The visiting Vancouver Canadians were steady as they built a lead over the Hillsboro Hops and held the home team off to win 6-4. The winning run came in the fourth. JB Woodman smashed a solo homer over the left field fence with the score already 4-1. After a Hops explosion for three runs in the seventh, the lead was enough to hold on for the win.

The Canadians scored the first and last runs of the game. In the first, JB Woodman singled and moved to second on a wild pitch by starting Hops pitcher Anfernee Benitez. Woodman took third on Joshua Palacios’ single and snuck home when Jacob Anderson grounded to third.

The last run of the game came in the top of the ninth and was an insurance run to extend the lead to the final score of 6-4. Joshua Palacios reached base on an infield single and took second on Jacob Anderson’s groundout. Palacios hurried home on Cavan Biggio’s single up the middle.

The Canadians’ bats were busy. Nash Knight alone went 4 for 5 with a double. Joshua Palacios went 3 for 5 and scored twice, including the final run of the game. Cavan Biggio went 3 for 4, scored, tripled in the third with Palacios on base and singled in the ninth scoring Palacios again. JB Woodman homered in the fourth, going 2 for 4 and scored twice for the game. Javier Hernandez and Bryan Lizardo singled.

Except for the Hops three run seventh, Canadian pitching held the Hops back. Patrick Murphy (W, 3-4) got the win by starting and lasting through 5.2 innings giving up one run on seven hits and five strike outs. Nick Hartman (S, 1) faced Luke Lowry with Josh Anderson on first to earn the save. Gabe Noyales relieved Murphy and pitched the seventh, giving up three runs to the Hops. Grayson Huffman kept the eighth clear of hits and runs to set up stage for Hartman.

Hops bats struck for eleven hits but left nine runners on base. Jason Morozowski went 2 for 5, doubled, and scored the Hops first run to tie the game at 1-1. The first four Hops bats in the line up (Morozowski, Mark Karaviotis, Josh Anderson and Luke Lowry) went for two hits a piece. Josh Anderson’s ground rule double was a part of the Hops barrage in the seventh. Stephen Smith singled and Luis Veras doubled.

Anfernee Benitez started and took the loss allowing five runs in five innings on ten hits. Jeferson Mejia and Jake Winston combined to take it to the ninth to blank the Canadians on two hits. Curtis Taylor pitched the ninth and gave up the insurance run.

The loss dropped the Hillsboro Hops (10-8) to three games behind South Division leading Eugene who are now on an eleven game winning streak. The win pulled the Vancouver Canadians (7-11) into a third place tie with Tri City, five games behind North Division leading Everett. Both teams meet Tuesday night for the fifth and final game of the series. Vancouver has already won the series, leading 3-1.

Hops notes: outfielder Stephen Dezzi was promoted to the Kane County Cougars from the Hops. Dezzi played in two games with six plate appearances going 1 for 6 and scored three times.

Boxscore

By Greg Stoker
@GDStoker