Yogey is the Hero Again as Hops Win in 11 Innings, Move Alone Into First

Another matinee at Hillsboro Ballpark. More extra innings. And yet another game-ending hit for Hops left fielder Yogey Perez-Ramos.

The Hillsboro Hops (3-1 in the second half, 14-28 overall) defeated the Everett Aquasox (2-2, 25-17) 4-3 in 11 innings on Friday afternoon in the Hops' lone weekday day game of the season. Perez-Ramos' bases-loaded single to left field off Min-Sih Chen scored pinch-runner Jordan Parr with the game-winner. Eugene lost at home to Vancouver, and for the first time in franchise history, the Hillsboro Hops are alone in first place in the South Division.

It was the Hops' fourth walkoff win of the year-all in extra innings-and the affable Perez-Ramos, a fan-favorite in Hillsboro, has three of the game-winning hits.

Hillsboro's starting pitcher, Aaron Blair (0-0), worked five innings, allowing three hits (including a solo home run by Everett's Christian Carmichael) and two runs. Although Blair again didn't get a decision, the Hops won for the fourth time in his five starts. Relievers Blake Forslund, J.R. Bradley and Will Locante combined to allow just one unearned run on five hits, one walk and five strikeouts in six innings. Locante (2-1) picked up the win.

Everett scored first in the top of the second on Carmichael's long home run to left, then added a second run in the top of the third on an RBI single by Jack Reinheimer. Hillsboro scored single runs in the fourth, fifth and seventh on a sacrifice fly by George Roberts, a single by Perez-Ramos and a ground ball by Perez-Ramos. Everett tied it with a run in the top of the eighth, and it remained tied until the 11th.

The last three day games at Hillsboro Ballpark have gone a combined 43 innings. On July 7th, Hillsboro outlasted Vancouver 5-4 in 19 innings; and on July 21st, the Hops beat Spokane 5-4 in 13 innings.

Perez-Ramos also had a game-ending single in the bottom of the 10th inning against Vancouver on July 5th, and a walkoff double against Spokane on July 21st.

Hillsboro has won six of their last nine games, their best stretch of the season. And this win combined with the previous day's 1-0 victory at Salem-Keizer marks the Hops' second two-game winning streak of the season, both in the past week.

The Hops have four more games on the homestand against Everett, the Mariners' affiliate: 7:05 Saturday, 5:35 Sunday, and 7:05 Monday and Tuesday (all times Pacific). The pregame show on Fox Sports Radio 620 and online at www.foxsportsradio620.com begins 30 minutes prior to each night's first pitch. Rich Burk and Matt Richert will call the action.

 

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