Hops Pitching Continues Dominance in 8-1 Win Over Tri-City

PASCO, WASH. --- It's early yet... but if what we've seen so far is any indication, the Hillsboro Hops are going to be a force in 2019.
The Hops used an 11-hit attack for an 8-1 win in the opener of a four-game series at Tri-City on Monday. Hillsboro pitchers have now gone 33 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run, and they've allowed just two earned runs in the season's first four games... a staff earned run average of 0.51.

Hops starting pitcher Deyni Olivero worked the first five innings, allowing four hits and an unearned run, with two walks and four strikeouts. Jared Miller (1 ip), Jacob Stevens (2.2 ip) and Bryan Menendez (0.1 ip) took it from there.
The Hops got on the board in the third inning when shortstop Ricky Martinez led off with a single to center, then stole the first base of his professional career. Second baseman Steven Leyton drew an 11-pitch walk, and Andy Yerzy followed with a bad-hop RBI single to right field. Jesus Marriaga's sacrifice fly made it 2-0 Hops.
Hillsboro added a run in the fourth on a triple by Lucas Herbert and a sacrifice fly from Martinez, then pulled away in the late innings.
Three Tri-City errors helped lead to three more Hops runs in the seventh, highlighted by an RBI double by Herbert and an RBI single by Leyton. And in the ninth --- facing a position player as pitcher, Tri-City infielder Luke Becker --- the Hops added two more on bases-loaded walks drawn by Ryan January and Herbert.
The Hops (3-1) are in a first-place tie with Salem-Keizer in the South Division. Tri-City (1-3) is two games behind first-place Spokane in the North.
Game two of the four-game series at Tri-City is Tuesday night at 7:15, with the radio broadcast beginning at 7:00 on Rip City Radio 620AM.