NWL1 Hillsboro Hops

Anderson Pushes Hops to Another Series Victory

Published on July 30, 2016 under Northwest League (NWL1)
Hillsboro Hops News Release


HILLSBORO, OR - After taking two of three against Boise in the opening series of a six-game homestand, the Hops are now assured of at least a series victory following Saturday's 6-3 win over the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes. Hillsboro (23-20, 4-1) scored in each of the first five innings to secure the series victory and will go for the sweep on Sunday.

Wei-Chieh Huang, a native of Taitung, Taiwan, got the start for the Hops and never seemed to settle in. He's a highly touted prospect - rated the 18th best in Arizona's system by mlbpipeline.com - and showed flashes of his ilk, but was chased after three innings of three-run ball.

Salem (19-24, 2-3) got to Huang for a run in the first and two in the third but the Hops offense was up to the challenge. Single runs were plated in each of the first four innings, and they put the finishing touches together on the final score with two runs in the fifth to take a 6-3 lead.

The Hillsboro offensive charge was led by third baseman Josh Anderson, who finished 3-4 and just a triple shy of the cycle. He belted a solo shot in the first inning off of Volcanoes starter Melvin Adon. The three knocks hiked his batting average to an impressive .341 on the season.

Catcher Luke Lowery continued his hot hitting too. Following his 4-4 performance Friday night, Lowery went 2-4 Saturday to bump his batting average to .256. Entering the Salem series, he was hitting .224.

Centerfielder Marcus Wilson and Stephen Smith each recorded multi-hit games.

Perhaps the biggest hero of all was pitcher Anfernee Benitez who relieved Huang after three innings. The Panamanian entered the game and restored order for the Hillsboro pitching staff. He finished with five spotless frames, allowing a single hit and a single walk while striking out four. He was a rock in a game that featured four lead changes in the first four innings.

Riley Smith got the save chance for the Hops tonight and made it look easy. The former Louisiana State Tiger went 1-2-3 with two strikeouts to record his second pro save and drop his ERA to 1.04 on the season.

The Hops have hit their high-water mark on the season, moving to three games over .500 for the first time this season. They have won six of their last seven series. Since beginning the season 3-8, the Hops are 20-12 in their last thirty-two games.

Hillsboro goes for the sweep in a Sunday day game. It's a 1:05 start at Ron Tonkin Field. Pregame radio begins at 12:35 on Rip City Radio 620 AM. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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Northwest League Stories from July 30, 2016


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