Stephen Smith picked the right time to hit his first home run of his professional career as his three run blast helped lift the Hillsboro Hops past the Boise Hawks, 8-3. Smith’s home run in the third inning gave his team a 4-0 lead that would be enough to win the game. After Boise came back within one run, the Hops blasted their way to a five run lead just to make sure.

The third inning began with an Adam Walton single and a walk by Chad Oberacker to set the stage. Stephen Smith came to the plate and hit a deep shot to left and the crowd rose hoping to help it out of the park. Hawks left fielder Bobby Stahel made a leaping attempt to snatch it but it cleared the fence and the outreached glove for the three run blast. Smith followed Walton and Oberacker across the plate for what would prove to be the winning run.

It wasn’t for sure though as the Hawks closed to 4-3 in the fifth from a four run deficit. With two outs, Antony Brito doubled to left and moved to third on Wesley Jones’ single. Wilkyns Jimenez followed with a ground rule double that bounced off the top of the left field fence before going over and scored Brito, leaving the two runners in scoring position. Garret Hampson came up to the plate and smacked Boise’s third double of the inning to clear the bases and draw within one run.

The Hops pitchers took care of any problem Boise might offer after that but not before starting Hops pitcher Junior Garcia pitched himself out of a jam in the fifth. The four innings prior, Garcia pitched a potential no-hitter through the first four innings. The wheels came off in the fifth leading to the shrinking lead. After Garcia got Daniel Suero to ground out to end the damaging fifth inning, the Hops bullpen took over.

Curtis Taylor came to the mound with his 95 mph fastball and, except for a walk to Willie Abreu, made the inning easy work. Colin Poche made the seventh inning look easier despite opening with a walk to Antony Brito. Poche got Wesley Jones to strike out and then the Hops defense turned Wilkyns Jimenez ground ball into a strange double play. The ball bounced sharply back to Poche on the mound and he quickly threw Jimenez out at first. Brito launched to second on the play and mistakenly thought Poche had snagged a line drive instead of fielding a one-bouncer, starting walking away from second base. Alertly, first baseman Ramon Hernandez threw to second where Brito was tagged out.

The final two innings were a work in mastery by closer Riley Smith. In the eighth, he took care of business by striking out the side. Smith continued in the ninth with two more strikeouts. Before he could close up shop, Bobby Stahel hits the second ground rule double of the night. With two strikes, batter Antony Brito lined a sharp drive towards second that Adam Walton snagged before it could reach the outfield to end the game. During those two innings, Riley Smith threw 27 pitches. Including foul balls, 20 of them were strikes.

Junior Garcia (W, 1-0) hung on for the win and Riley Smith (S, 1) protected the game with a save.

For the Hops, Stephen Smith went 3 for 4, including his three run blast. Adam Walton went 2 for 4 and scored. In all, seven Hops batters would cross the plate including Chad Oberacker twice. Alexis Olmeda doubled and scored. Ramon Hernandez tripled and scored.

The Hillsboro Hops (1-0) started the second half with a win and are tied with Salem-Keizer for the division lead early in the second half. The Boise Hawks (0-1) are tied with Eugene at one game behind. Both teams continue at Ron Tonkin Field Wednesday night for game two of the series. The Hops lead 1-0.

Boxscore

by Greg Stoker
@GDStoker