Eugene keeps West lead with rout of Spokane

EUGENE, Ore. – The Eugene Emeralds have the best overall record in the Northwest League this baseball season after Wednesday’s 8-2 win over the visiting Spokane Indians.

Oddly enough, the Emeralds still might not make the four-team playoff field in the eight-team NWL.

Maxx Tissenbaum went 3 for 3 with three runs batted in and Jeremy Baltz had a three-run double in the second inning to lead Eugene.

The Emeralds’ 46-28 overall record is the best in the league, but Eugene finished 3 1/2 games behind Everett in the West Division during the season’s first half.

Eugene is 22-15 in the second half but leads the West by just one-half game over Vancouver. The Emeralds have games remaining against Spokane tonight and Friday. Vancouver plays three more games.

Spokane, with the worst overall record in the NWL (27-47), trailed 8-0 when it scored twice in the seventh. Guy Edmonds had a two-out RBI double and scored on Smerling Lantigua’s double.