Bill Hass on Baseball from Friday night at NewBridge Bank Park:Hoppers pitching pounded

Bill Hass on Greensboro Grasshoppers Baseball from Friday night, at NewBridge Bank Park….You can follow Bill at www.gsohoppers.com….

Hoppers pitching pounded

There are nights, over the course of a 140-game season, when it doesn’t pay to be a pitcher.

Friday night was one of those at NewBridge Bank Park. Four Greensboro pitchers were tattooed for 15 hits, including four home runs, as the Hoppers were ripped by Lakewood 15-9.

It wasn’t a great night for Lakewood pitching, either, but the BlueClaws found two pitchers who could get some outs. After Ethan Stewart and Yari Sosa surrendered eight runs in four innings, Austin Brough came on to throw two shutout innings and Blake Mascarello allowed one run over the final three innings, which earned him a save.

Meanwhile, none of the Hoppers pitchers went through unscathed. Austin Brice was tagged for seven runs in 3 2/3 innings, the usually-reliable Greg Nappo gave up four in 1 1/3, and Johnny Omahen and Frankie Reed each pitched two innings and gave up two runs.

The Hoppers fell behind 4-0 and cut the lead to 4-3 but a five-run Lakewood fourth inning that pushed the lead to 9-3 proved too much to overcome.

Greensboro pitchers have been drilled in a few other games this season, most notably a 19-2 loss at Delmarva, a 17-2 licking at Kannapolis and a 14-5 loss at home to the Intimidators.

The offense did what it could but the hole was too big and the closest it could come was three runs. It was the 16th time this season the Hoppers scored at least nine runs but the first time they lost.

Matt Smith hit a three-run homer and a solo shot for the Hoppers and Ryan Goetz had four singles. Goetz played center field for Brent Keys, who was hit on the wrist while the Hoppers were at West Virginia and will miss a few more games.

The thing about baseball is that momentum is usually as good as the next game’s starting pitcher. Andrew Healey, the Marlins’ No. 1 pick this summer, will pitch Saturday night.