G67: Hillsboro fights back to win game two 7-1 to force rubber match

[Empty Body]

Hillsboro, OR: The Boise Hawks played a great five innings.
Unfortunately for the Hawks, they failed to take the same momentum from the first five into the last four. The Hillsboro Hops were forced to make a response after Boise's 5-1 statement win last night at Ron Tonkin Field. Tonight, they were hoping fort he same as they sent the crafty lefty Nick Kennedy to the mound.
Kennedy came into the night with a 2-1 record so far in his rookie campaign. He got off to a roaring start. While working 1-2-3 innings in four of the first five innings, he kept the Hawks rolling. In a tough situation for Kennedy, he did not receive any run support. The Hawks only managed one run in the game that only came in the 8th inning.
With a 0-0 tie going into the 6th inning, Kennedy came out for another inning of work hoping for the same results as the first five, no runs. Hillsboro, who was rolling through their lineup for the third time, led off the inning with two base hits from Ryan Tufts and Ryan Dobson.
The game was broken open on a RBI sac fly from Ryan Grotjohn. A deep fly to centerfield made it impossible for J.B. Moss to get the relay throw in quick enough to make a play at the plate. Tufts scored and made it 1-0. Kennedy was then pulled for Jesse Lepore. After working the final two outs of the 6th, Lepore came out for the 7th.
Hillsboro extended their lead to 3-0 on a two-run home run from catcher Daulton Varsho. A line drive over the left field wall bounced off of the glove of left fielder Daniel Jipping as he was trying to rob it.
Close, but no cigar.
The Hawks were never able to get anything started against Hillsboro starter Tyler Vail. Vail came into the game 0-3 with a 6.26 ERA, but he didn't look that way. In seven shutout innings, Vail, the seventh year pro Vail and an original 5th-round pick by Oakland out of high school in 2010, kept the Hops in the game all night. In the end, he struck out eight Hawks. The only blemish of the game for Vail was an RBI single by Bret Boswell. For Boswell, he now leads the team with 42 RBI on the season.
Additionally, Danny Edgeworth continued his hitting streak to 22 games with a double in the top of the 2nd.
Boise ended up losing the game 7-1 after a four run bottom of the 8th by the Hops. This forces a series-deciding rubber match tomorrow afternoon at 2:05 p.m. MT. Pearson McMahan will take the ball for the Hawks as they try and take two out of three from the Hops.