The game see-sawed back and forth until the Vancouver Canadians took the lead for the final time, overcoming the Hillsboro Hops 6-5. Before that, the game’s lead changed twice before with the lead never being more than the initial 3-0 by Vancouver early in the third.

The significant inning for the Canadians came in the seventh. Behind 5-4, Vancouver started with a strike out followed by two walks. The tying run, Christian Williams, came home next when Rodrigo Orozco’s RBI single put Orozco and Yeltsin Gudino at the corners. A passed ball by Hops catcher Luke Lowery allowed Gudino to touch home as the winning run.

In the previous inning, the Hops pulled off the same feat, snatching a 5-4 lead from a 4-2 deficit. Stephen Dezzi took one for the team and took first on a HPB from Canadian Evan Smith. Ben DeLuzio came to the plate with Dezzi and Manny Jefferson at third and second. DeLuzio’s double brought them both home and tied the game… again. DeLuzio stole third and came home for the go ahead run off of Adam Walton’s sacrifice fly to center.

Bats for both teams were not very quiet nor were they very expressive. For the Hops, Ben DeLuzio and Adam Walton both had two hits, doubled and brought home two runners. The fifth run was brought home by Josh Anderson, who went 3 for 5. Stephen Smith and Manny Jefferson both singled but despite nine hits, two doubles, five walks and one batter hit by a pitch, the Hops were only able to bring home five runs.

Vancouver had one less hit (8), also had two doubles and five walks. But, two of their six runs were unearned. Errors by Stephen Dezzi, Josh Anderson and Connor Owings helped Vancouver to the two free runs. For Vancouver, JB Woodman, Jacob Anderson and Cavan Biggio had multi hit games. Woodman and Christian Williams doubled for the Canadians only extra base hits. Woodman, Williams and Yeltsin Gudino scored twice for all six Vancouver runs.

Luis Sanchez started for Vancouver and went a respectable five innings allowing only two runs on five hits but would leave the game after the fifth without the decision. Evan Smith (W, 2-0) came on for the sixth and despite allowing three more runs on three hits, earned the win. Jackson McLelland and Griffin Glaude covered the last three innings of scoreless, one-hit Hops ball. Glaude (S, 4) received the save.

Bo Takahashi took the mound for the Hops and went into the sixth before being relieved by Colin Poche. Takahashi allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits while striking out six. Poche (L, 1-2) allowed the winning run in the seventh for the loss. Kevin Ginkel and Tommy Eveld kept the Canadians scoreless the rest of the way.

The loss dropped the Hillsboro Hops (10-7) to two games behind the South Division leading Emeralds. Eugene is currently on a ten game winning streak. The win allowed the Vancouver Canadians to gain a game on Tri City who are now just one game ahead of the Canadians for third in the North Division.

Both teams will meet again on Monday night, 7:05pm at Ron Tonkin Field for the fourth game of the series. Vancouver is leading 2-1. The night will feature the Barley Bobblehead Giveaway to the first 2000 fans to enter the game.

Boxscore

By Greg Stoker
@GDStoker