Hold the Show: Hops Shock Sox with Late Inning Fireworks
July 5, 2015 - Northwest League (NWL1)
Hillsboro Hops News Release
Forgive the Hillsboro Hops if they didn't stick around for postgame fireworks at Everett Memorial Stadium Saturday night.
After all, they got their own home fireworks show the previous night and provided plenty during the game.
Down 7-4 in the ninth inning, the Hops rallied to tie the game then won it in the tenth on Dane McFarland's RBI double to defeat the Northwest League-leading Aquasox 8-7.
The Aquasox broke a 4-4 tie with a three-run seventh inning and carried the lead into the ninth when Stephen Dezzi led off with a home run to right field off Everett reliever Kyle Wilcox. A walk to McFarland followed by a bloop hit to right by Trevor Mitsui got hearts racing before Zach Hoffpauir struck out for the first out of the inning. But Luis Veras followed with a pinch-hit single to left field to load the bases, brining on Everett's sixth pitcher of the night, Lance Thonvold.
Fernery Ozuna, pinch-hitting for Nate Robertson, rifled a line drive over the head of Everett right fielder Alex Jackson. Gerard Hernandez, pinch-running for Mitsui, had to hold at second to make sure the ball wasn't caught and was nearly gunned down at the plate, but the relay throw skipped past Everett catcher Yojhan Quevedo as Hernandez followed McFarland home with the game-tying run.
In the bottom of the ninth, Hops pitcher Mike Cetta hit two Aquasox batters with his first three pitches. A scary beaning of Quevedo put him down for a couple of minutes, allowing Ryan Burr to race to get ready in the bullpen. Burr came on and retired three straight batters, fanning Jackson, the Mariners' top prospect and Yordi Calderon back-to-back to send the game to the 10th.
After Thonvold, a big guy at 6-4, 245, made an athletic play to retire Zach Nehrir on a tapper left of the mound, Dezzi followed with a fly ball down the left field line. Everett left fielder Corey Simpson made a long run to get to the ball, but dropped it for a two-base error. McFarland followed with a line drive into the left-center field gap to score Dezzi with the go-ahead run.
Will Landsheft, who surrendered Ian Happ's game-winning home run in the 11th inning to take the loss two nights ago against Eugene, pitched a scoreless 10th inning with two strikeouts to earn his first professional save.
Dezzi went 2-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored. Mitsui, playing 15 minutes from his home town of Lynnwood, hit the first pitch he saw over the 30-foot-high netting in center field for a 2-run home run in the first inning to put the Hops on the board. The University of Washington graduate went 2-for-5 on the night.
Jeff Smith made his Hops debut after being transferred from Missoula. Starting at second base, Smith doubled and scored on a Dezzi two-out, RBI single to put the Hops us 3-1 in the fourth. Everett would respond with a three-run fourth inning, before the Hops tied it on a bases loaded walk to McFarland by Everett reliever Troy Scott in the sixth.
Jackson, who had been scuffling, went 3-for-5 with two doubles and three runs scored, driving in the go-ahead run in Everett's three-run seventh inning off Trevor Simmons, who had pitched the Hops out of a jam in the sixth before running into trouble in the seventh.
The Hops win, coupled with Eugene's 5-4 loss to Vancouver, puts Hillsboro back into a first-place tie with the Emeralds.
Game two of the series is at 4:05 p.m. Sunday, with pregame airtime on Rip City Radio 620 AM at 3:35 p.m.
Northwest League Stories from July 5, 2015
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- Canadians Shut Out In Eugene, Fall 6-0 - Vancouver Canadians
- Emeralds Blank Vancouver, 6-0 - Eugene Emeralds
- Indians Give up 21 Hits in Lopsided Loss - Spokane Indians
- Hawks Hit Parade Handicaps Indians - Boise Hawks
- Hops Out-Rally AquaSox in Series Opener - Everett AquaSox
- Hold the Show: Hops Shock Sox with Late Inning Fireworks - Hillsboro Hops
- Epic Seventh-Inning Rally Gives Indians Win - Spokane Indians
- Emeralds' Comeback Falls Short vs. Vancouver - Eugene Emeralds
- Gomez, Offense Provide Holiday Fireworks - Salem-Keizer Volcanoes
- Indians Provide Late Fireworks; Beat Hawks 8-7 - Boise Hawks
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