Booms and Brooms: Tri-City Sweeps Doubleheader in Everett
May 24, 2024 - Northwest League (NWL)
Tri-City Dust Devils News Release
Tri-City Dust Devils' Mason Martin at bat
(Tri-City Dust Devils)
Five home runs powered the Tri-City Dust Devils (20-21) to a doubleheader sweep of the Everett AquaSox (18-23) Thursday night, with the visitors winning the first game 9-6 and the second by a score of 4-2 at Funko Field.
Held to one run in Wednesday night's loss, the Tri-City offense bounced back immediately Thursday by plating three runs in the top of the 1st off Everett starter Ty Cummings (1-2). 1B Matt Coutney got things started with an RBI infield single that scored 2B Caleb Ketchup for the first run of the game. C Caleb Pendleton socked a two-run double to left later in the frame to give the Dust Devils a 3-0 lead before starter Ryan Costeiu took the mound.
An inning later the lead doubled when Coutney smashed a three-run homer out to right-center, giving the lefty power hitter his second home run of 2024 and a total of four RBI in two at-bats. The longball pushed the Tri-City lead out to 6-0 through an inning and a half.
A pair of two-run home runs, one in the 4th and one in the 5th, got the AquaSox within two at 6-4 but the Dust Devils would respond again at their next opportunity. 3B Cam Williams hit a high drive over the wall to left for an opposite field solo home run in the top of the 6th, stretching the lead to 7-4. DH Ronaldo Flores later capped a three-hit Game 1 with a two-run single to right-center that made it a 9-4 game.
Once more Everett would draw closer, getting the tying run to the plate in the 7th, but reliever Dylan Phillips would strike out Everett DH Victor Labrada to complete the Game 1 win. Right-hander Willian Suarez (2-1), who Phillips followed, got the win in a first game that saw Tri-City put up 15 hits. Three Dust Devils had three-hit Game 1s, with Ronaldo Flores joined by two Calebs: Ketchup (3-4, BB, 2 R, 2 SB) and Pendleton (3-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R).
Game 2 showcased the mighty power of DH Mason Martin, who launched solo home runs in his first two at-bats. The first, a mammoth blast in the top of the 2nd off AquaSox starter Shaddon Peavyhouse (1-2), soared over the protective netting in right-center field to give Tri-City its first run of the nightcap.
Martin's two-homer night was the second of the season for the Dust Devils, matching Jadiel Sanchez's 23rd birthday celebration in Eugene two weeks ago and giving the Kennewick Kid four home runs in his last five games. The two shots sandwiched an RBI double by Coutney in the 3rd and staked Tri-City to a 3-1 lead through three and a half.
Everett again kept things close, clawing back within a run at 3-2 via a 4th inning solo homer and threatening in the 5th. Reliever Jared Southard (2-0), though, found his way out of trouble with back-to-back strikeouts to preserve the lead.
The visitors then added an insurance run thanks to LF Joe Stewart, who led off the top of the 7th by lining a ball out over the left field wall for his first home run of 2024 and the Dust Devils fifth and final homer of the night. The round-tripper provided the final 4-2 margin, with closer Cam Minacci recording the final four outs for his eighth save of 2024.
With the sweep Tri-City moved into fourth place by themselves in the Northwest League First Half race and only 3.5 games out of first place. It also gave the Dust Devils a two-games-to-one series lead and an opportunity for the team to get back to .500 for the first time since the opening game of the season.
That chance comes in game four of the six-game set between Tri-City and Everett, scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Friday night at Funko Field. Right-hander Joel Hurtado (3-3, 6.03 ERA) heads to the mound for the Dust Devils, with righty Ryan Hawks (2-1, 2.65 ERA) countering for the AquaSox.
Broadcast coverage of the game with the pregame show at 6:45 p.m. Friday night, both here and on the MiLB app.
Tri-City then returns home on Tuesday, June 4, to begin a six-game series against the Eugene Emeralds at Gesa Stadium. It's another Coca-Cola Tuesday, with $2.50 21 oz. Coca-Cola products for fans to enjoy throughout the ballgame.
Tickets for the Eugene series are on sale now, with special ticket rates available for groups of 20 or more. For more information on Dust Devils single game, season, mini-plan (11, 22, 33) and group tickets, visit the team's official ticketing site, dustdevilsbaseball.com.
Images from this story
 Tri-City Dust Devils' Mason Martin at bat |
Northwest League Stories from May 24, 2024
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