PK Playoff Nightmares Continue For Hops
It couldn't happen again, could it?Elminated from the postseason in back-to-back years by the Eugene Emeralds, P.K. Park once again exerted its malicious mojo on the Hillsboro Hops.
It couldn't happen again, could it?
Elminated from the postseason in back-to-back years by the Eugene Emeralds, P.K. Park once again exerted its malicious mojo on the Hillsboro Hops.
The Ems capitalized on a leadoff walk and a balk to score the tying and go-ahead runs in the sixth inning and held the Hops to a single base runner the rest of the way in a 3-2 win in the opening game of the best-of-three Northwest League South Division playoffs.
It was the same sorry refrain for the Hops, who went 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Adding in playoff losses from 2016 and '17, the Hops are 1-36 at P.K. Park in three seasons of postseason misery.
The Hops grabbed an early 2-0 lead on
It was 2-1 Hillsboro when fourth-round draft pick Ryan Weiss (0-1) took over on the mound in the sixth inning. Weiss walked just three batters during the regular season, but promptly placed former University of Washington infielder Levi Jordan at first with a leadoff free pass. An errant pickoff throw by Weiss moved Jordan to second. With two outs and Jordan still at second,
Caleb Knight kept the inning alive with a base hit and a wild pitch put the speedy Kelli at third. With Vazquez at the plate, Weiss was called for a balk, sending Kelli home with what turned out to be the game-winning run.
The Emeralds went to their bullpen early and it turned out to be a prosperous move.
In the ninth, another recent AZL promotion,
The Emeralds outhit the Hops 9-6, with Kelli and former LSU Tiger Jake Slaughter each collecting two. Yerzy's two hits paced the Hops. Eugene manager Steve Lerud was ejected in the fourth inning by home plate umpire Emma Charlesworth-Seiler for arguing a runner's interference call
Facing elimination, the Hops return to Ron Tonkin Field Thursday night for game two of the series. Game three, if necessary, will also be at the Tonk on Friday. Game time for both is 7:05 p.m., with pregame coverage beginning at 6:35 p.m. on NBC Sports Northwest Rip City Radio 620 AM.