C's Clinch First Half Crown With 5-1 Win

VANCOUVER, BC – For the second consecutive season, the Canadians are headed to the Northwest League Championship Series after a first half-clinching 5-1 win over the Hillsboro Hops [D-Backs] in front of a sellout crowd at Rogers Field at Nat Bailey Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

A four-run second inning put the game away. Consecutive singles from Cade Doughty and Alex De Jesus set the table for a go-ahead base hit from Josh Kasevich that made it 1-0 before Dasan Brown smashed the very next pitch into the left field bullpen for a three-run homer to put the C’s in front 4-0. It was Brown’s second homer of the series and fourth of the year.

Canadians starter Kevin Miranda did exactly as asked of him in a spot start, limiting the Hops to one run on an Ivan Melendez solo shot in the fourth. His final line: four innings pitched, three hits, no walks and five strikeouts.

After Cooper Benson (W, 5-0), Ryan Boyer (H, 1) and Conor Larkin (H, 1) held Hillsboro hitless from the fifth through the eighth, Vancouver tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the penultimate inning. Michael Turconi’s second double of the game started the frame, he went to third on a fly out and scored when De Jesus singled past the drawn in infield to put the C’s up by four.

Justin Kelly hit the first batter of the ninth but got a pop-out and a game-ending double play to secure the 5-1 triumph.

With the win, Vancouver improves to a season-high 10 games over .500 at 36-26 and will host the winner of the second half in the Northwest League Championship Series in September for games one, two, and five (if necessary). The first half officially ends after Thursday’s game.

The C’s will enjoy a well-deserved off day on Monday before heading south to Eugene to take on the Emeralds [Giants] in their first visit to PK Park this season. First pitch on Tuesday night is set for 6:35 p.m.