Hops Ride Explosive First Inning To Second Victory

The few remaining Everett fans got to watch a fireworks show following Saturday night's game against Hillsboro. It was the Hops that delivered an explosive payload in the top of the first inning.
Hillsboro sent 15 men to the plate and plated 12 runs in the first inning, setting a team record while scoring all the runs they would need in a 12-6 victory over the AquaSox at Everett Memorial Stadium.

Everett starting pitcher Carlos Hernandez could retire only one Hops hitter and departed following a bases loaded walk to Jorge Perez having allowed four runs. Reliever Cody Mobley came on and promptly walked the next three batters in a row to push the lead to 7-0. With two outs, Andy Jerzy cleared the bases with a double, his second in as many nights to push the lead to 10-0. Francis Martinez followed with an opposite field home run to left-center field to cap the scoring.
That would be all the Hops would get and all they would need, although Everett did make things interesting in the middle innings. Hops starting pitcher Matt Tabor retired the first five batters he faced, retiring the side with two strikeouts and just eight pitches in the first inning. But the Frogs got to Tabor for back-to-back doubles and a run in the second, then plated two more in the third on an Onil Pena single. WIth two outs in the fourth inning, Conner Hoover battled Tabor for a 14-pitch walk and after walking Jansiel Rivera to load the bases, the 19-year-old righty's night was over. Reliever Kai-Wei Lin walked Ryne Ogren on four pitches to force in a run and surrendered an RBI single to Keegan McGovern. Pena followed with a bases-loaded liner that Jose Caballero snared at short for the final out.
The AquaSox put runners all over the bases in the middle innings, but three straight Hops' double plays limited Everett to one more run. Hillsboro has four twin-killings in the first two games of the series.
Lin was awarded the victory with an inning and a third of scoreless relief. Josh Green, Kevin McKenna and Jayson McKinley made their Hops' debuts out of the pen.
Tra Holmes started the first inning hit parade with a double and was one of three Hops to reach base twice in the inning. Holmes and Caballero each had two hits with Caballero driving in two runs and Holmes scoring twice. Ryan January singled in Holmes in the first and drew a bases loaded walk later in the inning, finishing with two runs and two RBI in his Hillsboro debut. Martinez also had to runs and two ribbies.
The Hops and Frogs play game three of the series Sunday afternoon at 4:05 p.m. with pregame coverage starting at 3:35 p.m. on Rip City Radio 620 AM.