Down and Dirty! C's win thriller over Hops
(Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium - Vancouver, BC) - After blowing a five-run lead with just two outs to go, the Vancouver Canadians managed to pull out a victory in the bottom of the 10th inning when SS Christian Vasquez atoned for an earlier error by hitting a walk-off single to give his team a 9-8 victory over the Hillsboro Hops on Friday afternoon at Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium.
Vancouver took an 8-3 lead into the final inning with closer RHP Chuck Ghysels on the mound, but he allowed the first four runners to reach base, giving up a run in the process. He then struck out the next two batters, but 1B George Roberts hit a three-run double with two outs that brought Hillsboro to within one. The game appeared to be over when C Elvin Soto hit a line drive to Vasquez - who was replacing an injured SS Dickie Thon - but he dropped the ball, allowing the tying run to score.
After the C's failed to score in the ninth and LHP Joe Spano pitched a scoreless top of the tenth, 2B David Harris hit a single to lead off the bottom half of the frame and was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by CF Chaz Frank. LF Brenden Kalfus struck out next, but Vasquez stepped up to the plate with two outs and delivered a single down the left field line, picking up his first hit in 22 at-bats and giving the C's the win.
The Canadians got on the board in the first inning, scoring four runs before Hillsboro starter RHP Braden Shipley could record an out. They had four hits in the frame and took advantage of two wild pitches and an error, with Thon and 3B Andy Fermin both hitting RBI base knocks. The lead was pushed to six by the third on RBIs from Kalfus and Fermin.
Canadians starter RHP Jeremy Gabryszwski had a no-hitter through four innings, but Hillsboro got to him in the fifth when DH Ryan Kinsella hit an RBI double. They added two more the following inning when 3B Cesar Carrasco hit a two-run double, but that was all the offence they could muster off of Gabryszwski. He pitched six innings, allowing the three runs on four hits while striking out two before turning it over to the bullpen; RHP Matt Johnson pitched two scoreless innings before Ghysels gave up the five unearned runs in the ninth.
With the win, Vancouver moves to 5-6 in the second half of the 2013 Northwest League season and 27-22 overall, while Hillsboro falls to 6-5 and 17-32.
Game three of this five-game goes tomorrow night at 7:05pm, and it is a Fireworks Extravaganza Night presented by WestJet. Vancouver will send local boy RHP Tom Robson to the mound, while Hillsboro will counter with RHP Jose Martinez. Tickets to that game and all games in the series can be purchased by calling 604.872.5232 or by visiting the Nat Bailey Stadium Box Office at 4601 Ontario Street.