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NWL1 Hillsboro Hops

Plop: Hops Drop Opener, Fall into Second

July 16, 2015 - Northwest League (NWL1)
Hillsboro Hops News Release


EUGENE, ORE. --- The streak had to end sometime, didn't it?

Hillsboro starting pitchers had gone 37 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run until Eugene scored a run off Tyler Bolton in the bottom of the 4th on Wednesday night at P.K. Park. That opened the floodgates --- in the bottom of the fifth, the first seven batters notched hits, and all seven scored. Eugene overcame a 3-1 deficit en route to an 8-4 win.

The loss drops Hillsboro (15-12) into a second-place tie with Eugene (15-12). Both clubs are one game behind Salem Keizer (16-11), which won its sixth straight at home over Boise. Each team has 11 games remaining in the first-half pennant race.

Things were looking good for Hillsboro in the top of the fifth. Bolton had pitched out of a bases-loaded, nobody out jam in the bottom of the fourth, allowing just one run, and his team responded with a rally. Jose Queliz and Fernery Ozuna singled, and Zach Nehrir hit a booming triple to right-center to drive home two and chase Emeralds starter Oscar De La Cruz from the game. Stephen Dezzi then chopped an RBI double over first base off reliever Francisco Carrillo, and the Hops had a 3-1 lead for Bolton.

That changed. Quickly.

The Emeralds' Blake Headley led off the bottom of the fifth with a double, followed by six consecutive singles --- from Ho-Young Son, Donnie Dewees, Frandy De La Rosa, Ian Happ, Eloy Jimenez and Justin Marra (the final three off reliever Joe Donino). When the dust had settled, Eugene had sent 11 men to the plate and had scored seven times, nearly double the previous high allowed by the Hops in a single inning this year (four).

Carrillo pitched well in relief, allowing just a single run in his 3-2/3 innings, when Josh Anderson doubled and Gerard Hernandez singled him home with two out in the eighth. Jared Cheek worked a 1-2-3 ninth to close out the Ems' win.

Nehrir (six games), Anderson (five games) Nate Robertson (five games) each extended hitting streaks. Ozuna was 3-for-5.

Ariel Hernandez worked two scoreless innings out of the Hops' bullpen, and Kevin Simmons had one scoreless frame.

Game two of the three-game series is Thursday night at 7:05. Left-hander Jared Miller (5-0, 0.77) will go for the Hops. Lefty Kyle Twomey (0-0, 6.00) gets the ball for Eugene. The radio pregame show begins at 6:35 on Rip City Radio 620AM and www.RipCityRadio.com.

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Northwest League Stories from July 16, 2015


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