And we’re off! Baseball season has officially begun for the new local Class-A minor team, the Hillsboro Hops. With a short (but straining!) season ahead of them, the Hops have played nine games since the season opener on the 14th. Hillsboro fans are getting what they asked for … lots of baseball.
The Hops finished their first days of play with a 3-6 record. The home opener on June 17th proved to be a good one, with the Hops sweeping their fellow Oregon team, the Eugene Emeralds, with a 12-0 win. Nothing could have gone better for the Hops that night.
With Jose Martinez on the mound and the energy flowing, the Hops took the field in the new Gordon Faber Recreation Complex in front of a sold out crowd. Martinez, only 17 years old, took up his task like a veteran. He allowed two hits during the five innings he pitched, accompanied by four strikeouts. Relievers Will Locante, Patrick Smith, and Alexander Carreras came in to close for the Hops, splitting the last four innings between them.
Freshly drafted shortstop from University of Illinois, Josh Parr hit the first home run in the new Hops stadium. Parr knocked it out and right into the hands of one lucky fan. Eager to preserve a piece of history, the Hops had to negotiate with one teen fan to get the home run ball back!
Parr wasn’t the only one proving to be a threat behind the plate. Eleven other runs were driven in by the Hops, with Zach Esquerra and Wagner Mateo having two runs batted in each.
The next meet with the Emeralds didn’t prove as successful for the Hops. The Hops lost 0-2 at home. While it was scoreless the first three innings, the Emeralds had two players cross the plate in the top of the fourth.
On the mound for the Hops was Jonathon Pulley, who played for Arizona minor league under the Diamondbacks in 2012. This was his first appearance as a Hop. Though Pulley received a loss, the two runs scored from fielder’s errors. Pulley concluded his first game throwing six innings and allowed seven hits. Though a loss, the Hops went on to win the series with a 2-1 win over the Emeralds on the 19th.
The Hops began their eight game road trip on Friday at Everett Memorial Stadium in Everett, Washington against the Aquasox. Losing to the Aquasox 6-5, it was a match that brought the game to extra innings. By the eleventh inning, the Hops took the lead with a sacrifice fly by third baseman Jordan Parr. However, the Hops fielder’s errors allowed the Aquasox two runs in the bottom of the inning, securing the win for the Sox.
Overall, the Hops opened with impressive stats, considering the whirlwind of activity these young players have faced during the past months. Outfielder Yogey Perez-Ramos leads the Hops with a batting average just under .400. Another outfielder contributing for the Hops at the plate has been Zachary Esquerra. Esquerra is batting .367 and has the highest RBI count on the team. On Saturday’s double-header, the Hops split, losing the first game, but closing out strong with a win.
With plenty of baseball left to play, each game is more exciting than the last for the newly Portland based team. Management, players and fans are all excited to see where this team will go this year.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
