J-Rod Jams Tribe as Hops Break out Bats
June 20, 2015 - Northwest League (NWL1)
Hillsboro Hops News Release
SPOKANE VALLEY - As Jared Miller's Vanderbilt Commodores cruised to their second straight College World Series final, the Hops' Vandy Man was making it look easy in the Lilac City.
Miller (1-0) struck out a career-high nine batters and didn't walk a man through six 3-hit innings and the Hops supported the 6-7 lefty with a 13-hit attack in a 10-3 victory in front of 7,023 fans at Avista Stadium Friday night.
The win evens the Hops with the rest of the seven Northwest League teams as all four opening series are split after two games.
Miller retired 14 out of 15 baterrs from the second until the sixth inning, allowing only a LeDarious Clark infield single in the third.
Meanwhile, the Hops offense, held to just six hits in a 6-5 loss opening night, got untracked early against Indians' starter Emerson Martinez (0-1).
Leading 1-0 in the third, Dane McFarland hit the first of two doubles to send Sergio Alcantara to third base, from where he would score on a Luis Veras ground out to third. Trevor Mitsui followed with a base hit to plate McFarland to make it 3-0.
In the fourth, Galli Cribbs, Jr. tripled in a run, ending Martinez' night after 3 1/3 innings. Cribbs would score on a wild pitch to put the Hops of 5-0.
The Indians finally broke through for a pair of runs off Miller in the sixth when Yeyfrey Yrizarri hit a broken bat double to left putting runners at second and third. LeDarious Clark, hit by a Miller pitch with one out, scored on an infield hit by Ti'Quan Forbes and Yrizarri followed him home on shortstop Sergio Alcantara's second throwing error in as many nights.
In the seventh inning, the Indians put two runners on bringing the tying run to the plate against Hops reliever Cody Greer, who fanned Clark to end the threat.
Then Hillsboro put the game away with a five-run eighth inning, capped by Fernery Ozuna's three-run homer to left, one of five extra base hits on the night for the Hops.
The Tribe would tack on one more run as flame-throwing reliver Ariel Hernandez made a wild Hillsboro debut, walking the first two batters he faced before surrendering an RBI single to Sherman Lacrus. Hernandez hit 100 mph on the radar gun during the inning and 99 several times as he found his groove and fanned three straight Indians batters to close out the inning.
McFarland and Alcantara each had two hits and two runs scored, while Veras went 3-for-6 at the plate. Yrizarri scored two of Spokane's three runs and went 2-for-4 at the plate.
Game three of the series is at 6:30 p.m. Saturday night as Diamondbacks 2014 2nd round draft pick Cody Reed makes his HIllsboro debut on the mound. Tune in to Rip City Radio 620 for live coverage starting with the pre-game show at 6:00 p.m. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.
Northwest League Stories from June 20, 2015
- Vancouver strands nine on-base, walk six in 4-0 loss to Volcanoes - Vancouver Canadians
- Patience at the plate leads Volcanoes to another win - Salem-Keizer Volcanoes
- Hillsboro Hops at Spokane Indians - Hillsboro Hops
- J-Rod Jams Tribe as Hops Break out Bats - Hillsboro Hops
- AquaSox Late Rallies Come up Short - Everett AquaSox
- Indians' Offense Falters in Loss to Hops - Spokane Indians
- Salem-Keizer Earns First Victory of Season - Salem-Keizer Volcanoes
- Errors Costly in Canadians First Loss - Vancouver Canadians
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