De Los Santos, Roberts & Vukovich Blast Homers in Hops' 10-1 Win

Hillsboro, OR (August 18, 2022) – Eugene came into the game leading the Northwest League in most pitching categories, including fewest home runs allowed, but the Hops put up a crooked number on the Emeralds’ staff Thursday. 10 Runs on 12 hits, including home runs by Deyvison De Los Santos, Caleb Roberts and A.J. Vukovich led the way. Scott Randall was fantastic yet again, pitching six innings for the third consecutive game. Jordan Lawlar also completed the third steal of home in Hops’ history, in the 10-1 win.

The Hops continued their first inning success on Thursday when Jordan Lawlar drove in Bliss with an RBI single. Lawlar, who had already stole second in the inning, was inching his way down the third base line and took off for home when he saw the soft throw from Thomas back to Black, sliding in safe for a steal of home. The last Hop to steal home was Tim Tawa, earlier this season. Stolen bases 35 and 36 for Lawlar produced the second run of the frame.

The scoring continued in the second, after Black had a throwing error on a pickoff attempt that went into the outfield. Castillo scored, giving the Hops a 3-0 lead.

Bliss, who led off the first inning with a hit and run scored, would do the same in the third. Hillsboro scored at least one run in the first four innings against Black and got two more in the third. Bliss reached base on a double, his 15th of the season, bringing up Deyvison De Los Santos with one on and two out. De Los Santos belted his seventh High-A home run in just 23 games to the opposite field, extending the lead to 5-0.

Mason Black came back out for the fourth inning and the Hops added even more to the lead. Jacen Roberson singled and Ryan Bliss walked, before Caleb Roberts hit the 1-1 pitch from Mason Black over the netting in right field, a high fly home run. The three-run homer by Roberts was his sixth of the season, making it 8-0 Hops. Black lasted just 3.1 innings, allowing nine hits and eight runs, with six being earned.

Abel Adames had given up three home runs against Hillsboro this season in just four relief appearances and gave up another one off the bat of A.J. Vukovich. Vukovich, hit he Hops’ third home run of the game to the right of the batter’s eye in dead center field and became the first Hop to have 10 home runs in 2022. It was 10-0 Hops after six.

Scott Randall was 2-0 with a 0.66 ERA over his first two starts in August, pitching six innings against Everett without allowing a run and 7.2 innings against Spokane allowing just one run. Today, Randall threw six innings without allowing a run. In the month of August, Randall is now 3-0 with a 0.46 ERA in 19.1 innings.

Eugene scratched across a run in the seventh, but that is all they could muster. The final score was 10-1.

Every hitter in the Hillsboro lineup reached base once in the game, with Bliss, Vukovich and Castillo having two hits apiece.