Five-Run Seventh Leads Hops to 7-6 Win in Everett

EVERETT, WASH. (April 8, 2025) --- In the Northwest League’s most hitter-friendly ballpark, no lead is safe.

The Hops trailed the Everett Aquasox 6-2 entering the late innings on Tuesday night at Everett Memorial Stadium. But there were reasons for hope: the Hops’ vaunted offense had been threatening, and the ballpark allows a lot of longballs. Sure enough, a five-run top of the seventh --- highlighted by first baseman Ben McLaughlin’s three-run home run --- turned the game around. And Hillsboro’s bullpen then shut down Everett to seal a 7-6 win in the series opener.

Hillsboro (3-1) is alone in first place in the Northwest League for the first time since April 15, 2023. Everett (2-2) is a game back, tied with Vancouver and Spokane.

The Hops had squandered a chance in the top of the fifth, coming up empty in a bases-loaded, one-out situation. But in the seventh, when presented with another opportunity, they capitalized.

Druw Jones led off the inning against Everett reliever Jose Zerpa by doubling inside the bag at first, and Cristofer Torin drew a walk. One out later, Ryan Waldschmidt singled home a run. Stefan Raeth came out of the Everett bullpen to replace Zerpa, and immediately struck out Hops DH Angel Ortiz for the second out. Raeth then got ahead of Hops third baseman Jansel Luis 0-2, and was one pitch away from escaping further damage. Luis, though, went with an outside pitch and singled through the left side to cut the deficit to 6-4. And McLaughlin followed with his short-porch three-run homer to right-center, putting the Hops up by a run.

That would be enough for Hillsboro’s bullpen. The Hops had already gotten great relief work from right-hander Hayden Durke, who struck out all four to face him, stranding the bases loaded in the fifth and working a 1-2-3 sixth. After the five-run rally to grab the lead, lefty Philip Abner worked a pair of hitless, scoreless innings --- pitching around a two-out error and a walk in the bottom of the seventh --- to maintain the lead. And Luke Craig, the Hops’ third left-handed reliever of the night, retired the side in order in the ninth on two strikeouts and a ground-out to earn his first save. Durke (1-0) got the win.

Hops starter Daniel Nunez was hit hard in his High-A debut, allowing six runs on seven hits (including three home runs) in 3.1 innings. Lazaro Montes and Josh Caron hit solo home runs in the second, and the Sox pieced together four hits for two more runs in the third, and led 4-0.

That deficit was cut in half when Luis homered for Hillsboro in the top of the fourth to make it 4-2, but Carson Jones answered with a two-run dinger of his own in the bottom of the fourth to put Everett in front 6-2.

Druw Jones, Waldschmidt, Luis and McLaughlin all had two-hit games for Hillsboro.

The series continues on Wednesday night at 7:05. Because of a conflict with the Portland Trail Blazers, the Hops will not air as normal on Rip City Radio 620, nor on the regular online stream. Instead, the game will air only on the alternate stream, at https://www.iheart.com/live/7052. Airtime will be 6:50PM. (This will happen only one other time this season, on Friday night. All remaining Hops games will air on 620AM and on the normal online stream.)