It was a defensive masterclass at PK Park on Wednesday night as the Hops’ clutch hitting and lockdown defense at the close ended up overwhelming Eugene on Wednesday night. 

The 3-2 win belongs to RHP Listher Sosa and the loss was given to Eugene RHP Cam Cotter — both of the pitchers who manned the mound in the extra frame. 

Lefty Hayden Wynja got the nod for game two of the series, but surrendered a double to center fielder Andrew Pintar (2) on just the third pitch of the contest. He settled down by the end of the opening frame, and left Pintar stranded on second. 

Wynja found no issue running a tight ship on Wednesday, as he continued his fantastic start to the season with 5.0 IP, two hits and four strikeouts. 

The Emeralds’ first chance came in the bottom of the third. Third baseman Justin Wishkoski drove a single to left field on just the second pitch of the inning. Wishkoski stole second during the next at-bat and advanced to third on a Turner Hill sacrifice-bunt. 

Hillsboro starter Spencer Giesting shoved in his 6.0 IP of one-hit ball while tallying five strikeouts. Eugene had significant trouble with his location, especially on his off-speed pitches — which generated weak contact all game. 

Wynja was pulled after five flawless innings by righty Daniel Blair. Blair had no trouble continuing where Wynja left off, only allowing one hit in a jam of a sixth inning. Blair secured punch-outs for the final two batters of the inning and retooled for the seventh. 

The Emeralds’ first hit came in the bottom of the third, but their second wouldn’t come until a bloop single to right field by catcher Onil Perez in the bottom of the seventh. 

Perez advanced to second on a Zach Morgan groundout, and after the first pitch of the next at-bat, he stole third. 

That brought up center fielder Scott Bandura with the go-ahead run on third and one out. 

Bandura fought hard for a six-pitch walk, which brought up designated hitter Quinn McDaniel — the Ems’ most prolific hitter so far this season, entering Wednesday night batting .333 with 17 hits. 

McDaniel also drew a walk, which loaded the bases with one out. Second baseman Thomas Gavello’s bunt attempt in a two strike count gave the Emeralds no hope to drive a run in without a base hit. 

They would have a lot of time to think about it, as Hillsboro brought in righty Eli Saul with two outs to get the Hops out of a jam. 

In a long battle with Wishkoski, Saul was able to force a weak groundout to second for the final out of the inning. 

After a walk and a Wishkoski error on a throw to first, Hillsboro had runners on second and third with no one out. The Hops wouldn’t even need to put the ball in play to secure their first run of the game as a Blair wild pitch would send in the go-ahead run. 

The next at-bat, Hillsboro shortstop Jose Fernandez drove in a second run with an RBI sacrifice-fly to center to put the Hops ahead 2-0 in the top of the eighth. 

Eugene responded with an emphatic leadoff triple to straightaway center in the bottom of the eighth by left fielder Tanner O’Tremba (1) .

Shortstop Diego Velasquez’s successful bunt to third scored O’Tremba and advanced Hill to third to make it a one-run ball game with no one out. 

On a dropped pitch, Hillsboro catcher Christian Cerda thought he could pick off Hill at third, but his throw sailed into the outfield and allowed the tying run to score. 

A two-out McDaniel walk loaded the bases again for Gavello. Gavello struck out for the second straight time with RISP, demonstrating the lack of clutch hitting the Emeralds desperately needs. 

A one-out O’Tremba hit brought the winning run to first, and a Hill groundout brought him to second with two-outs. 

That signaled a change for Hillsboro, bringing in Sosa to strand O’Tremba and send the game to extras. He forced a pop out from Velasquez and sent the game into the 10th. 

Cotter surrendered the go-ahead run on a Walters single that got through the second-base gap with only one out. The Ems entered the bottom of the tenth down 3-2. 

Hillsboro left Sosa in the game to close it, who walked into bases loaded with two outs and Gavello at the plate yet again. 

In his third at bat with the bases loaded, Gavello hit a soft chopper to end the game 3-2 to Hillsboro. 

The Ems come back tomorrow night and try to exact revenge — same place, same time.