Conlon's simple approach pays off.

Byline: Shawn Miller The Register-Guard

With some familiar faces in attendance, Eugene Emeralds outfielder Keith Conlon decided to rethink his mind-set at the plate on Wednesday.

Instead of facing the pressures of being a professional baseball player, Conlon chose to relax and focus on one thing: the next pitch.

The new approach paid off for Conlon, a native of Dallas, Tex., who was 2-for-3 at the plate with two doubles, two runs and an RBI to lead the Emeralds (11-5) to a 5-1 victory over Yakima (5-11) in front of 7,288 - the 10th-largest crowd in the history of Civic Stadium.

Prior to the game, Conlon didn't have an extra-base hit in 23 at-bats and hadn't scored a run. In fact, Conlon had only three hits with two walks and twice reached base after being hit by a pitch.

"I've gotten off to a slow start and gotten away from things I've been successful at hitting-wise," said Conlon, who is coming off an injured knee he sustained sliding into second base approximately two weeks ago.

"It just gets in your head. You go 0-for-4 in at-bats and you start thinking, 'I've got to do this or I've got to do that.' ''

With his parents and girlfriend in town for the game, Conlon said his relaxed approach keyed his breakout game.

"It takes a little bit of pressure off, but you can't dwell on it too long because we play tomorrow and the next day," he said. "I've got to be proud of myself for another hour and then get ready for tomorrow."

Conlon, batting ninth for the Emeralds, led off the third inning with a double that reached the left-center-field wall. A sacrifice bunt by Luis Durango moved Conlon to third before Eric Sogard popped out. The night after a combined four balks were called against Eugene and Yakima, Conlon scored on a balk during Kellen Kulbacki's at-bat.

"(The umpires) are calling it and the pitchers were not stopping," Eugene manager Greg Riddoch said. "It must be something that they are going to really emphasize as part of the game."

The Bears tied the game at 1-1 in the sixth before the Emeralds scored the game-winning run on a balk in the bottom of the inning. Durango, who led off with a triple, scored on a balk during Sogard's at-bat.

Conlon then highlighted a three-run seventh inning with an RBI double off the top of the left-field fence, barely missing his first professional home run.

"I thought I had gotten it," Conlon said. "It was a first-pitch fastball. I was looking for that pitch.

"They brought in a new guy and he didn't have the movement the first pitcher did. We just sat on his fastball."

Durango and Sogard followed with RBI singles.

John Hussey, who replaced starting pitcher Jeremy Hefner to begin the fifth inning, allowed one run on one hit and three walks in three innings to pick up his second win of the season. Hefner allowed only two hits and one walk, while striking out five in four innings.

Notes: Eugene has won four consecutive games, its longest winning streak of the season. ... With two games remaining in this series, the victory on Wednesday clinched the Emeralds their third of four series they have played this season. ... Eugene's Jeremy McBryde (0-1) and Yakima's Josh Collmenter (0-0) are the scheduled starting pitchers tonight.

NWL

STANDINGS

WEST DIVISION

W L Pct. GB

Salem-Keizer ... 13 3 .813 -

Eugene ... 11 5 .688 2

Vancouver ... 10 6 .625 3

Everett ... 9 7 .563 4

EAST DIVISION

Spokane ... 8 8 .500 -

Yakima ... 5 11 .313 3

Boise ... 4 12 .250 4

Tri-City ... 4 12 .250 4

WEDNESDAY'S RESULTS

Eugene 5, Yakima 1

Boise 9, Everett 7

Spokane 7, Vancouver 3

Salem-Keizer 4, Tri-City 1

TODAY'S GAMES

Yakima at Eugene

Everett at Boise

Vancouver at Spokane

Tri-City at Salem-Keizer

YAKIMA EUGENE

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Hallberg ss 4 0 0 0 Durango cf 3 1 2 1

Batten 2b 3 1 1 0 Sogard 2b 2 0 1 1

Easley c 2 0 1 0 Kulbacki rf 4 0 0 0

Pimentel c 1 0 1 0 Martinez dh 3 0 0 0

Conner 1b 4 0 1 0 Pickett c 4 0 0 0

Byrne lf 4 0 1 0 Baum 3b 4 1 1 0

Schmidt dh 3 0 0 0 Buschini 1b 4 0 1 0

Besnich rf 3 0 0 0 Parrino ss 3 1 1 0

Rodrigz 3b 4 0 1 0 Conlon lf 3 2 2 1

Melendz cf 2 0 0 0

Totals 30 1 6 0 Totals 30 5 8 3

Yakima... 000 001 000 -1

Eugene... 001 001 30x -5

E-Hussey. DP-Yakima 1, Eugene 3. LOB-Yakima 8, Eugene 5. 2B-Byrne (5), Conlon 2 (2). 3B-Durango (2). S-Durango. SB-Beshenich (2), Buschini (2), Sogard (1).

IP H R ER BB SO

Yakima

Thompson L, 1-3 6 3 2 2 3 5

Vasquez 2 5 3 3 0 0

Eugene

Hefner 4 2 0 0 1 5

Hussey W, 2-0 3 1 1 1 3 1

Harrington 2 3 0 0 0 2

Balk-Thompson 2. HBP-by Hussey (Melendez), by Hussey (Batten). Umpires-Ryan Blakeny, Phil Henry. T-2:18. A-7,288.