Hops Shut Down Frogs, Win 7-1
August 18, 2023 - Northwest League (NWL)
Everett AquaSox News Release
EVERETT, WA: For the second straight night, Hillsboro pitching got the best of the Everett lineup, holding the Frogs to only one run in back-to-back nights en route to the 7-1 victory on Thursday night in front of 4,298 fans.
Early on, it looked like it was going to be a pitcher's duel as both starters looked incredible out of the gate. AquaSox starter Raul Alcantara gave up no hits and struck out seven in his first three innings of work. Hillsboro starter Yilber Diaz was also dealing, as he kept Everett out of the hit column up to the third inning. That's when Victor Labrada manufactured the first run of the game by himself, doubling, stealing third, and scoring on a wild pitch.
Alcantara gave up his first hit of the game in the fourth, but it did not slow down his overall performance. Through five innings, he allowed 0 runs on one hit while striking out 10.
As Alcantara continued to sail, the Hops pulled their starter early in the game. Diaz was stellar in his own right, going four innings, allowing only one run on three hits and striking out nine. The Hops decided to go to their pen to start the fifth in the form of Ricardo Yan, who was making his High-A debut.
Unfortunately, Alcantara could not hold Hillsboro scoreless forever. The Hops put together their first real rally of the game in the sixth, scoring two on a Gino Groover RBI single and a Christian Cerda sacrifice fly. Neither runs were earned. This uprising led Manager Ryan Scott to pull his starter with two outs in the inning, bringing in Luis Curvelo.
Emboldened by their sixth inning rally, the Hops scored three more runs in the seventh on one of the more bizarre plays to ever take place at Funko Field. With runners at first and third, Junior Franco lined a double down the right field line, which would have scored one and probably two no matter what, but as it rolled down the line it settled underneath the right field wall. Gabriel Gonzalez put his arms up contesting that the hit should be ruled a ground rule double. Unfortunately for the Frogs, the umpires disagreed, and Junior Franco just kept on running, coming home for an inside the park home run to make it 5-1 Hillsboro.
The news would not get much better for Everett. Yan pitched fantastically, going four scoreless innings in relief, allowing only one hit and striking out six. Hillsboro would score two more runs and Eli Saul would close down the win for the Hops.
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