All Nine Hops Record a Hit Despite 5-4 Loss on Opening Night 

Hillsboro, OR (April 5, 2024) – The Hillsboro Hops opened the 2024 campaign at Hillsboro Ballpark against the Seattle Mariners’ affiliate, Everett AquaSox. Javier Colina made his return as Hops’ skipper, after leading the team to a 2019 Northwest League Championship. A game that combined for six total errors and 5-for-29 with runners in scoring position ended with a 5-4 Everett Opening Day win. The Hops loaded the bases with nobody out in the ninth, but could not get a run home against Troy Taylor.

The Hops got on the board first in 2024 by scoring a run in the first inning on two base hits and an error. Andrew Pintar led off the game with a double and later scored on a Gino Groover RBI single. Groover, the 2023 second round pick out of NC State picked up where he left off in a Hops’ uniform last season.

Ricardo Yan was the Hillsboro Opening Day starter and posted zeros in the first three innings, including striking out the side in the second. Yan was coming off a season where he struck out 138 in just 103.2 innings pitched.

The Hops led 1-0 entering the fourth inning when both teams scored a pair of runs. Hillsboro’s defense committed two errors that both ended up scoring runs and gave Everett a 2-1 lead. Both runs were uncharged to Yan after the errors as his night was complete after the fourth inning.

In the bottom half of the frame, Hillsboro scored two runs of their own when Manny Peña came through with a two-out two-RBI single, giving the Hops the lead right back. Marcelo Perez was chased from the game after Peña’s hit, closing his line after 3.2 innings and 65 pitches.

It was 3-2 entering the fifth as Alec Baker was called on out of the bullpen to make his Hillsboro debut. Everett took the lead right back on two doubles by Ben Williamson and Bill Knight. Knight cleared the bases with a two-out double, matching the two-out RBI hit for Hillsboro’s Manny Peña.

The Hops evened the score in the bottom of the seventh inning when Gabriel Moncada committed the fourth Everett error of the game.

Once again, the lead would not last long as the AquaSox took the lead back in the next half inning. AquaSox leadoff hitter, Brock Rodden broke the tie game with another two-out single, giving Everett a 5-4 lead.

The UC Irvine product Troy Taylor came on looking to close the game in the ninth with his team leading 5-4. Hillsboro had three consecutive runners reach base on a walk single and fielder’s choice. The next three batters struck out in order, ending the game and giving Everett the Opening Night win.

The four Everett relievers Kingsbury, Raeth, Davila and Taylor combined to pitch 5.1 innings without allowing an earned run. All nine Hillsboro hitters recorded at least one hit in the game.

Five different AquaSox recorded two-hit games (Rodden, Williamson, Sundstrom, Hood & Sanchez.)

The Hops and AquaSox will play game two of Opening Weekend at Hillsboro Ballpark tomorrow afternoon. First pitch is at 4:05, with the pregame show starting at 3:50 on Rip City Radio 620 and Bally Live.