Third Walk-Off of Series Gives Hops Doubleheader Sweep 

Hillsboro, OR (April 30, 2022) - The first doubleheader of 2022 was on Saturday at Ron Tonkin Field, after game four of the series was postponed last night due to rain. Diamondbacks No.1 pitching prospect, Blake Walston, was on the bump in game one against Vancouver. Walston threw one of the best games of his young career, as the Hops took game one from the Canadians 5-0. Game two was a pitching duel between Kenny Hernandez and Adam Kloffenstein, as both starters lasted five innings while giving up just one run each. Jose Curpa was the hero in game two, hitting a double down the first base line in the eighth, to give the Hops their fourth straight win and fifth walk-off win of the season.

Game One- Hillsboro struck first in game one, as A.J. Vukovich hit his third double of the season against Canadians starter Chad Dallas, driving in Tim Tawa and Curpa in the third. Tawa's 17 runs scored, lead the Northwest League.

The Hops brought in another run in the fourth, after Curpa was hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded, making it 3-0.

Cam Coursey and Danny Oriente drove in two more Hillsboro runs in the fifth, as they extended the lead to 5-0. The Hops scored all five runs in the game with two outs in an inning.

Walston recorded the win, pitching five innings, while giving up two hits, no runs and striking out 10. Bobby Ay came in for the final six outs, lowering his ERA on the year to 1.13.

The first shutout of the season for Hillsboro came in game one, a 5-0 victory over the Canadians.

Game Two- The Canadians scored first to start game two, as Zack Britton walked to lead off the game and was followed by a Trevor Schwecke ground rule double. Britton scored the first run of the game, on an Addison Barger sacrifice fly against Hillsboro starter Kenny Hernandez.

The Hops came back to tie the game in the second, as Oriente was hit-by-pitch and later stole second base with one out. Cupra drove him in on a double to right field, picking up his seventh RBI of the year.

In Hernandez's 2022 Hillsboro debut, he went five innings, giving up just one run, while allowing three hits and striking out four. Canadians starter Adam Kloffenstein lasted five innings, giving up three hits, one run and six strikeouts.

The Hillsboro defense came to play, turning four double plays over the two seven-inning games. Liu Fuenmayor and Austin Pope pitched the sixth and seventh for the Hops, lowering their ERAs to 1.86 and 1.08, respectively. It was 1-1 heading to yet another extra-inning game at Ron Tonkin Field.

Vancouver's sixth and seventh inning pitchers, Jimmy Burnette and Thomas Ruwe, recorded all six outs via the strikeout.

Pope went three up, three down in the top of the eighth, giving the Hops a chance at their fourth win in a row.

Curpa was the hitter against Ruwe, when he took a 1-2 pitch and sent it down the first base line for his second walk-off hit of the season. Curpa was three-for-three with two doubles in game two. Hillsboro has won four of the first five against Vancouver, including their third walk-off of the series and fifth of the year.

Hillsboro (11-9) and Vancouver (9-9) will close out the series tomorrow at Ron Tonkin Field. The pre-game show will be on air at 12:50, with first pitch at 1:05. Rich Burk and Matt Richert will have the call on Rip City Radio 620.