Paredes and Luis Lead Hops to 4-0 Win at Tri-City
Published on September 7, 2025 under Northwest League (NWL)
Hillsboro Hops News Release
PASCO, WASH. - Left-hander Wilkin Paredes tossed five one-hit shutout innings and second baseman Jansel Luis went 3-for-4 with two RBIs in the Hillsboro Hops' 4-0 win at Gesa Stadium on Saturday. Paredes and relievers Kyle Ayers, Joangel Gonzalez and Edgar Isea combined on a three-hitter. It was the Hops' third shutout of the season, coming on the next-to-last day of the year.
Prior to the game, a moment of silence was held for Tri-City outfielder Rio Foster, who remains in critical condition in a local hospital, the result of a car accident in the wee hours of Friday morning. This, no doubt, weighed heavily on the minds of both teams, particularly the Dust Devils. In the wake of the accident, Friday's game was canceled and will not be made up.
Paredes and Dust Devils' starter Yeferson Vargas locked horns on Saturday, each tossing five shutout frames, with Vargas notching a career-high-tying eight strikeouts. Chris Clark --- Saturday's scheduled starter for Tri-City, bumped to a piggyback role because of Friday's cancelation --- came on for the top of the sixth and got into immediate trouble.
With one out, Slade Caldwell doubled into the right-field corner and Angel Ortiz tapped an infield single. With two outs, Luis pulled a double into the right-field corner to score Caldwell. A subsequent wild pitch brought Ortiz home, and the Hops led 2-0.
They added two more in the eighth on another single by Ortiz, an RBI single by Luis, and an infield hit and concomitant error by Tri-City shortstop Capri Ortiz.
All the while, the Hops' pitching staff was excellent. Paredes got off to an ominous beginning, walking the Devils' leadoff batter in the first inning, Anthony Scull, on 10 pitches. In this case, it was not a sign of things to come. Paredes retired 15 of the next 18 hitters, throwing just 44 more pitches after the battle with Scull.
Right-hander Kyle Ayers, making his second appearance as a Hop, pitched around a leadoff walk in the sixth (striking out the next three batters) and a leadoff single in the 7th (getting two ground-outs and a strikeout). Righty Joangel Gonzalez then whiffed the side in order in the eighth on 10 pitches.
Fellow right-hander Edgar Isea allowed a leadoff bunt single to Capri Ortiz leading off the ninth inning, just the third hit of the game for Tri-City. Juan Flores then flew out to the fence in right on a good play by Druw Jones. And Adrian Placencia grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to end the game.
Luis' 3-for-4 night puts his batting average at .307 (123-for-401). To win the Northwest League batting title on Sunday, Luis would have to finish better than .31475, the "adjusted" batting average of Spokane's Jared Thomas. (See note below.) And to do that, Luis would have to go 5-for-5 on Sunday, putting him at .31527. Anything short of that --- such as 4-for-4, 4-for-5 or 5-for-6 --- would leave him short.
Luis now has 65 RBIs, and is four shy of tying A.J. Vukovich for the Hops' single-season record; Ortiz is five off the mark, with 64.
Luis will set the Hops' single-season record for batting average (long season, since 2021), held by Gavin Conticello at .282. Cristofer Torin (hitting .284) may better that mark as well.
And the Hops' single-season runs scored record will come down to the season's final day. Jones has crossed the plate 77 times, and Torin 76. Both have surpassed Wilderd Patino's previous mark of 73, set in 2023.
The final game of the season is scheduled for 1:30PM on Sunday. The radio pregame show begins early, at 1:10, as we'll air "This Year in Hops Baseball," a selection of radio highlights from the season, built by producer Chris Burkhardt. And listeners should stay tuned after the game, as I will say my annual final goodbyes on the postgame show. The broadcast can be heard on Rip City Radio 620AM and www.RipCityRadio.com.
NOTE: Spokane's Jared Thomas hit .330, but was 14 plate appearances shy of qualifying; by baseball rule, an 0-for-14 puts Thomas' official mark to beat at .31475. (If Thomas wins it, his full batting average of .330 will be listed as the winning mark.)
Northwest League Stories from September 7, 2025
- C's Fall 2-1 in Final Game of 2025 - Vancouver Canadians
- Emeralds Secure Sweep to Close out Regular Season - Eugene Emeralds
- Sox Offense Falls Flat Saturday Night - Everett AquaSox
- Sellout Crowd Sees Vargas Sharp in Tri-City Loss to Hillsboro - Tri-City Dust Devils
- Cates, Crooked Numbers Carry C's to 6-1 Win - Vancouver Canadians
- Paredes and Luis Lead Hops to 4-0 Win at Tri-City - Hillsboro Hops
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