line for a double that scored Jimmy Glowenke and gave the Whales their final run of the game.
Hunter Dula earned the win tonight after he pitched the final out of the 7th as well as the entire eighth inning. He allowed just one base hit and struck out 2. His ERA now has dropped to a 1.59 this season. His record sits at 2-1. Tyler Myrick came in for the Whales in the 9th and after loading up the bases with just 1 out after he allowed a couple of walks, a ground ball up the middle ended the game with a double-play. It was his 5th save of the season and his ERA has lowered to just 1.15 on the season.
The Emeralds now are tied up with the Aquasox in the series at 2-2. It’s a double-header tomorrow night with first pitch set for 5:05 P.M in the first game. The Emeralds will have a chance to move into first place tomorrow depending on how the games go. They trail the Spokane Indians by just 0.5 games for 1st place in the Northwest League.
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