Emeralds Beat Hops 6-4, Cap Six-Game Sweep

EUGENE, ORE. (April 23, 2023) --- The Hillsboro Hops played perhaps their best game of the series, but the result was the same: a win for Eugene. The Emeralds beat the Hops 6-4 on Sunday night at P.K. Park to cap a six-game sweep. It was Hillsboro's eighth consecutive loss.

Hops left fielder Gary Mattis Jr. started the scoring with a solo home run in the top of the third, his first of the season. The next batter, Wilderd Patino, bunted for a hit, with Ems starting pitcher Matt Mikulski and third baseman Luis Toribio both staying in the game after a violent collision on the play. Patino stole second, his 11th of the year, and later scored on Jesus Valdez's sacrifice fly to put Hillsboro up 2-0.

Hillsboro went with a bullpen day, with newcomer Eli Saul getting the starting nod. Saul, the Diamondbacks' 13th-round draft choice out of Sacramento State last year, flashed a mid-90s fastball, and tossed two scoreless innings to begin the game.

In the third, however, he walked Max Wright, and Eugene's number-nine hitter, Ghordy Santos, belted his first homer of the year, a two-run clout that tied the game 2-2.

The Hops regained the lead in the top of the fourth on a double by Ramses Malave, a bunt single by Channy Ortiz and an RBI ground out by S.P. Chen. But, again, the Ems responded immediately.

Eugene notched four consecutive hits off Hops reliever Dillon Larsen to start the fourth inning, highlighted by a triple from Victor Bericoto and an RBI double by Luis Toribio, and Eugene led 4-3. It could have been worse --- with runners at second and third and none out and two runs already home, Larsen retired the next three hitters to escape further damage.

More damage came, however, in the bottom of the fifth. Listher Sosa, the third pitcher for Hillsboro, issued a pair of one-out walks, and Ems right fielder Jared DuPere capitalized with a two-run double, the biggest blow of the game, for a 6-3 lead.

Mikulski allowed three runs on seven hits in four innings, but the Hops barely touched his successor, Ben Madison. He retired nine of the 10 hitters he faced over three innings, with five strikeouts, though the one hit was a seventh-inning solo home run by S.P. Chen to cut the deficit to 6-4.

The Hops had a chance when Eugene's Jose Cruz allowed two free passes --- a walk and hit batter --- with two outs in the top of the ninth. But Mattis grounded out to end the game.

Eugene (10-4) has built a two-game lead over Everett in the Northwest League's first-half pennant race. Hillsboro (6-9) is four and a half games out.

The Hops will play their next 12 games at home --- a six-game series vs. Tri-City (the Angels' affiliate), followed by six against Vancouver (an affiliate of the Blue Jays). Game one against Tri-City is on Tuesday night at 6:35, with airtime at 6:20 on Rip City Radio 620AM and www.RipCityRadio.com.