Eighth Inning Rally Not Enough as Hops Prevail in the Ninth
June 2, 2023 - Northwest League (NWL)
Everett AquaSox News Release
Everett, WA: After a six-run rally to take the lead in the eighth inning, the Everett AquaSox must have thought they had this one won. Not so fast. The Hillsboro Hops responded in the top of the ninth with two runs of their own, retaking the lead 13-12. Brett Johnson had an RBI double to tie it at 12 and Wilderd Patino gave Hillsboro the 13-12 lead on an RBI single.
Alberto Rodriguez hit two home runs in the game and knocked in five to power the Everett offense in the back-and-forth affair.
Coming off a walk-off win on Wednesday, the AquaSox welcomed back a key member of their 2022 rotation from injury in Jimmy Joyce. The 2022 Northwest League strikeout leader punched out 133 batters last year. His opponent Thursday was Dylan Ray. The Hillsboro starter had a 4.31 ERA over 33.1 innings in eight starts.
Joyce picked up right where he left off in 2022. He struck out the side in his first inning back from injury, stranding a runner at second.
S.P. Chen got the scoring started with an RBI single in the top of the second inning that gave the Hops a 1-0 lead. Chen's RBI single was also the first hit of the game for either team.
Joyce's night ended after two innings, giving up one run on one hit and striking out four. He was replaced by Kelvin Nunez. From there it became a bullpen game for Everett.
After Hillsboro's Catcher JJ D'orazio hit a home run in the top of the third inning making it 2-0, the Frogs came back with a vengeance, scoring four in the bottom of the frame on a Ben Ramirez RBI single and a 410-foot monster two-run shot from Alberto Rodriguez. It was Rodriguez's seventh home run in 10 games, giving Everett the lead 3-2.
The Frogs chased Dylan Ray after 2.2 innings where he gave up three runs on four hits. Eli Saul took over for him and loaded the bases. Another run scored on a Hillsboro error and the inning ended with the Frogs having a 4-2 lead.
The lead would not last long. Hops third basemen Jesus Valdez hit a two-run home run into the right field home run porch in the top of the fourth to tie the game at 4. The Hops would take the lead later in the inning on a throwing error from Charlie Welch that scored Brett Johnson. Handing the lead back to Hillsboro, 5-4.
Alberto Rodriguez continued to be a one-man wrecking crew of Northwest League pitching. He hammered his second home run of the night in the bottom of the fourth to make it 6-5 Frogs. It was Rodriguez's eighth home run in 10 games.
The Hops would respond with a grand slam in the top of the sixth from Jonathan Guzman, regaining the lead 9-6 in favor of Hillsboro. The Hops would score two more in the seventh stretching the lead to 11-6.
Everett rallied in the eighth after Hillsboro walked the bases loaded with one out. Ben Ramirez singled in two to make it 11-8 followed by a Rodriguez single for his fifth RBI of the game to make it 11-9 Hops. After a wild pitch made it 11-10, Axel Sanchez singled in the tying run. The Frogs would then use an old Little League first and third double steal to score the go ahead run and make it 12-11.
Hillsboro would ruin the party in the ninth, scoring two to take a 13-12 lead. Everett would put runners at first and second with nobody out in the bottom of the ninth but could not score, and the Hops prevailed.
LOOKING AHEAD: Funko Friday is back! Fans in attendance will receive plus Webbly! Gates open at 6:00 PM, with the first pitch at 7:05. Then on Saturday, we have another amazing post-game Fireworks Show presented by Boeing.
Northwest League Stories from June 2, 2023
- Hillsboro Scores Three in the Ninth, Wins 4-3 - Everett AquaSox
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- Emeralds Win Game 4 Thriller - Eugene Emeralds
- Hops Escape with Wild 13-12 Win in Everett - Hillsboro Hops
- Viñeros Victorious Over Indians To Open June - Tri-City Dust Devils
- Wallace & Co. Blank Ems 8-0 - Vancouver Canadians
- Eighth Inning Rally Not Enough as Hops Prevail in the Ninth - Everett AquaSox
- Emeralds Drop Game 3 Against Vancouver - Eugene Emeralds
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