NWL1 Hillsboro Hops

No Sweep for You

July 29, 2016 - Northwest League (NWL1)
Hillsboro Hops News Release


Playing in their first game of the series, Boise outfielders Steven Linkous and Ryan Stephens each went 3-for-5 with two runs scored as the Hawks salvaged the final game series with a 9-3 win at Ron Tonkin Field.

The Hawks outhit the Hops 11-5 after being held to a combined eight hits in the first two games of the series.

Mack Lemieux, a 19-year-old lefthander from Jupiter, Florida, was the losing pitcher in his Hillsboro debut. Lemieux, drafted in the 6th round by the Arizona Diamondbacks after his freshman year at Palm Beach State College, allowed two runs on four hits with two strikeouts, two walks and a hit batter in two innings. Fellow teenager Antonio Santos, a Dominican in just his second year of pro ball, struck out three and walked one in 5+ innings to record the win in his 16th professional appearance.

Linkous, batting leadoff, opened the game with a bunt single. Lemieux fielded the ball cleanly but his underhand toss to first did not beat the speedy former UNC Wilmington Seahawk. Linkous swiped second base and tagged and advanced to third on Daniel Suero's fly out to center. Jacob Bosiokovic drove him in with a bloop double down the right field line, his Northwest League-leading 17th extra base hit of the season.

The Hops evened the score in their half of the first when Marcus Wilson singled, went to second on a fielder's choice and scored on Josh Anderson's single to left. Hillsboro had three hits in the first inning off Santos, but would get only one more runner on base until the sixth inning.

Meanwhile, Lemieux departed after a shaky second inning after allowing two hits and two walks, Boise's second run scoring on Daniel's Suero's bases-loaded ground out to second. Garrett Hampson walked to reload the bases before Lemieux got a huge out, fanning Bosiokovic on three pitches.

Hops reliever Trevor Simms tossed two scoreless innings but ran into trouble in the fifth. Simms hit Bosiokovic with a pitch and issued a pair of walks and two hits, but the most damaging play came with the bases loaded and one out. Stephens hit a slow roller up the first base line. Simms fielded the ball and tried to throw home, but pulled catcher Alexis Olmeda off the plate. The Hawks went on to score four runs in the inning to take a 6-1 lead.

Ramon Hernandez went 2 for 4 with 2 RBI for Hillsboro, hit two-run single pulling Hillsboro to within 6-3 in the sixth. With none out in the inning, the Hawks made a pitching change. Reliver Justin Calomeni fanned Justin Chigbogu, then got Olmeda to ground into an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play to end the threat.

Ben DeLuzio, a free agent signee out of Florida State, made his Hops debut, popping out to shortstop in the eighth inning pinch-hitting for Marcus Wilson..

The Hops honored the Portland Beavers by wearing 1956 throwback uniforms.

The Hops welcome in the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes for three games this weekend. Friday night's game will be televised on Comcast SportsNet Northwest at 7 p.m., the first of three televised games this season. Radio pregame on Rip City Radio 620 AM will begin at 6:35 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 July 29, 2016


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