Hops Set Franchise-Record by Slugging Five Home Runs in 13-9 Win
August 1, 2024 (Spokane, WA) – In nearly 11 seasons of Hillsboro Hops baseball the Hops had never hit five home runs in a game, until today. In game three of the series at Avista Stadium Hillsboro set a franchise-record by slugging five home runs in a 13-9 victory over
August 1, 2024 (Spokane, WA) – In nearly 11 seasons of Hillsboro Hops baseball the Hops had never hit five home runs in a game, until today. In game three of the series at Avista Stadium Hillsboro set a franchise-record by slugging five home runs in a 13-9 victory over Spokane. Jose Fernandez hit two home runs with Tommy Troy, Jack Hurley and Junior Franco each adding a blast in the Hops’ second straight win. The Hops had just two home runs entering the seventh inning where they would tee off on Spokane reliver Sergio Sanchez for three homers in the frame. The Hops now have 37 hits in the first three games of the series.
For the third consecutive game Hillsboro would strike first. Lefty Michael Prosecky was making his Avista Stadium debut in just his third game with Spokane and he almost didn’t make it out of the first inning. Prosecky needed 36 pitches to finish the frame and faced eight Hillsboro hitters. Singles by Manny Peña and Gino Groover got the hit parade started and then a walk by Jack Hurley loaded the bases. Christian Cerda ended up walking home a run, sending up Junior Franco with two-outs. Franco hit a single back up the middle, scoring Groover and Hurley to give the Hops a 3-0 lead.
Spokane quickly responded in the second inning with three hits and two runs of their own, as EJ Andrews had a two-rbi single that made it 3-2. Jean Perez grounded into an inning-ending double play to end the threat.
Tommy Troy was just 4-for-38 over his last 10 games, but he would change that with an opposite-field home run against Prosecky in the third. Troy’s second home run of 2024 gave Hillsboro a 4-2 lead. The Hops second homer of the game came with one out in the fourth inning, as Jose Fernandez took advantage of the short porch in right field and lined a homer over the 296 sign. The first of two home runs in the game for Fernandez again extended the Hillsboro lead to 5-2.
That lead didn’t last for long as Spokane came back to tie the game in the home half of the fourth. Avery Short was chased from the game and left with the bases loaded after allowing a walk, double and hit-by-pitch. The first batter that Alec Baker faced was Jean Perez and he lined a bases-clearing double down the line to tie the game at 5-5. Baker then retired Jorge and Karros to escape without surrendering the lead.
Both teams went down one-two-three in the fifth, keeping the score tied into the sixth. Braxton Hyde came on in relief for Spokane and faced just three batters, walking two of them. Hillsboro got a run across on a fielding error by the 2B Jean Perez and then scored two more on a single, this time by Gavin Conticello. Conticello’s single was the second two-RBI, two-out single of the game.
The Indians again responded, this time with four runs in the bottom of the inning to take the lead. EJ Andrews hit his fifth home run of the season, Kyle Karros had a two-RBI double and Juan Guerrero singled to take a 9-8 lead.
Finding themselves down entering the seventh, Hillsboro would make history. Right-hander Sergio Sanchez came into the game and the Hops’ bats exploded. Three home runs in the inning gave them the lead right back and set the franchise record for home runs in a game. Hillsboro had hit four home runs on seven different occasions entering play on Thursday, but never five times. Jack Hurley hit a lead-off game-tying homer off the Caboose in right field, his 10th of the year. Then, two batters later, Junior Franco blasted one off the exact same spot and gave the Hops a 11-9 lead. The very next batter Jose Fernandez wasted no time and hit his second home run of the game and set the record with the teams’ fifth home run of the game. Fernandez’s homer gave Hillsboro a 12-9 lead.
The Hops added one more insurance run in the eighth inning off a balk that made it 13-9. Listher Sosa came in for Hillsboro and retired 7 of the 8 batters he faced, quietly sending the Indians to their second loss in a row. The save was Sosa’s fourth of the year.
Philip Abner made his High-A debut for the Hops and was very effective. He struck out three and recorded the win in his first appearance.
Manny Peña, Junior Franco and Jose Fernandez each had two-hit games in the win.
Hillsboro and Spokane will meet on Friday night at Avista Stadium for game four of the series. First pitch is at 6:35 with the pregame starting at 6:20 on Rip City Radio 620 AM.
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