Hey Man! Hops Go 2-1 At Boise

Grant Heyman salvaged a sluggish Hillsboro offense with a three-run home run to right field in the sixth inning and the Hops defeated the Boise Hawks 3-1 in the final game of their three-game series at Memorial Stadium.

Ben Eckels matched his season-high strikeout total over six and a third innings, fanning eight with one walk to improve to 2-0 on the year. Dustin Loggins and Zac Curtis provided clutch relief, each pitching out of jams in the final three innings by striking out two batters.

Boise took a 1-0 lead in the third inning after Jesse Hodges and Zac Blair reached on consecutive base hits putting runners at first and third. Giuseppe Pappaccio grounded into a double play, scoring Hodges.

Eckels would allow only one more base runner until the seventh inning, before giving way to Loggins with runners at first and third and one out. Loggins fanned Justin Marra and Hodges back-to-back to end the threat, then pitched out of a second and third one-out jam in the eighth inning by carding consecutive K’s against Oliver Zapata and Rashad Crawford to protect a 3-1 lead.

Hillsboro got that lead when Heyman launched a towering home run well beyond the right field fence following back-to-back walks to Pedro Ruiz and Taylor Ratliff in the sixth. It was his second professional home run and only his second extra base hit in the last ten games, both homers.

Ryan McNeil took the loss for Boise after relieving starter Josh Conway to start the fourth. Both pitchers were sidelined in 2013 with elbow problems and are on strict innings limits. Conway retired all nine batters he faced with two strikeouts before leaving the game.

In the ninth, Zac Curtis came on to notch his fourth save in four chances, but not without some additional drama. After retiring the first two batters, Curtis walked Marra before Jesse Hodges hit a sinking liner to right field. Yorman Garcia appeared to make the sliding catch but it was ruled a trap and Marra raced to third. After Zac Blair walked to load the bases, Curtis fanned Varonex Cuevas swinging on an 0-2 breaking ball. Cuevas had replaced starting shortstop Giuseppe Pappaccio in the top of the seventh inning after Pappaccio failed to run out a dropped line drive to second base.

Now 10-6 on the season and 6-2 on the road, the Hops return home for five games against the Everett AquaSox beginning Sunday night at 4:05 p.m. Hear all the live action with Rich Burk and Matt Richert on Rip City Radio 620 AM beginning with the pregame show at 3:35 p.m.