Emeralds Win 9-8, Take 10th Consecutive Series

EUGENE, Ore --- The Hillsboro Hops third-best offensive output of the 2026 was still not good enough to get past the top team in professional baseball.

The magical ride continued for the Eugene Emeralds (34-10), who prevailed 9-8 over the Hops in a sloppy, back-and-forth affair. Hillsboro (17-27) matched its second-best scoring output with eight runs and the Hops' 15 hits were their third-most of the season. But a succession of miscues and missed opportunities proved to be their undoing.

On a night with that kind of offensive production and considering that the top two hitters in Eugene's order, Trevor Cohen and Dakota Jordan, went a combined 0-for-8 and created no runs, while starting pitcher Charlie McDaniel surrendered a career-high 12 hits, one would think the Hops chances for a win would be well north of 90 percent. But a whole laundry list of failings conspired against them: three errors, four runners thrown out on the bases, a passed ball, two wild pitches and a run-scoring balk all factored and that's not the entire list.

The biggest blunder of all won't show up in the box score. After the Hops plated a run in the first and two more in the second inning, Eugene loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the second. Lisbel Diaz lifted a deep fly ball to left center field. Yerald Nin, making his first career start in center, tracked the ball unsteadily as it continued to carry in.a stiff breeze blowing out. He reached up just shy of the fence, but the ball bounced off his glove and over for a grand slam, Diaz's team-leading seventh jack of the season, his second career salami and his fourth home run against the Hops this season.

That was just the first of three lead changes and three ties on this night. And considering the score and hit total and prevailing winds, surprisingly it was the only ball that left the yard on this night.

The Hops came right back with a three-run third inning to regain a 6-4 lead, but Eugene took advantage of some Little League caliber defense to tie the game with two runs in the bottom of the third. With Gavin Kilen at first and two outs, Jean Carlos Sio singled to right. Avery Owusu-Asiedu fired the ball towards third base to try and cut down Kilen, but Yassel Soler cut off the ball and fired it right back into right field in an attempt to throw out Sio at second. Kilen scored and Sio advanced to third.

Jakob Christian followed with a wave and miss at a third strike that should have been the final out, but the ball got past catcher Kenny Castillo and Sio scored on the wild pitch to tie the game 6-6.

The first three Hops reached on singles to start the fourth inning, but leadoff batter Wallace Clark was gunned down at third on a fine throw from Diaz in right after a Modeifi Marte base hit. Marte would score on a Brady Counsell single, but Soler was robbed of a base hit on a diving play in foul territory by third baseman Walker Martin and the Hops had to settle for the one run.

Two more Hops errors, one on a Castillo throw to second, another on a Soler throw to first led to an unearned Eugene run in the fifth inning and the game was tied again 7-7.

The Hops took their final lead in the sixth inning, but again had to settle for one run after the first five batters reached base. Nin led off with his third hit of the game, but was thrown out trying to steal second by Eugene catcher Jancel Villaroel, who one inning earlier had nabbed Kenny Castillo for a strikeout, throw-out double play. Three consecutive walks by Eugene reliever Bryan Palencia loaded the bases and Soler greeted right handed reliever Cole Hillier (2-0) with a bloop single to left to score Clark. But Hillier fanned Slade Caldwell and retired Castillo on a harmless ground out to first and the Hops left three on the bases.

Working his second inning in relief of starter Wellington Aracena in the sixth inning, John West (1-4) quickly retired the first two batters before Gavin Kilen singled over shortstop. Villaroel followed with an infield single off the glove of Trent Youngblood at second as Kilen raced to third. WIth runners at the corners and two down, West inexplicably tried a pickoff move to third base, only Soler never covered the bag. The balk sent Kilen home to tie the game 8-8.

Then in the seventh, West again retired the first two batters in short order. Walker Martin popped up a 1-0 pitch down the left field line. Left fielder Counsell and shortstop Clark gave chase, but the ball dropped in between the two as they converged and Martin reached second with a gift double. Diaz then followed with an RBI double to left field to drive in his fifth run of the night and the Emeralds bullpen took care of the rest.

Hillier picked up the win with 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, striking out one with one walk. After a leadoff walk in the eight, hard-throwing former Notre Dame reliever Liam Simon came on to retire three straight. In the ninth, Simon walked Castillo with one out, then with two down Avery Owusu-Asiedu smashed a ball at Carlos Gutierrez in left. He misplayed it and it got over his head, but bounced over the wall for a ground rule double, forcing Castillo to stop at third. WIth the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position, Simon fanned Nin to end the game for his third save.

It was an up-and-down night for the 20-year-old Nin, who had three hits, including his third triple of the month, driving in two with a run scored. Likewise, his fellow 20-year-old Soler had plenty of good offense to go with the bad defense, going 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored. All nine Hops had hits and eight of the nine either scored or drove in at least one run.

Kilen went 3-for-5 for Eugene and was one of four Emeralds to score twice. Diaz had his third career 5-RBI game, but it was still well shy of a personal record. The 20-year-old outfield prospect drove in eight runs in a Dominican Summer League game in his first professional season in 2023. It was Diaz's third three-RBI game against the Hops this season.

Now 2-12 vs. the Emeralds this season, the Hops will try to escape town with a win in the finale Sunday. Pregame airtime is at 12:50 p.m. with first pitch scheduled for 1:05 p.m. Hillsboro returns to Hops Ballpark to take on the Seattle Mariners affiliate Everett AquaSox beginning Tuesday next week. All Hops games air live on Rip City Radio 620 AM and the Bally Sports Live app.