Extra, Extra...Hops Win Third Straight

In the five-year history of the Hillsboro Hops, only one team has a winning record against them. Not for long at this rate.
Hillsboro backed another strong start by Riley Smith with nine extra-base hits--including another monster game from Daulton Varsho--in a 9-2 victory over the Vancouver Canadians Monday night at Nat Bailey Stadium.

The Hops have taken three straight from the C's in the five-game series with two games to play. A five-game sweep, almost unheard of in that venue, would give Hillsboro a winning record north of the border.
Varsho gave the Hops all the runs they would need with two swings of the bat. A bases-clearing double gave Hillsboro a 3-0 lead in the first. Varsho again cleaned the bases in the third, driving in Eudy Ramos and Drew Ellis with another two-bagger to put the Hops up 5-0.
Varsho ended the night with three doubles, going 4-for-5 with five runs batted in. Drew Ellis did a fine job of setting the table for the first-year Hops' catcher, scoring four runs, while going 3-for-4 at the plate. Ellis added his third home run of the season in the seventh inning, the first of three Hops runs in that frame to put them up 9-1.
Riley Smith lowered his season earned run average to 1.96, allowing five hits and one earned run over six innings with one strikeout and two bases on balls. One of the walks came around to score in the fifth inning after a Brock Lundquist double and Deiferson Barreto RBI ground out scored Cullen Large.
Vancouver took advantage of reliever Pierce Romero's wildness in the ninth, parlaying three walks and a balk into their final run before Cal Becker came on to record the final out.
The Hops outhit Vancouver 12-5 as Varsho, Ellis, Camden Duzenack (2-5, double, RBI) and Tim Susnara (2-3, double, run, RBI) all provided multiple hits. 
Game four of the series comes your way live on RIp City Radio 620 AM Tuesday night, with the pregame show airing at 6:35 p.m. and first pitch at 7:05.