NWL Tri-City Dust Devils

Martin Clutch, Pitching Outstanding as Dust Devils Shut out Hops to Take Series

May 20, 2024 - Northwest League (NWL)
Tri-City Dust Devils News Release


Tri-City Dust Devils first baseman Mason Martin
Tri-City Dust Devils first baseman Mason Martin
(Tri-City Dust Devils)

Starter Walbert Ureña threw seven shutout innings and Kennewick's 1B Mason Martin came up clutch Sunday afternoon, driving in the only run of the game for the Tri-City Dust Devils (18-20) in a 1-0 win over the Hillsboro Hops (18-20) at Gesa Stadium.

Tri-City scored its run in the bottom of the 8th inning, a two-out knock off Hillsboro reliever Listher Sosa (3-1) that plated 2B Caleb Ketchup from third. Ketchup singled to lead off the inning, then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt laid down by SS Andy Blake and to third on a RF Jorge Ruiz groundout. That brought up Martin, whose looping liner found safe grass in which to lie down

The victory clinched a second straight series win for the team. It also kept the the Dust Devils within range just past the midway point of the Northwest League's First Half race, moving them into a tie for third with the Hops 4.5 games back of the league-leading Spokane Indians.

Ureña, though getting a no-decision, gave his team his best start of 2024 by giving up only two hits and striking out four over his seven frames. The righty allowed only two runners to get into scoring position in his trip to the hill and retired the final seven batters he faced.

Hillsboro starter Logan Clayton matched Ureña in a slightly shorter outing, going 5.1 innings scoreless and striking out eight in his 2024 High-A debut. Once Ureña departed, the late-inning one-two punch of Brady Choban (2-0) and Cam Minacci (7th save) finished the game to complete the squad's eighth win in its last eleven contests.

Both teams struggled at the plate Sunday, combining for a total of nine hits. Though Mason Martin had just one hit, he continued a good run at the plate by reaching base three times on the day, twice by walk. DH Kevin Bruggeman, C Caleb Pendleton and Andy Blake added hits in innings previous to help the cause for the Dust Devils.

Having won the series four games to two, Tri-City now begins its longest road trip of 2024 by starting a six-game set with the Everett AquaSox at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday night at Funko Field. Right-hander Chris Clark (0-4, 4.79 ERA) will go to the mound for the Dust Devils, while the AquaSox have not yet announced their pitching alignment for the series.

Broadcast coverage of the game begins with the pregame show at 6:45 p.m, both here and on the MiLB app. Games in Everett will hold the 7:05 p.m. first pitch time Tuesday-Saturday, with the teams playing a 4:05 p.m. late matinee Sunday afternoon. From there, Tri-City heads north and across the border to play six games against the Vancouver Canadians before returning home Tuesday, June 4, to take on the Eugene Emeralds.

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.

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Tri-City Dust Devils first baseman Mason Martin
Tri-City Dust Devils first baseman Mason Martin
   



Northwest League Stories from May 20, 2024


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