EUGENE, Ore. – The Eugene Emeralds went little and big against the Everett AquaSox on Thursday night.
The Emeralds used a combination of walks and bases-clearing extra-base hits to pummel the AquaSox 13-2 in Northwest League action.
Craig Cooper hit a grand slam home run and drove in five runs for Eugene (19-19), which took two of three in the three-game series. Matt Antonelli added four runs and Kody Valverde added four RBI for the Emeralds.
Ogui Diaz went 3-for-4 to lead Everett (17-21), which finished 2-4 on its road trip.
Eugene took full advantage of the wildness of Everett’s pitchers. The AquaSox issued seven free passes, five of which came around to score.
The Emeralds also came up big with runners on base. In addition to Cooper’s grand slam Willy Crafort had a three-run double and Valverde a two-run double.
Everett starting pitcher Drew Fiorenza (1-1) didn’t make it through the third inning. Fiorenza, taking Natividad Dilone’s spot in the rotation because of Dilone’s three-game suspension incurred for his part in a brawl against Boise, gave up four runs on four hits and three walks in 22/3 innings. He struck out two.
Everett was unable to get anything started against Eugene pitcher Matt Buschmann. Buschmann allowed no runs and just four baserunners, but was removed with two out in the fifth and was thus ineligible for the win. He struck out five.
Eugene reliever Rolando Valdez earned the win with one perfect inning, remaining perfect at 5-0.
Eugene grabbed the lead in the bottom of the first inning. Four of the first five batters reached base, with Cooper’s single driving in the first run and Valverde’s sacrifice fly driving in the second, giving the Emeralds a 2-0 lead.
The Emeralds doubled their lead in the third, Valverde lining a two-run double down the left-field line, making it 4-0.
Eugene doubled up again in the fourth, thanks to a spate of walks. Reliever Steve Richard walked two batters with one out before being forced out because of an apparent blister on his pitching hand. Will Fenton replaced Richard, walked another to load the bases, then gave up Cooper’s grand slam, increasing the deficit to 8-0.
Everett finally got on the board in the sixth, Bryan Sabatella’s RBI single driving in Marcos Villezcas from second base. However, the AquaSox then left the bases loaded and still trailed 8-1.
The Emeralds then turned it into a rout in the sixth. One run scored on shortstop Diaz’s error, then Crafort lined a three-run double into the left-field corner, making it 12-1.
Everett scored another lone run in the seventh, Villezcas singling in Diaz. That was nullified in the eighth when Valverde’s sacrifice fly made it 13-2.
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