Dust Devils Great for Eight, Hold off Hops in Ninth
June 19, 2025 - Northwest League (NWL)
Tri-City Dust Devils News Release
Tri-City Dust Devils pitcher Ryan Johnson
(Tri-City Dust Devils)
PASCO - Ryan Johnson threw seven scoreless innings and the Tri-City Dust Devils (29-36) hit three home runs Wednesday night, helping them hold off a late charge from the Hillsboro Hops (33-32) to take a 7-3 win at Gesa Stadium that gave the home nine a two-games-to-none series lead in their six-game set.
Johnson (2-2) allowed only two hits in his dazzling performance, striking out seven without walking a Hillsboro batter and not allowing a runner to safely reach second base his entire outing. The righty from Red Oak, Texas, retired 13 straight Hops at one point, getting some help as well from his defense along the way. He also punctuated his start with a 1-2-3 final inning, striking out the first two looking and then making a great defensive play of his own on a one-hopper to his left to assist in his final out of the night.
Hillsboro starter Casey Anderson (3-6) matched Johnson for four innings before running into trouble in the bottom of the 5th. C Juan Flores was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, bringing up SS Capri Ortiz. The switch hitter, after initially trying to lay down a sacrifice bunt, took an Anderson pitch over the wall in right for a two-run home run that opened the scoring. LF David Calabrese followed with a double for his first hit as a Dust Devil, and 3B Cole Fontenelle did the same later in the frame for a 3-0 lead. Fontenelle later scored on a wild pitch to finish a four-run 5th inning. Calabrese then continued his fine introduction to the Tri-Cities with a two-run home run deep down the right field line, moving the Dust Devils to a 6-0 lead. DH Matt Coutney hit a solo homer in the 7th to stretch the margin to 7-0, and Tri-City looked to complete the shutout in the 9th. It was not to be, as walks and hit batters piled up for three Hops runs and allowed the potential tying run to come to the plate. Dylan Phillips would back up his win last night by getting the save, striking out pinch hitter Kenny Castillo to give the Dust Devils back-to-back wins to start the week.
DUST DEVILS NOTES
-Reliever Roman Phansalkar made his return to the Tri-City bullpen, throwing a scoreless and hitless 8th inning with a strikeout. The righty, the Los Angeles Angels' 7th round 2022 draft pick out of Oklahoma State, had been on the injured list all season until Tuesday night, recently completing a rehab assignment in the Arizona Complex League.
-David Calabrese (2-for-4, 2-R HR, 2B, BB) keyed the attack with a multi-hit game, reaching three times and scoring twice. Matt Coutney (1-for-3, HR, 2 BB) and 1B Ryan Nicholson (1-for-3, 2 BB) also got on base thrice, and Capri Ortiz (1-for-3, 2-R HR, BB, R) scored both times he reached base.
-The Everett AquaSox now have the inside track on the Northwest League First Half title, after beating Spokane 9-3 in Spokane and watching Eugene end Vancouver's 11-game winning streak by defeating them 8-1 in Eugene. The incredibly close race will come down to the final day of the half, with Everett and Vancouver both 36-29 and the AquaSox holding the head-to-head tiebreaker. An Everett win Thursday night will clinch a berth in the NWL Championship Series for the Seattle Mariners' High-A affiliate, but a loss opens the door for the Canadians to win and get in to the best-of-five deciding series the week after the season ends.
FINISHING THE FIRST HALF
Tri-City and Hillsboro meet for game three of their six-game series at 7:05 p.m. Thursday night at Gesa Stadium, in their 66th and final game of the First Half. Fans are encouraged to wear pink and Pink Out the Park as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Night presented by Inland Imaging.
Right-hander Ryan Costeiu (0-4, 7.90 ERA) takes the hill for the Dust Devils, countered by righty Daniel Eagen (4-3, 2.77 ERA) of the Hops. The Dust Devils Pregame Show takes the 1s and 0s of the internet airwaves at 6:45 p.m., with video coverage on Bally Sports Live's MiLB Zone and audio coverage at dustdevilsbaseball.com and the MiLB app.
For tickets to Thursday night's game, and for all 2025 Dust Devils home games, visit the official ticket site, dustdevilsbaseball.com.
Gesa Stadium, home of your Tri-City Dust Devils, has been nominated as Best Single-A Ballpark in America by Newsweek! VOTE HERE now to help bring home another award for our beloved ballpark!
Images from this story
 Tri-City Dust Devils pitcher Ryan Johnson |
Northwest League Stories from June 19, 2025
- Opening Day Major Leaguer Beats Hops 7-3 at Tri-City - Hillsboro Hops
- Everett AquaSox Power Past Spokane Indians 9-3 - Everett AquaSox
- Winning Streak Ends at 11 with Lopsided Loss - Vancouver Canadians
- Dust Devils Great for Eight, Hold off Hops in Ninth - Tri-City Dust Devils
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