Hops Clean up Their Act at Home
Published on June 22, 2016 under Northwest League (NWL1)
Hillsboro Hops News Release
After three days of less-than-stellar play, the Hillsboro Hops snapped their early season losing skid with a 4-1 win over the Eugene Emeralds Tuesday night at Ron Tonkin Field.
Manny Jefferson broke a 1-1 tie with a home run to left field in the fifth inning. The Hops tacked on two more insurance runs in the sixth and got solid pitching performances from a quintet of arms, four of them first-year professionals, two who made their Hillsboro debuts.
Eugene twice brought the tying run to the plate in the late innings, but Jon DuPlantier and Austin Mason were able to nail down the key outs to seal the victory.
DuPlantier, a third-round draft pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks and the highest-drafted pitcher on the Hops roster, made his professional debut by striking out the side in the eighth. The 6-4 righty fanned 146 batters during the college season at Rice, second in Division I baseball. DuPlantier walked back-to-back batters, but got D.J. Wilson and Andruw Monasterio on swinging strikes to end the threat.
In the ninth, Austin Mason, recently activated after a 50-game suspension, gave up a one-out ground rule double to Eugene cleanup hitter Matt Rose. Initially called a home run by home plate umpire Ben Phillips, milb.tv replay review showed the ball clearly bounced over the fence. After a brief protest from Hops manager Shelley Duncan, the call was reversed. After a walk to Chris Pieters, Mason fanned Jose Paniagua and Marcus Mastrobuoni back-to-back to end the game.
Trevor Simms, the first of four Hops relievers, got credit for the win. The 32nd round draft pick and former Tulane University kicker allowed one hit and no runs over five innings, striking out three with one base on balls. One night after five Hops pitchers combined for 15 strikeouts and no walks, the Hops fanned 11 Eugene batters, while walking six.
Eugene took the first lead when Mastrobuoni doubled to the wall in right center and scored on an error at short. The Hops retaliated in the bottom of the inning when Justin Chigbogu, batting against the shift, belted a double off the wall in left field, later scoring when Matt Railey chopped a single that bounded over the head of the first baseman Pieters.
Jefferson, a first-year shortstop who slugged 12 home runs at Pepperdine in the spring, blasted his first pro homer to left field with two outs in the fifth, giving the Hops a 2-1 lead. The Hops added two more runs in the sixth when Chigbogu laced a single to center with runners at second and third, Josh Anderson scoring from second when the ball caromed off his glove in center.
Chigbogu, who slugged 23 home runs in 91 games two years ago in the Dodgers system, went 2-for-3 with a walk. Three of the Hops six hits went for extra bases. One night after being held to just two hits and no runs, the Hops limited Eugene to just three hits.
The teams wrap up the three-game series Wednesday at 1:05 p.m. with Anfernee Benitez, the Hops' opening-night winning pitcher, getting the start against Pedro Silverio, who will be making his first appearance for Eugene. Catch the live broadcast starting at 12:30 p.m. on Rip City Radio 620 AM.
Northwest League Stories from June 22, 2016
- Ems Trip Hops in Series Finale - Hillsboro Hops
- School Night and Weenie Wednesday with the Dust Devils - Tri-City Dust Devils
- Dust Devils Unable to Keep up with Indians in Second Game of the Series - Tri-City Dust Devils
- C's Respond To Opening Night Blowout With 6-5 Win - Vancouver Canadians
- Volcanoes' Drop Game 2 to Hawks - Salem-Keizer Volcanoes
- Hops Clean up Their Act at Home - Hillsboro Hops
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