Hillsboro Hops left-hander Rio Britton struck out 11 batters and tied a franchise record in a 5-2 win over the Eugene Emeralds on Wednesday, Sept. 2, at P.K. Park in Eugene.

Britton's eighth win of the 2026 season matched Deyni Olivero's 2019 mark for the most wins in a single year in Hops history, according to the team's game recap. His 11 strikeouts were also the most by any Hops pitcher in a single game this season, topping his own career high of 10 set July 30 against Everett.

The former Oregon Ducks pitcher was dominant at his old college ballpark. Britton struck out six consecutive batters between the first and third innings, most of them on his fastball. He allowed just one run on three hits over 6.1 innings. The lone blemish: a solo homer by Eugene's Jose Ramos in the third.

It was the second time in 2026 that Britton went six or more innings in Eugene and allowed one run or fewer.

Britton ran into trouble in the sixth, issuing back-to-back walks to open the frame. Pitching coach Blake Nation visited the mound. Britton then retired the next three hitters, two by strikeout and one on a line-out to third baseman Yassel Soler. He struck out the leadoff batter in the seventh before being pulled.

The Hops' offense broke through in the fourth inning against Eugene reliever Gerelmi Maldonado, who issued three straight walks to force home the tying run. Abdias De La Cruz followed with an RBI single, extending his hitting streak to eight games. Jose Mejia, Soler and Modeifi Marte added to the lead in the fifth, with Marte's double to left scoring two.

Hillsboro's bullpen held firm after Britton departed. Left-hander Luke Craig loaded the bases in the seventh but struck out Eugene shortstop Jhonny Level on three tailing fastballs with the tying runs aboard. Joe Ariola, the third left-hander of the night, worked the ninth. With runners on second and third and nobody out, Ariola struck out three straight batters, including Level again, to end the game.

The three Hops left-handers combined for 17 strikeouts, matching the team's second-highest single-game total of 2026.

The win came one night after Hillsboro was eliminated from playoff contention. The Hops had won 10 of their last 13 games heading into the Sept. 2 contest, improving to 30-32 in the second half and 62-66 overall. It was just their fourth win in 17 games at P.K. Park this season.

Olivero, whose record Britton matched, earned Northwest League Pitcher of the Year honors in 2019 after posting a 2.09 ERA in 15 games with the Hops, the Arizona Diamondbacks' High-A affiliate.

Hillsboro closes the 2026 regular season Sunday, Sept. 6, at Hops Ballpark.