Frogs Jolt Hops Early, Salvage Series Finale

Hillsboro's second-ever five-game series sweep was not to be Monday night as the visiting Everett AquaSox supplied the early fireworks in an 8-4 victory over the Hops.
All eight runs came early for the AquaSox off Hops' starting pitcher Mitchell Aker, who surrendered three home runs and was out of the game after facing one batter in the third.

Down 8-0, the Hops bullpen stymied Everett the rest of the way as five pitchers combined to limit the AquaSox to no runs and just two baserunners over the final seven innings. But Hillsboro could only slice away half the lead as its four-game winning streak came to an end.
David Banuelos' three-run homer capped a six-run first inning as the AquaSox batted around. Bryan Hernandez launched his second home run of the year with one out in the second inning and Eugene Helder blasted his second to lead off the third inning. All three home runs came on belt-high fastballs middle-in.
Limited to one baserunner in the first three innings against Andres Torres, who resembles a beefier Bruno Mars, Hillsboro opened the fourth inning with three straight hits and a run. Camden Duzenack tripled to right-center and scored on Eudy Ramos' single to left. Pavin Smith followed with a sharp single to center field. Torres responded by striking out the next two batters before a walk to Stephen Smith loaded the bases. Ryan Grotjohn, who drove rightfielder Austin Grebeck to the warning track in his first pro at bat, worked the count to 3-2 and sent another deep fly to right, but not deep enough.
Billy Endris led off the eighth inning with a home run to right on the first pitch from David Hesslink. Yan Sanchez followed with a triple and scored on Duzenack's sacrifice fly to right. The Hops got two more baserunners on an error and a Cole Thompson base hit before Hesslink got Daulton Varsho to ground out harmlessly to second.
In the ninth, the Hops plated one more run on a Sanchez ground out to score Grotjohn, who reached on a fielders choice.
Everett outhit the Hops 9-8 and each team committed one error. Greifer Andrade went 2-4 with a pair of doubles and two runs batted in. Helder also had two hits for the Frogs. Stephen Smith was the only Hop to reach base twice.
Two Hops pitchers made their NWL debuts along with Grotjohn. Brian Shaffer, a sixth-round draft pick out of Maryland, pitched a scoreless fifth inning with two strikeouts. Matt Brill, a 12^th-rounder from Appalachian State, retired the side in the sixth with one strikeout. The Hops pen combined for nine strikeouts, no walks and just two hits allowed.
The Hops now head off on a seven-game road trip that takes in two games at Salem-Keizer and five at Spokane. Tuesday night's game is at 6:35 p.m. with the pregame airtime at 6:05 p.m. on Rip City Radio 620 AM.