Rio Goes Grande: Foster's Homer Fuels Columbia River to Victory
July 12, 2025 - Northwest League (NWL)
Tri-City Dust Devils News Release
Tri-City Dust Devils left fielder Rio Foster
(Tri-City Dust Devils)
PASCO - LF Rio Foster provided the lone offensive jolt of Friday's night otherwise tightly pitched and close contest, hitting an opposite field two-run homer for the Tri-City Dust Devils (12-7 2H, 42-43) that provided the scoring for a 2-0 shutout of the Everett AquaSox (5-14 2H, 42-43) at Gesa Stadium that even the week's series at two games apiece.
The game started as a pitchers' duel with Tri-City, playing as the Columbia River Rooster Tails, getting six shutout innings from starter Yeferson Vargas in his High-A debut. The 20-year-old righty, from San Pedro de Macoris in the Dominican Republic, struck out seven and allowed only a hit and a walk. He faced the minimum 18 batters in his outing, getting a pair of double plays to erase the two baserunners. Everett's Ryan Hawks matched Vargas with six scoreless frames, striking out five while giving up four hits and a walk.
The bullpens took over from there, starting with Rooster Tails lefty Leonard Garcia (5-3). The southpaw gave up back-to-back hits to lead off the 7th inning, but a runner caught stealing and a pair of strikeouts posted a seventh zero on the top side of the scoreboard. SS Arol Vera then led off the bottom of the 7th with an infield hit to get on. Foster then came up and lined a pitch from AquaSox reliever Shaddon Peavyhouse (1-3) the opposite way over the fence in right field, with his second home run of the season providing the only runs of the game.
Garcia pitched a perfect 8th and handed things off to fellow lefty Dylan Phillips, who fended off the last Everett charge and stranded two in the top of the 9th to earn his sixth save.
ROOSTER TAILS REPORTS
-Columbia River received multi-hit games from three different players: Rio Foster (2-for-3, 2-R HR), 2B Adrian Placencia (2-for-4) and Arol Vera (2-for-4). 1B Ryan Nicholson had the other hit for the Rooster Tails, also walking to reach twice.
-Both starters retired the first six batters they faced in order, with Yeferson Vargas going once through the AquaSox order perfectly. Columbia River then went five innings in a row with at least one hit (3rd through 7th) before being retired in order by Everett in the 8th.
-The Rooster Tails pitching staff authored the team's third shutout in its last 11 games and its sixth of the season. The blanking also serves as the first shutout of the AquaSox by the team from Pasco, Kennewick and Richland since a 4-0 win at Gesa Stadium on August 9, 2022.
SATURDAY NIGHT'S ALRIGHT FOR...BASEBALL AND FIREWORKS
Tri-City returns to take on Everett in game five of their six-game series at 7:05 p.m. Saturday night at Gesa Stadium. As always for a Saturday night postgame fireworks will light the sky above the Tri, presented this week by Columbia Basin Hearing Center.
Right-hander Ryan Costeiu (2-4, 6.62 ERA) toes the slab for the Dust Devils, matching up against righty Evan Truitt (3-4, 5.25 ERA) of the AquaSox.
Free broadcast coverage of the game (video in Bally Sports Live's MiLB Zone and audio at dustdevilsbaseball.com and the MiLB app) begins with the Dust Devils Pregame Show at 6:45 p.m. Craig Beauchemin, voice of the Tri-City Americans, will call the action for both Saturday night's game and the 1:30 p.m. Sunday afternoon matinee that will take the teams to the All-Star Break.
For tickets to Saturday night's game, and all 2025 Dust Devils home games, visit the official ticket site, dustdevilsbaseball.com.
Images from this story
 Tri-City Dust Devils left fielder Rio Foster |
Northwest League Stories from July 12, 2025
- AquaSox Shut out in Pitcher's Duel Friday Night - Everett AquaSox
- Charlie Szykowny & Jonah Cox's 9th Inning Home Runs Launch Eugene to Victory - Eugene Emeralds
- Rio Goes Grande: Foster's Homer Fuels Columbia River to Victory - Tri-City Dust Devils
- Pair of Homers Power C's to Victory - Vancouver Canadians
- Vancouver Blasts Two Homers in Third Straight Win Over Hops - Hillsboro Hops
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