Tri-City Earns Big 2-0 Win over Hops
July 23, 2016 - Northwest League (NWL1)
Hillsboro Hops News Release
PASCO, WASH. --- It was a big night for the Tri-City Dust Devils.
The Devils shut out the Hillsboro Hops 2-0, while every other team in the North Division lost games they once led. Tri-City leads Spokane by one game, and Everett and Vancouver by two. There are three games left in the North Division first-half pennant race. Hillsboro was eliminated from the first-half race when Eugene claimed the South Division flag on Wednesday.
One night after a furious comeback for a 9-8 win over Tri-City in which they pounded out 14 hits, the Hops couldn't get much going in the early innings. Dust Devils starter Eric Lauer --- the Padres' first-round draft pick this year out of Kent State --- tossed three shutout innings in his Northwest League debut.
The Hops squandered an opportunity to break a scoreless tie in the top of the sixth. After Hillsboro loaded the bases with one out, Devils reliever Jordan Guerrero struck out Marcus Wilson and Alexis Olmeda.
In the next half inning, Tri-City broke through. With one out, Chris Baker lined a ball off Hops reliever Palmer Betts for an infield hit. (After being checked by manager Shelley Duncan and trainer Eddie Nungesser, Betts stayed in the game.) Baker stole second, and went to third on the errant throw into center. Betts struck out G.K. Young, but with two out, Kyle Overstreet singled to center to score the game's first run.
Hillsboro had another opportunity in the seventh, putting runners at the corners with two out, but Guerrero struck out Connor Owings to end the inning.
The Dust Devils added a run in the seventh when Nate Easley walked, Jose Savinon singled, Josh Magee sacrificed, and Taylor Kohlwey lifted a sacrifice fly to right. It was 2-0.
Mark Karaviotis led off the eighth inning for the Hops and was hit by a pitch. The next batter, Chad Oberacker, was unlucky. With Karaviotis going, Oberacker smoked a ball right to Easley at second, who easily doubled Karaviotis off first.
The Hops, still trailing it 2-0 in the ninth, had a two-out single from Luke Lowery --- his fifth hit in nine at-bats in the series --- but Manny Jefferson grounded out to end the game. Guerrero (3-3) was the winner, and Jesse Scholtens worked the ninth to earn his second save. Betts (1-1) took the loss.
The loss spoiled a solid effort from Hops starter Bo Takahashi, making his second injury rehab start for Hillsboro. He went four shutout innings, allowing two hits and no runs, with one walk and two strikeouts. He was also the starter when the Hops were shut out 1-0 on Sunday at home against Everett.
It was the third time Hillsboro has been shut out in the last six games --- also once by Everett and once by Eugene. The Hops have been blanked six times this year; by contrast, between 6/24/14 and 7/31/15, they went 111 consecutive games without being shut out.
Hillsboro (17-18) and Tri-City (18-17) meet in the middle game of the five-game series on Saturday night in Pasco. Game time is 7:15, with the radio pregame show scheduled for 6:45 on Rip City Radio 620 AM and www.RipCityRadio.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.
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Northwest League Stories from July 23, 2016
- Volcanoes Walk It off for Second Time in Season - Salem-Keizer Volcanoes
- Tri-City Earns Big 2-0 Win over Hops - Hillsboro Hops
- Strong Pitching Performance Leads Dust Devils Past Hops - Tri-City Dust Devils
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