Outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt (15) of the Hillsboro Hops takes a cut during a game earlier this season. Waldschmidt batted .360 with three home runs this past week against Spokane. (John Lariviere/News Times)

A week removed from their first series defeat of the season, the Hops got a split at Spokane, dropping the series-opener, winning three straight, then falling in the final two, the last of which came in heartbreaking fashion.

With a two-run lead and an out from a 4-2 series victory, Hillsboro pitching allowed three runs, including the game-winner that came on a balk.

Ouch.

With the series split, Hillsboro remained in first place in the tightly contested Northwest League standings, sitting a game ahead of Spokane and Vancouver, with Everett a half game back, Eugene two back, and Tri-City three games behind.

The Hops hit .310 as a team this past week and woke from their power slumber with nine home runs, but matched their hitting prowess with equally futile pitching, allowing Spokane to hit .302 and finishing with an astounding 7.14 team ERA.

Ryan Waldschmidt played all six games in the series and hit .360 with three home runs and eight RBI, while Hops starting pitchers allowed 20 earned runs in 27 innings. And that includes Casey Anderson’s 5.1 shutout innings.

Ouch again.

This week Hillsboro will host rival Eugene for six games, and look to finish the final nine games of the league’s first-half strong.

Organizational news and notes…Hillsboro’s Kevin Sim is hitting .387 over his last nine games…West Linn’s Tim Tawa remains with the Diamondbacks and hit .364 in five games this past week. Tawa is batting .237 with six home runs in 42 games in Arizona…Former Oregon Duck Ryne Nelson had a tough week, allowing seven earned runs in three innings with the DBacks…Former Hop Tristan English batted .474 with a home run and eight RBI with Triple-A Reno this past week…Former Hop A.J. Vukovich was 0-for-13 with nine strikeouts in three games with Reno…Reliever Landon Sims made two appearances this past week with Double-A Reno, allowing one hit and no earned runs, while striking out seven in three innings…The Low-A Visalia Rawhide completed the franchise’s first six-game sweep against Inland Empire this past week…First baseman Modeifi Marte was 6-for-15 with two stolen bases for Visalia last week…Visalia starters allowed three earned runs in 30 innings, and had a 2.00 ERA as a staff last week.

Below is a summary of last week’s games:

June 3 – Spokane 7, Hillsboro 5

The Hops’ recent woes continued in their series-opener at Spokane, with the Hillsboro falling to the Indians 7-5 on Tuesday night.

The Hops rallied to take a one-run lead with three runs in the top half of the sixth inning, but gave up three runs to the home Indians an inning later leading to the loss, which was the team’s fourth in a row and sixth in their last seven games.

Hillsboro starting pitcher Daniel Nunez allowed four earned runs on seven hits in 4.2 innings of work.

Colorado Rockies 2024 first round pick Charlie Condon had two hits, including a home run, to go with four RBI and two runs scored for Spokane.

Condon’s home run was a three-run shot and was the difference in the seventh inning.

Braylen Wimmer also had three hits for the Indians.

The Hops were led by Angel Ortiz and Ryan Waldschmidt who each homered.

June 4 – Hillsboro 8, Spokane 5

On the heels of four straight defeats, Hillsboro stepped up in a powerful way to end their losing streak and even the series with Spokane, defeating the Indians 8-5.

The Hops got not one, but two three-run home runs in the victory.

After being shut down over the game’s first four innings, Hillsboro scored two runs in the fifth, three runs in the sixth, and three more runs in the seventh, with both three-run clips coming on home runs by Gavin Logan and Jackson Feltner.

Logan’s home run came in the sixth inning and was his first of the season.

Cristofer Torin and Ryan Waldschmidt led the Hops with two hits apiece.

Spokane rallied in the seventh with four runs, but could manage no more over the game’s final two innings.

Hillsboro starting pitcher Casey Anderson had his best performance since joining the Hops in mid-April, allowing no earned runs on four hits while striking out seven in 5.1 innings of work, earning the win.

LeBarron Johnson Jr. started the game for Spokane, allowing two earned runs on three hits in 4.2 innings, but was undone by relievers Davison Palermo and Alan Perdomo who combined to allow six earned runs in 2.1 innings.

June 5 – Hillsboro 8, Spokane 4

For five innings, things couldn’t have been much for the Hops. But trailing by four and with that same number of innings left to play, it was all HIllsboro in an 8-4 win over Spokane.

The Hops scored five runs in the sixth inning, another in the seventh, and two more in the eighth, totaling 14 hits overall.

Hillsboro starting pitcher Daniel Eagen threw six innings and struck out seven, but allowed four earned runs, including three runs in the fourth inning, two of which came on a Caleb Hobson two-out single to left field.

The Hops were led by Cristofer Torin who had three hits and two RBI, along with Kevin Sim who added three hits of his own, and also Angel Ortiz who homered and finished 2-for-4 with and RBI and two runs scored.

All of Hillsboro’s five sixth inning runs came with two outs, and were the result of three singles, a double and three walks. All of those runs too came off of Indian relievers after starter Michael Prosecky–who allowed four hits in five shutout innings–left the game.

Hop relievers Ricardo Yan and Eli Saul allowed five hits but no runs to close the final three innings.

June 6 – Hillsboro 6, Spokane 2

Three first-inning runs were all the Hops needed on the way to their third straight win over Spokane.

John West started the game on the mound for the Hops and struck out seven in four innings of work, but it was a string of relievers who impressed.

Jorge Minyety earned the win for Hillsboro and combined with Edgar Isea and Carlos Rey to hold the Indians hitless over the game’s final five innings.

Offensively, the Hops got all they needed in the first inning thanks to a Cristofer Torin single, Ben McLaughlin double, and Druw Jones sacrifice fly that led to an early 3-0 lead.

Torin–along with Angel Ortiz–finished with two hits, while six other Hop hitters tallied a single knock.

McLaughlin reached base four times on the night, with three walks and two runs scored.

Hillsboro went on to score another run in the second inning, and two more in the seventh on a second Jones sacrifice fly coupled with a Gavin Logan RBI-single.

June 7–Spokane 15, Hillsboro 8

The Hops’ three game win streak is over and it ended emphatically with a 15-8 loss to Spokane.

The home Indians turned a one-run deficit into a seven-run lead in two innings, scoring six runs in the fourth inning and four more in the fifth, battering Hillsboro starting pitcher Lorenzo Encarnacion for seven earned runs, and later relievers Alexis Liebano and Liam Norris who combined to allow eight earned runs in 2.2 innings of work.

Jared Thomas, Braylen Wimmer, Jean Perez and Cole Messina all had two hits for the Indians, while Wimmer and Aidan Longwell both homered and tallied three RBI apiece.

The Hops actually outhit Spokane 14-13 and were led by Ryan Waldschmidt who had three hits and hit his seventh home run of the season, along with Druw Jones who added three hits, and Jackson Feltner and Ben McLaughlin had two hits apiece.

June 8–Spokane 9, Hillsboro 8

The Hops had a two-run lead and were an out away from a series win over the Indians, but instead turned that series win into a loss with a 9-8 defeat in their series finale on June 8, at Spokane.

The Indians used a hit-by-pitch, two wild pitches, three singles, a walk and ultimately a balk that ended the game to leave the Hops and their fans shaking their heads.

Hillsboro got all eight of their runs in two innings, scoring four times in both the third and seventh innings.

Cristofer Torin and Gavin Logan had three hits apiece for the Hops, while Ryan Waldschmidt and Jackson Feltner homered.

Charlie Condon, Braylen Wimmer and Aidan Longwell each had three hits for Spokane.