Tri-City Dust Devils, Ben Sheckler Rain on Hillsboro Hops’ Parade, 10-1
The Hillsboro Hops couldn’t stem the flooding as the Tri-City Dust Devils rained ten runs on the visiting Hops in a 10-1 loss. By the time Hillsboro finally got on the board, the Dust Devils had already scored their ten runs and time was almost over.
The scoring didn’t start until the third inning as both teams enjoyed a peaceful calm before the storm. Once it started, all Hillsboro could do was to ride the crashing waves pounding two runs in the third and fourth and three runs in the sixth and seventh.
The Dust Devils managed to score their ten runs on just ten hits. Base runners were helped by six walks on the night. Aldemar Burgos led the way going 3 for 4 at the plate including a double in the two-run fourth with one out. Burgos was thrown out by center fielder Tra’Mayne Holmes when he tried to stretch his double into a triple. Lead-off batter Tyler Benson contributed a mighty bat going 2 for 3 and scoring two runs. Benson’s two-run double cleared the bases in the fourth.
The Hops scored their lone run in the eighth when Holmes doubled to left to start out the inning and went to third on a wild pitch by reliever Chasen Ford. Camden Duzenack’s sacrifice fly to left field brought Holmes home. Left fielder Tyler Benson had trouble getting the glove on the fly ball allowing Duzenack to reach first and Tim Susnara to scoot over to second with one out. Luis Lara would walk to fill the bases but there was no more scoring for the Hops.
Three hits were all Hillsboro could muster. Lara singled in the first with two outs but never made it past second. In the sixth, Duzenack singled with one out and stole second but never made it to third. The third hit of the night was Holmes’ double that led to the single run for the Hops. The game featured four innings where the Hops went three up and three down.
Ben Sheckler (W, 3-2) started and was the Master of Ceremonies for the home team Dust Devils. Sheckler welcomed the Hops for seven innings and left the mound with a two-hitter going for him after 73 pitches – 51 of them strikes.
The Hops’ Tyler Vail was rocked for 5.2 innings for five runs on eight hits. Vail left the mound in the sixth with a man on first with two outs and the score 4-0. The inherited runner would score adding to Vail’s tab. The game still felt in reach compared to the rest of the sixth before Luis Almanzar smacked a three-run homer over the left field fence.
It was a strange night across the Northwest League. On a night where the Hops lost, the other three members of the Southern Division lost as well leaving everyone just where they started the night. The four losses came at the hands of four Northern Division teams who won all of their games. As it stood at the end of the night, the Hillsboro Hops (9-10) were still in a three-way tie with the Boise Hawks and Eugene Emeralds for first place. The Tri City Dust Devils were still in a two-way tie with the Vancouver Canadians also in first place.
Both teams return to Gesa stadium for the final game of the five-game series. Expected pitchers are RHP Brian Shaffer (0-0) for the Hops and LHP Aaron Leasher (0-0) for the Dust Devils. Leasher will be making his NWL debut for Tri City. The Dust Devils are leading the series, 3-1.
By Greg Stoker
@GDStoker
