Hock spins career-high 7.0 innings in loss

Grasshoppers offense struggles against Shorebirds

By Josh Feldman

August 25, 2018

GREENSBORO, N.C. (August 25, 2018) -- Colton Hock tossed a career-high 7.0 innings but suffered the loss as the Grasshoppers fell to the Shorebirds, 7-3, in front of 7,135 fans on Saturday night at First National Bank Field. Both Hock and Delmarva starting pitcher Luis Perez worked seven complete innings as Greensboro (23-35 Second Half, 57-70 Overall) dropped its third straight game in the series.
Delmarva scored an unearned run in the second inning before building a 4-run cushion thanks on Ryan Ripken's 3-run home run (7) in the fourth inning. Brandon Becker added an RBI-single to plate Ben Breazeale in the fifth inning for a 5-0 lead.
Greensboro struggled at the plate through the game's early stages as Perez retired the first 16 Hoppers hitters. With one out in the bottom of the sixth, Sam Castro walked, and Garvis Lara followed with a flare to right field for the team's first hit of the night. Two batters later, Thomas Jones tripled in Castro and Lara to put Greensboro on the board, trailing 5-2.
Denis Karas added an RBI-double in the seventh, scoring Isael Soto, to cut the Shorebirds lead to two, however the visitors responded with two runs in the eighth to pull away.
Perez (4-3) earned the win, allowing three runs on four hits in 7.0 innings, striking out eight and walking one. Diogenes Almengio tossed the final 2.0 frames for Delmarva to close the game.
Hock (9-7) suffered the loss, despite completing 7.0 innings of work for the first time in his professional career. The former Stanford hurler allowed five runs (four earned) on nine hits while striking out five and walking none. Steven Farnworth and Michael Mertz each tossed 1.0 inning of relief.
The Grasshoppers have dropped nine straight at home, including six games from August 9-13 and the first three of this 8-game home stand.
The Hoppers and Shorebirds wrap up this 4-game series on Sunday at 4:00 p.m. as Greensboro looks to avoid a sweep. Gates open at 3:00 p.m., and tickets are available online at gsohoppers.com.