NWL: Late breakthrough gives Hops series-opening win

Marcus Wilson had two hits and three RBIs and the Hillsboro Hops scored six runs in the last three innings to come back and beat the Tri-City Dust Devils 9-8 Thursday night in a slugfest at Gesa Stadium.

The loss put the Dust Devils (17-17) in a tie for first in the Northwest League North division, as the Spokane Indians beat the Boise Hawks 11-2. Both teams remain a game ahead of the Everett AquaSox and Vancouver Canadians (16-18), who both lost on Thursday, with four games remaining until the first half champion is crowned.

After knocking on the door in nearly every inning since the fourth, the Hops (17-17) finally broke through in the top of the eighth, plating four runs, two of which came via a two-out triple by Wilson. With three of the Dust Devils top bullpen arms getting promoted within the organization this week, Nathan Foriest (0-1) — who came in with two on and one out in the eighth — was one of three pitchers making his season debut for the Dust Devils, and he was the only one who couldn’t wiggle out of a sticky situation, as he ended up getting the winning run tallied against him, allowed the two inherited runners he had to score, and got stuck with the blown save and the loss.

“We all have bad outings, and I don’t know that they had terrible outings, but it was just how the chips fell today,” said Dust Devils manager Ben Fritz of Foriest, Nick Monroe and Adrian De Horta making their 2016 Tri-City debuts.

An RBI triple by Taylor Kohlwey was one of the only hard-hit balls in the Dust Devils’ four-run, four-hit bottom of the third that gave Tri-City an early 4-0 lead. An infield single by Boomer White that deflected off of Hillsboro shortstop Adam Walton plated two runs for the Dust Devils in the frame.

Hillsboro cut the lead back to one heading into the bottom of the seventh, but a three-run Dust Devils’ response, which featured another run-scoring single by White, to put Tri-City back up 8-4 appeared as though it might break the Hops’ spirits. But a strikeout, a failed safety squeeze, and a misread ball in the dirt by Taylor Kohlwey kept the Dust Devils from tacking on more when they had runners at first and third and nobody out.

“Hands down this was the hardest loss of the year, my first year as a manager, this is the hardest one I’ve dealt with,” Fritz said. “I think we got a little bit cute in the eighth when we already scored (three). Kohlway’s a good bunter, we’ve got good speed on third, Kohlway’s also a hot bat, probably could have let him swing it in hindsight.”

Hillsboro looked like it would take over the game in the top of the fifth, when two singles and a walk to lead off the frame chased Tri-City starter Will Headean, and put Monroe in a no-outs, bases-loaded jam. Recently demoted from Fort Wayne, Monroe walked in a run on the first batter he faced, but a slick double play turn by second baseman Nate Easley and a punch out only allowed one more runner to cross the plate, allowing Tri-City to hold on to a 5-3 lead.

“When Monroe came in the game, I said ‘You don’t gotta be perfect, just try to minimize,’” Fritz said. “When you get bases loaded, no outs, they’re supposed to score a run.”

Then in the seventh, the Hops had another chance, as a double by Chad Oberacker put runners on second and third with nobody out. This time it would be organizational veteran De Horta — who pitched for the Dust Devils in 2015 — who bent over backwards to only give up one run and keep Tri-City on top, 5-4.

The Dust Devils and Hops will continue their five-game series to close out the first half of the season at 7:15 p.m. Friday. First-rounder Eric Lauer — the Padres third selection in the 2016 draft — is expected to make his debut on the mound for the Dust Devils after two starts with the Arizona League Padres earlier this month.

This story was originally published July 22, 2016 at 1:22 AM with the headline "NWL: Late breakthrough gives Hops series-opening win."