Hops Celebrate Playoff Berth After Home Loss

The Hillsboro Hops failed to win their way to the first-half Northwest League South Division title, but got a big assist from the Tri-City Dust Devils.
The Spokane Indians (16-22) defeated the Hops 5-3 Sunday afternoon at Ron Tonkin Field on the final day of the first half of the NWL season. With Hillsboro (22-16) leading Eugene by a game in the standings going into Sunday's games, the Hops still clinched the first half title after the Dust Devils beat the Emeralds 4-0.

The Indians scored against five different Hops pitchers, getting key runs late to pad their lead as the Hops made a run at a comeback in the ninth inning.
Down 5-2, Hillsboro's Bryan Araiza hit a one-out single to right. With two outs in the ninth, Pavin Smith drew a walk to bring Drew Ellis to the plate, representing the tying run. 
Earlier in the game, Ellis homered to left center field off Indians starting pitcher Cole Ragans, his second home run of the year off the Rangers' 2016 first-round draft pick and his team-leading fifth round-tripper of the season. Facing Ismel Lopez in the ninth, Ellis looped a base hit to left center field to score Araiza and bring the winning run to the plate. Camden Duzenack followed with a grounder to short. Spokane's just-turned-18-year-old shortstop Cristian Inoa threw low to first for an error, loading the bases for Tra Holmes. The hero of Thursday night's series opener with a game-winning hit in the ninth, Holmes grounded out harmlessly to second base to end the game. 
Brian Shaffer, the Arizona Diamondbacks' sixth-round draft pick out of the University Of Maryland, made his first professional start. Shaffer struck out four over a two-inning stint, but allowed a two-out walk to Kole Enright in the second, followed by back-to-back base hits from Curtis Terry and Yonny Hernandez to plate a run.
After Ellis' game-tying shot in the fourth, Spokane jumped back in front in the fifth inning. Mitchell Aker (1-5) hit Terry with a pitch before 18-year-old center fielder Miguel Aparicio stroked a hard ground ball just inside first base and into the right field corner for an RBI triple. Aparicio singled and scored on a Melvin Novoa two-out base hit in the seventh inning to put the Tribe up 3-1. That hit came off Matt Peacock, only the fourth hit allowed by the first-year reliever from South Alabama this year.
Peacock would get shelled in the eighth, though. Inoa homered to left with one out, the first of four consecutive hits. Erbert Gonzalez came on to put out the fire, fanning Hernandez before getting Aparicio to ground out to third, leaving three on base. Gonzalez got wild in the ninth, issuing two walks and hitting a batter as the Indians plated another run to go up 5-2.
Aker allowed only one hit over 2 2/3 innings.but took the loss, surrendering one earned run on a hit, walk and hit batter. Spokane's Joe Barlow (3-0) allowed one run on one hit over 3 1/3 innings, striking out five with three walks to earn the victory. Lopez picked up his first save of the season.
Ellis had three of Hillsboro's nine hits and has reached base in every game he has played as a pro. Smith reached base four times with two hits, a double and a run scored. 
Spokane's Melvin Novoa extended his hitting streak to 15 games, going 2-for-3 with an RBI and two walks. Aparicio, Enright and Curtis Terry each had two of Spokane's 11 hits.
All of the NWL records go back to 0-0 Monday as the Hops and Indians close out their five-game series with the rubber match at 7:05 p.m. Live coverage on Rip City Radio 620 AM begins at 6:35 p.m.