Biggest Comeback in Team History Keeps Playoff Hopes Alive

September 1, 2024 (Hillsboro, OR) - The Hops entered the final home game of the 2024 season on Sunday at Hillsboro Ballpark with their season on the line and needing a win versus Vancouver to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. Trailing 8-3 with two outs in the ninth inning Hillsboro would complete the most improbable comeback in franchise history. Five consecutive batters reached base with two outs for the Hops in the ninth inning, capped off by back-to-back hits by Gavin Conticello and Jose Fernandez. Conticello drove in two with the bases loaded on a ground rule double and then Fernandez sent the first pitch he saw from Grayson Thurman back up the middle for a single to score two runs and end the game. Fernandez’s walk-off single gave the Hops a 9-8 win and keeps their playoff hopes alive. Hillsboro now trails Vancouver by just three games with six games left in the season.

For the third consecutive game the Hops would not only score in the first inning, but they would put up a multi-run frame. Manny Peña doubled for the Hops’ first hit of the game and it was a historic milestone for the Hillsboro second baseman. It was his 170th career hit in a Hops’ uniform, making him the all-time Hillsboro Hops hit king. It was also his 34th career double which is also first all-time. Peña later scored on a single by Jose Fernandez that made it 1-0. Jack Hurley added to the lead with a sacrifice fly that gave Hillsboro a 2-0 lead after one inning.

Roman Angelo was making his second start of the week for Hillsboro and breezed through the first two innings. He ran into trouble in the third inning where Vancouver tied the game on a two-out two-RBI single by Peyton Williams.

Vancouver would then score runs in each of the next two innings to take the lead. Brennan Orf’s second hit of the game, a ground-rule RBI double gave Vancouver the one-run lead in the fourth. Roman Angelo had one of his shortest outings of the season, leaving the game after just four innings.

Hillsboro immediately answered on a Kevin Sim solo homer (7) that momentarily tied the game at four. Back-and-forth we went as a Cutter Coffey single and Jay Harry sac fly gave the C’s the lead right back in the fifth and they took a 5-3 advantage to the sixth.

The Hops got 1.2 strong innings out of the bullpen from Armando Vasquez who kept the deficit at just two, but then Vancouver added one run in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings to blow the game open and make it 8-3.

Left-hander Kai Peterson entered the game in the ninth inning with a five-run lead. The first batter Jack Hurley lined out to second base for the first out of the inning. The next batter Kevin Sim walked and then Juinor Franco singled, putting two runners on base with one out. The Hops put Jackson Feltner into the game as a pinch-hitter and he struck out, leaving two runners on base with two outs. Trailing 8-3 with two outs in the ninth inning, Hillsboro put together the most improbable comeback in franchise history. The Hops had never overcome a deficit of more than three entering the ninth inning in team history. With the season on the line, the next five batters reached base. Gavin Logan walked, Tommy Troy walked home a run and then Manny Peña walked home a run to make it 8-5. With the bases loaded Vancouver turned to their closer Grayson Thurman. Gavin Conticello hit a 3-1 pitch over the head of Je’Von Ward in left field, bouncing over the fence for a ground-rule double. The double brought the Hops to within one, brining Jose Fernandez to the plate. Fernandez wasted no time and hit a single right back up the middle on the first pitch he saw, scoring Peña and Conticello and giving the Hops a 9-8 win. It marked the 70^th walk-off in team history.

Peña, Fernandez, Franco and Conticello all had multi-hit games in the win.

The Hops will now head to Pasco, Washington to take on the Tri-City Dust Devils on Tuesday, while Vancouver will face off against Eugene. First pitch on Tuesday is at 6:35 on Rip City Radio 620 AM.