Hops Bats Explode in Pre-4th of July Fireworks 

The Hillsboro Hops won their second straight, defeating the Eugene Emeralds 8-5 on Saturday night at Ron Tonkin Field. The Hops bats were hot out of the gate, scoring four runs in the first inning and they never looked back.

On a rehab outing on his way back up to the show, Arizona Diamondbacks' pitcher Taylor Widener got the nod for the Hops. The right hander posted a 2.63 ERA in 24 innings pitched before going on the injured list. Widener struggled with his command in the first, allowing Will Wilson to score on a wild pitch to give the Emeralds the early lead.

Hillsboro's bats were hot out of the gate, putting up a four-spot in the bottom of the first. With one out, Spencer Brickhouse and Tristin English drew back-to-back walks and Andy Yerzy tied it up with an RBI single. With runners on second and third now, Eduardo Diaz belted a three-run blast to put the Hops up 4-1.

Eugene's bats bounced right back, tagging Widener for three runs in the top of the second. Brett Auerbach delivered the tying two-run single on a line drive to center field. However, the Hops kept their foot on the gas in their half of the frame, regaining the lead with two more runs. Cam Coursey led off with a double and took third base on a wild pitch by Ems starter Kai-Wei Teng. The next batter Jorge Barrosa was drilled to put runners on the corners with one out. Teng continued to struggle with his command and helped the Hops regain the lead with a passed ball that brought Coursey into score and Barrosa to move to second. The Hops added run on an RBI single by English to extend the lead to 6-4.

Widener settled into a groove, tossing scoreless innings in the third and fourth. The big leaguer's night was finished after four innings, allowing four earned runs and striking out six. The Hops bats continued to thrive in the early innings, adding two more runs in their half of the third. Diaz led off with a single for his second hit of the night, then a bunt base-hit by Nick Dalesandro put runners on at first and second with nobody out. After a wild pitch moved the runners over, Reece Hampton provided insurance with a two-RBI single to put the Hops up 8-4.

Coming out of the bullpen, Justin Vernia took over for Widener and tossed four strong innings. Despite recent struggles, Vernia earned his first win of the season and kept the Emeralds' bats at bay. With a three-run lead in the ninth, Yaramil Hiraldo closed the door with a one-two-three inning, earning his first save of the season.

Hillsboro (21-30) will face off against Eugene (33-18) in the final game of the series tomorrow at 7:05 p.m. The game will air on Rip City Radio AM with the pregame coverage beginning at 6:50 p.m.