Room at the Top: Tribe Ties Hops with Late HR
June 4, 2025 - Northwest League (NWL)
Hillsboro Hops News Release
SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. - Charlie Condon had a college season for the ages at the University of Georgia in 2024, leading the nation in batting and setting a BBCOR-era, single-season home run record with 37, becoming only the third player in Division I history to lead the country in both home runs and batting average.
That monster season did not translate to the pros in a small late-summer sample last season and Condon's 2025 was delayed by a pre-season injury. But through a dozen games, the former third overall pick is beginning to show signs of the player the Rockies shelled out over $9 million to obtain.
Condon followed up a fifth-inning RBI double with a go-ahead, three-run home run in the seventh inning as the Spokane Indians knocked off the Hillsboro Hops 7-5 Tuesday night in the opening game of a six-game series at Avista Stadium with major postseason implications.
The win pulled the Tribe into a first-place tie with the Hops, who dropped their sixth game in the last seven. Just two games separate the six teams in the Northwest League with 14 games remaining before a first-half league champion is crowned in the split-season format. The final game of the first half is June 19. The Indians are the defending NWL champs while Hillsboro is seeking its first postseason berth since the 2019 season, the league's last short-season campaign.
Hunter Omlid pitched three innings of scoreless, hitless relief to earn his NWL-leading sixth win of the season. The Hamilton, Montana native struck out four with two bases on balls and did not allow a runner past first base after taking over for starting pitcher Konner Eaton to start the seventh.
Eaton, who had completed seven innings in each of his previous two starts, both wins, was charged with six hits and five earned runs, both tying season-highs. The Hops had taken a 5-4 lead with a three-run sixth inning, courtesy of a Kenny Castillo RBI double to the wall in right center and a two-run Angel Ortiz home run off the caboose in right field.
But Caleb Hobson lashed a single to right off Hillsboro reliever Eli Saul to open the bottom of the seventh. Southpaw Carlos Rey came out of the bullpen and promptly walked leadoff batter Jared Thomas. With two aboard and a 2-1 count, Condon lifted a fly bal over the short porch in right for his second home run of the season and third career. It was only his 12th game in Spokane after missing the first month of the season on the injured list.
Condon's four RBi set a new career-high, eclipsing the three RBI he had against the Hops last Aug. 20. Shortly thereafter, Condon went through a 1-for-31 stretch at the plate and finished his first pro campaign with a .180 batting average and just one home run in 25 games.
Braylen Wimmer added three hits and a pair of RBI. The league's top hitter in May, Wimmer had RBI singles in the third and fifth innings. The top four hitters in the Spokane order combined to go 8-for-14 with ftwo doubles, a homer, five runs scored and six runs batted in.
The teams traded punches throughout the night. Cristofer Torin doubled off Eaton to lead off the game. Later swiping third base with two outs and scoring on Eaton's third balk of the season. The 2024 sixth-rounder out of George Mason U. tumbled down the front of the mound while trying to deliver a pitch to Jackson Feltner.
The Indians used a savvy bit of base running to even the score. Cole Messina doubled to open the bottom of the second. Messina ranged nearly halfway to third base on a foul pop behind the plate, inducing a throw to second from Hops catcher Kenny Castillo. He was able to get to third easily, from where he scored on a Skyler Messinger sacrifice fly to tie the game 1-1.
The Hops responded with a Ryan Waldschmidt solo home run in the third inning. It was Waldschmidt's team-leading sixth of the year, but first since May 1.
A one-out Caleb Hobson double and a two-out Wimmer line single over the head of shortstop Cristofer Torin evened the score in the third. Torin appeared to get caught with the sun in his eyes, ducking and shielding his face as the ball streaked over his head into left field.
Spokane grabbed its first lead of the night in the fifth, knocking Hops starting pitcher Daniel Nunez out of the game with a walk and three consecutive one-out hits. Condon doubled off the left center field wall to plate Thomas and Wimmer followed with his second RBI single.
For Hillsboro, Jackson Feltner made a rare appearance in the cleanup spot and reached base four times with two walks, a single and a hit-by-pitch. Ortiz had two of Hillsboro's six hits on the night, extending a hitting streak to five games. Struggling reliever Alexis Liebano closed the game on an up note, retiring all five batters he faced with a strikeout.
The Hops and Indians hit the field for game two at 6:35 p.m. tomorrow. Pregame coverage begins at 6:20 on Rip City Radio 620 AM. Eugene and Tri-City both lost Tuesday. The Hops and Indians maintain a one-game lead over the Emeralds and Everett and Tri-City are tied for fourth a game and a half back. Vancouver is still in last place, but just two games out of first after eight wins in its last nine games.
Northwest League Stories from June 4, 2025
- Everett Slugs 4 Home Runs En-Route to 2nd Straight Win against Eugene - Eugene Emeralds
- Montes and Suisbel Homer in Sox 6-5 Win - Everett AquaSox
- Tri-City Trips at Final Hurdle, Falls to Vancouver - Tri-City Dust Devils
- Room at the Top: Tribe Ties Hops with Late HR - Hillsboro Hops
- Condon Slugs Indians Past Hops in Series Opener - Spokane Indians
- Ems Fall Just Short to Open Series against Everett - Eugene Emeralds
- Nick's Ninth Inning Homer Earns C's a Goodwin - Vancouver Canadians
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