Hops Come Up Short In 14th One-Run Game Of Season

On a night that featured gale force winds, the Tri-City Dust Devils held off a late comeback attempt against a team that is by now hardened to late-inning drama.

Down 4-0 in the eighth inning, Hillsboro's Jack Hurley smacked an opposite field two-run home run to left field. Hillsboro (17-18) put the tying runs in scoring position in the eighth and ninth innings before falling 4-3 to the Dust Devils (16-19) at a breezy Gesa Stadium Thursday night.

Avery Short (0-3) pitched into the seventh inning for the second consecutive start, allowing a season-high eight hits, but no walks with two strikeouts. The Devils got to Short for three runs, but only one was earned. And with a sustained breeze of 20-30 miles per hour blowing out to left field with higher gusts late in the game, Short was able to keep the Devils in the yard.

It probably should have been a shutout outing for the Indianapolis southpaw, but a hot shot not fielded at third, a tag not made at the plate and a passed ball all factored into a two-run third inning for Tri-City, despite no errors being assessed.

The Dust Devils tacked on another unearned run in the sixth when Ben Gobbel reached on a Kevin Sim throwing error and scored on Jadiel Sanchez's double.

Caleb Ketchup had just missed a home run on a deep foul fly before doubling off Short to open Tri-City's third inning. In the seventh, the second-year infielder blasted a shot off the scoreboard in left on Alfred Morillo's first pitch out of the bullpen to put the Devils up 4-0.

Held to just two hits by three Devils pitchers through seven innings, the Hops made things very interesting late. Wyatt Crenshaw led off the eighth with a single off hard-throwing right handed reliever Brady Choban. One out later, Hurley smacked his second home run of the season over the left field fence. A Ketchup throwing error put Christian Cerda at second base and brought the tying run to the plate. Sim hit a chopper up the middle and beat out an infield hit, with Ben Gobbel keeping the ball on the infield and Cerda from scoring. Jose Fernandez fanned to end the threat.

Camden Minacci came on to pitch the ninth in pursuit of his Northwest League-leading sixth save, but pinch-hitting Jean Walters greeted him with a single through the shortstop hole and the Hops were in business again. After Gavin Conticello struck out, Crenshaw followed with another hit. Pintar succumbed to strikes, but Hurley kept the Hops afloat with a hard ground ball off the glove of third baseman Cam Williams, scoring Walters and sending Crenshaw to second with the potential tying run. But Minacci escaped the ropes and delivered the knockout blow, fanning Neyfy Castillo to end the game.

Jake Smith (1-0) was credited with the win after 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief in back of Ryan Costeiu, who made his first Tri-City appearance since missing all of 2023 with an injury. Erik Rivera followed with three hitless innings, striking out four with one walk.

Ketchup--5 for his last 50 entering the night-- led the offensive attack. Gobbel also had a pair of hits with an RBI and run scored. Hurley, Sim and Crenshaw each had two hits for the Hops. It was Crenshaw's first multi-hit game of the season.

The teams return to Gesa Stadium for game four of the series Friday night. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. with pregame coverage beginning at 6:20 p.m. on Rip City Radio 620 AM.