Doubleheader included the make up game from 6/13 which was rained out.  Both games featured one pitcher who shined in Drey Jameson and Luis Alvarado.  The Hillsboro Hops took game#1, 5-2.  The Tri City Dust Devils took game#2, 7-1.

Doubleheader game#1

Drey Jameson Throws Seven Inning Complete game Win

Drey Jameson (W, 2-4) threw a complete game in the first half of a double header Friday night.  Previously, he defeated the Eugene Emeralds 3-2 last week for his first win.  Tonight is his second.  Once the Hops erupted in the fifth with four runs to make it 5-2, the Hillsboro Hops sailed to a win over the Tri City Dust Devils for their third win in a row.

Both teams scored their first run in the fourth inning.  Dust Devils’ Carlos Herrera solo lead-off homer in the top of the inning.  Hops Tristin English’ lead off double and scored on Cam Coursey’s sac fly.  After that, the two teams started to diverge.

Hurt Time

Francisco Del Valle took a pitch between the right kidney and the lower rib cage.  It took him some time to walk it off after going down and rolling across the plate.  Del Valle took his base and scored the Dust Devils second and last run of the game off of Livan Soto’s RBI single.

Livan had hurt issues of his own.  He tried to field Eduardo Diaz’ grounder in the third inning but went down.  The ball lay beside him as Diaz made first.  Soto held his right leg, pointing to his shin.  After several minutes of putting weight on it and testing his movement, Livan stayed in the game.

Hops Take Over

In the bottom of the fifth, the Hops started distancing themselves from their visitors.  Eight Hops made it to the plate.  Half of them scored.  First, Reece Hampton singled and scored on Spencer Brickhouse’s sac fly.  Eduardo Diaz reached base on a fielder’s choice.  He was followed by Blaze Alexander and Tristin English with two walks.  Up stepped Axel Andueza for the hero moment.  Axel delivered with a bases clearing double that ran the score up to 5-2 and became the final score of the game.

Erick Julio (L, 0-4) started for Tri City and did a fine job holding the Hops to just one run.  Until the fifth inning.   After he gave up Hampton’s and Leodany Perez’ singles to lead off the inning, in came Zach Linginfelter to finish the game.  Zach faced six more Hops, including Andueza and his three-RBI double.

Doubleheader Box Score game#1

Doubleheader game#2

Luis Alvarado, Tri City Dust Devils Lock Down the Hops 7-1

Luis Alvarado (W, 3-1) started the second game of the double header and went through five innings, smothering the Hillsboro Hops with five strikeouts and allowing only one hit.  Alvarado retired his first seven batters until he struck Leodany Perez with a pitch giving the Hops their first base runner.  After that, Luis returned to business and ended the inning on two fielder’s choices.

Alvarado dished out another 1-2-3 inning in the fourth.  It was in the fifth where he finally started showing that he was human.  Then, Alvarado allowed two base runners for the Hops and their first hit of the game.  Luis walked Danny Oriente to lead off the inning.  Cam Coursey followed with a single.  It didn’t do the Hops much good as the next three batters went down.

Dakota Donovan Finishes Game

With two more innings to go, Dakota Donovan came in and allowed the Hops only run when Andy Yerzy took a two-out walk and scored on Oriente’s RBI single.  Spencer Brickhouse singled in between to advance Yerzy to second.

First Inning Massacre

In contrast, the Dust Devils did all the damage they would need in the first inning with plenty of extra to go around.  Seven runs crossed the plate before the Hops would even come to bat.  The Dust Devils scored no more but they had plenty already.

Hops starter Josh McMinn (L, 0-1) watched seven Dust Devils come to the plate.  The only problem was, there was only one out.  That first out came with the first batter up.  After that, six batters safely reached base.  Jordyn Adams doubled.  Kenyon Yovan, Adrian Rondon and Steven Rivas drew three consecutive walks, forcing Adams home.  Francisco Del Valle singled home two more runs.  When Keinner Pina singled home Rivas and Del Valle, it was time for a change.

Relief

In stepped Kai-Wei Lin.  But, the Dust Devils were hot and he could only slow them down.  It was enough to get out of the inning.  However, not before Kyle Kasser singled and Herrera (second time this inning) doubled Pina home.

Lin lasted another inning.  Then, there were a succession of two-inning stints.  Liu Fuenmayor held the Dust Devils to one hit and no runs.  Bobby Ay  breezed through three batters in the fifth but slowed down for some trouble in the sixth.  Ay walked the first two batters but a double play and a groundout got him out of the inning.  Finally, Kyler Stout closed the seventh with three strikeouts.

Standings

Good news is the Hops moved up a spot.  The doubleheader split jumped the Hillsboro Hops over Vancouver and took sole possession of fourth place.  Consequently, Spokane now sits above them with a one and a half game lead.  The Hops gained a half game on Everett who lost tonight and are 15 games back.  The Tri City Dust Devils, with the split, now sit four games back of Vancouver and also gained a half game on Everett, 19.5 games back.

Doubleheader Box Score game#2

Both teams meet again Saturday night for game#5 of the series at 7:05 PM.  You can watch the game on MiLB.tv, listen on 620 AM radio or follow me on Twitter for half inning updates.  You can find my Twitter handle below.

Side note: the first game (Hops’ win) is a part of this current six game series.  The second game (Dust Devils’ win) was a make up for a rain-out earlier in the season.

By

Greg Stoker

GDStoker