Games like this one are usually saved for Memorial Stadium, but tonight, as the Eugene Emeralds celebrated the 75th Anniversary of Civic Stadium, Justin Bour (pictured left) gave the home fans a bitter pill to swallow.

To set it up, the Hawks squandered a 5-3 lead in the final three innings, allowing four runs in the seventh, then after getting back within a run, allowed two more in the eighth, trailing 9-6.  Furthermore, the first two batters in the ninth inning struck out looking against Gary Poynter and Jose Valdez had an 0-2 count on him.  Then the magic took over – as Valdez chopped a ball over the head of 6-8 first baseman Nate Freiman for a single.  Brett Jackson followed, and again with two strikes, lined a ball into centerfield for a base hit.  Jae-Hoon Ha had two strikes on him – what do you know, he lines a base hit into left, scoring Valdez to make it 9-7.  The Ems would go to their pen and bring in David Erickson – who got the save last night retiring all five batters.  The righty did not have command, walking Logan Watkins on five pitches – loading the bases for Bour, who was pinch hitting for Greg Rohan.  After taking ball one outside, the slugger ripped an inside fastball into the rightfield corner (Listen to the Call –
bourGW2B.wma), clearing the bases and giving Boise the eventual win.

A key to the victory was the work in relief by Josh Whitlock, who received kudos from pitching coach David Rosario after the game.  His focus was to slow down and work on some mechanics that he and Rosey had discussed in a bullpen session – and it paid off, tossing three scoreless innings against a team that scored eight runs off of him in just 1.1 innings in Boise.

THE BACON: Valdez had a three-hit night, extending his hitting streak to a career high nine games, hitting 12-for-23 during the week…the Hawks had a pair of outfield assists in the victory, as Runey Davis threw out Jason Codiroli trying to score from second in the second inning, and Jae-Hoon Ha gunned out Ty Wright at home in the eighth inning, as catcher Matt Williams withstood a big collision at home plate…with his single in the ninth inning, Jackson extended his hitting streak to seven games and has reached safely in all 21 games in Boise…Hak-Ju Lee recorded his fourth three-hit game of the season, tops on the club. 

OTHER NOTES: Game time temperature in Eugene was 97 degrees, with 60-percent humidity (temperature in the radio booth was upwards of 115 degrees tonight) – with highs Sunday and Monday expected to be in the triple-digits…Vancouver and Spokane were suspended in the second inning last night at Nat Bailey Stadium in Canada, as a thunderstorm moved into the area, forcing the postponement…