NWL1 Hillsboro Hops

Biggio's Big Plays End Hops' Series Streak

Published on August 16, 2016 under Northwest League (NWL1)
Hillsboro Hops News Release


Cavan Biggio started out slowly in Vancouver's five-game series at Hillsboro, but has come on strong the last two games. Actually, the whole team is hitting the ball right now.

Biggio had three of the Canadians' 14 hits in a 6-4 win over the Hops (10-8, 29-27) Monday night at Ron Tonkin Field. The win, Vancouver's third straight in the series following an eight-game losing streak, ends the Hops' run of winning series at five. The Hops hadn't lost a series since the Eugene Emeralds clinched the NWL North Division title against them, then won the rubber match of a three-game series back on July 20. Hillsboro had won eight of its previous nine series before last night's loss.

Biggio started out the series 0-for-10 at the plate, but now has five hits in his last seven at bats. He hit an RBI triple to the right field wall in the third inning to score Josh Palacios, then came home on Javier Hernandez's single to left to give Vancouver (7-11, 23-33) a 4-1 lead. The Canadians would extend the lead to 5-1 on J.B. Woodman's towering home run to left field in the fourth before the Hops made their bid for a comeback late.

A three-run rally in the seventh inning featured RBI doubles from Jason Morozowski and Josh Anderson. Luke Lowery plated Anderson with a bloop single over the head of Biggio to pull the Hops within 5-4.

But as big as Biggio's bat has been, the biggest play of the game was made on defense way back in the first inning. The Hops greeted Vancouver starting pitcher Patrick Murphy (3-4) with back-to-back base hits from Morozowski and Mark Karaviotis. Anderson drove in Morozowski with a grounder to third before Luke Lowery walked, putting runners at first and second with one out. Stephen Smith followed with a grounder to shorstop Yeltsin Gudino that appeared destined to end the inning with a double play. The ball caromed off the glove of the sure-handed 19-year-old Venezuelan shortstop for an apparrent error. But instead of loading the bases with one out on the bobble, the Hops saw their potential big inning shot down when Biggio pounced on the loose ball and fired to first just in time to get Smith. Justin Chigbogu struck out on three pitches to end the threat and the inning ended with the teams tied 1-1.

The Canadians played error-free ball for the fourth consecutive night, turning key double plays in the third and eighth innings after the Hops got the leadoff runners on base. A Smith single and Luis Veras double put runners at second and third with one out in the fourth inning, but Murphy fanned Manny Jefferson and got Ben De Luzio to ground out to third.

Murphy, the NWL leader in ERA, struck out five and walked one over 5 2/3 innings. Gabe Noyalis got the final out in the sixth before the Hops got to him for three runs and three hits in the seventh. Nick Hartman pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his first professional save, allowing a two-out single to Josh Anderson.

With two hits in four at bats and two RBI, Anderson upped his NWL league-leading batting average to .338. Morozowski went 2-for-5 with and RBI and two runs scored and Lowery reached base three times on two hits and a walk and stole two bases. Anfernee Benitez (5-5) allowed ten hits and five earned runs in five innings as his three-game personal winning streak came to an end. The lefthanders struck out four with one walk.

Nash Knight went 4-for-5 with a double and is now 8-for-13 in the series for Vancouver. Palacios had three hits and two runs scored and Woodman also scored twice, going 2-for-5.

The final game of the series is an afternoon start at Ron Tonkin Field. Toronto Blue Jays first-round draft pick T.J. Zeuch, selected 21st overall out of the University of Pittsburgh, will get the start on the mound against 19-year-old Mack Lemieux, a Diamondbacks' 6th-rounder out of Palm Beach College in Florida. First pitch is at 1:05 p.m. with the radio pregame show at 12:35 p.m. on Rip City Radio 620 AM.

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Northwest League Stories from August 16, 2016


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