The Eugene Emeralds’ offense was hot as they took the first game of a three game series against the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes in a 7-4 victory on Saturday evening at PK park.
The momentum was on the Emeralds’ side in the fourth inning, beginning with back-to-back singles by Kevonte Mitchell and Yeiler Peguero. When the next batter up, Robert Garcia, hit a fly ball to right field, Mitchell was able to tag up and score.
The very next batter in the fourth, D.J. Wilson, hit a home run to deep right field, knocking in three more runs. This pushed the Emeralds ahead from a 2-1 lead to a 5-1 lead.
“We’ve been swinging well,” Wilson said after the game. “We’ve been seeing a lot of pitches, having some great at bats and putting the ball in play when it counts. And we get a few big hits here and there.”
Wilson also touched on the importance of insurance runs, something that was necessary for the Emeralds to hold onto their win on Saturday. He said that it is crucial to get their pitcher in a comfortable position, which ultimately boosts the momentum for the rest of the team.
Wilson went 1-for-3 with two RBI.
In the fifth inning, aggressive base running accounted for another Emeralds’ run. After Matt Rose hit a single, he proceeded to steal second base as the following batter, Chris Pieters, struck out. Rose was moved to third by Wladimir Galindo’s groundout and eventually scored on a wild pitch by Volcanoes pitcher Nolan Riggs.
The Volcanoes began to fight back in the seventh when Gustavo Cabrera hit a three-run home run off of Emeralds reliever Daniel Lewis to trim the lead to 6-4.
The Emeralds responded in the bottom of the seventh when Wladimir Galindo shot one to center field, accounting for one run. He was caught in a pickle while remaining aggressive and attempting to make his hit a triple.
Galindo went 1-for-4 while Rose went 2-for-4 against the Volcanoes.
The Emeralds’ starting pitcher, Jose Paulino, pitched six innings while only allowing one run and striking out eight. He was named the winning pitcher. Meanwhile, the Volcanoes starter, Mac Marshall, lasted three innings, and the bullpen went through four relievers.
The Emeralds will take on the Volcanoes again at home tomorrow evening at 7:35 p.m.
Follow Alexa Chedid on Twitter @alexachedid18