Big Inning Dooms C's Sunday

HILLSBORO, OR – A seven-run bottom of the sixth crushed the Canadians’ chances at a five-game winning streak heading into the All-Star Break, as the Hops [AZ] handed the C’s a 7-6 loss Sunday afternoon at Hillsboro Ballpark.

Leading 4-0 after five and a half, Vancouver sent Julio Ortiz back to the mound after a scoreless fifth. He gave up a lead-off double, threw two wild pitches to let home a run, got a strikeout but allowed that man to reach on another wild pitch then issued a walk to bring the tying run to the plate. A pitching change brought JJ Sanchez into the game. He hit the first man he faced then saw an error behind him allow two runs to score. After a walk, Sanchez surrendered a go-ahead two-RBI single to Kevin Sim. The Hops added two more runs before the inning was over to lead 7-4.

The C’s made it interesting in the ninth. Three straight singles from Nic Deschamps, Bryce Arnold and Jay Harry loaded the bases. Consecutive groundouts brought in Deschamps and Arnold, but Harry was stranded at third with a game-ending flyout to hand Vancouver its second loss of the series.

A three-run top of the first started the scoring. Cutter Coffey singled, Eddie Micheletti Jr. walked and Arjun Nimmala got hit by a pitch before Sean Keys was walked to force home a run. Nick Goodwin laced a two-out, two-RBI single to centre later in the inning to make it 3-0.

Coffey added another hit to his ledger in the fourth, this time with a two-out RBI knock that increased the C’s lead to four.

Starter Gage Stanifer looked solid over three scoreless. He scattered two hits, a walk and two strikeouts.

With the loss, the C’s drop to 12-8 in the second half while remaining the overall top team in the Northwest League at 49-37.

After the All-Star Break, the Canadians return to action Friday, July 18 to take on Spokane [COL] at The Nat.