Hagaman Shines In Hops Historic Rout

EUGENE, Ore. --Who let the dogs in?

On a Bark At The Park Night at Eugene's P.K. Park, the Hops approached the plate like a kennel full of Cujos, collecting a season-high 19 hits on the way to a 17-1 obliteration of the playoff-bound Eugene Emeralds (36-14 second half, 68-48 overall).

The 16-run margin of victory was the largest in club history as Hillsboro (20-30, 53-63) ended a seven-game losing streak to their southern Willamette Valley rivals.

It seems a shame to have expended all that offensive energy on a night where David Hagaman (1-1) and company needed very little run support. The right hander made his third Hops start and 11th as a pro, allowing just one baserunner over five innings with a career-high eight strikeouts.

Eugene first baseman Charlie Szykowny spoiled Hagaman's perfect outing with a towering home run to right field with two outs in the fourth inning. The Egg Harbor, New Jersey native,--acquired by the Diamondbacks in a deadline deal with Texas that sent Merrill Kelly to the Rangers--set down three of the next four batters on strikeouts to complete his best outing as a pro.

By the time Szykowny went deep, Hillsboro already had a 9-0 lead. Hillsboro had multiple hits in each of the first four innings and multiple runs in the second, third and fourth, knocking Eugene starter Cesar Perdomo (7-6) out of the contest after 10 hits and eight runs over 3+ innings, one start after the lefty tossed seven shutout innings at Tri-City. The 10 hits allowed matched a career-high, while the eight runs allowed was just one off a career-high for Perdomo.

Slade Caldwell and Modeifi Marte led the hit parade. Caldwell, less than a week after his first four-hit game as a Hop, finished the night 3-for-4 with three runs and two RBI. The 19-year-old Diamondbacks #2 prospect was also part of a double steal in the third inning that saw Druw Jones swipe home. Marte homered for the second consecutive night, finishing his best effort as a Hop with three hits and a season-high four runs batted in.

Junior Franco ended an 0-for-17 slide with a pair of hits and two walks, launching a deep two-run homer in the eighth inning off Ben Peterson that nearly cleared the Player Development Building in right on the fly. Jansel Luis had a pair of doubles and three runs scored, continuing his late charge toward a Northwest League batting title by extending his current hit streak to eight games.

Yordin Chalas (1 1/3 innings), Ricardo Yan (1 2/3) and Jake Fitzgibbons (1) combined to hold Eugene scoreless over the final four innings, allowing just two hits and two walks while combining for four strikeouts.

WIth the game out of reach in the ninth and Peterson having allowed a pair of two-run homers, Eugene called on utility player Jose Ramos to try to get the final two outs. He eventually did, but not until surrendering three hits, two walks and a hit batter, topping out at 65 mph on the scoreboard radar gun as the Hops closed out the game with eight runs in the ninth.

The series resumes Thursday night with first pitch at 6:35 p.m. Pregame airtime on Rip City Radio 620 is at 6:20 p.m.