A series packed with power, rallies, and razor-thin finishes slipped away from the Tri-City Dust Devils (16-14 2H, 46-50), who fell 8–7 in a walk-off loss Sunday to drop their six-game set to the Hillsboro Hops (8-22 2H, 41-55), four games to two.
The Dust Devils battled from behind in nearly every contest and showed flashes of dominance, but late-game struggles and timely hitting by the Hops proved the difference over the course of the week.
Game 1 (Tuesday): Dust Devils Erase 4-0 Deficit, Celebrate Milestone Win
The series opened with a slugfest, as Tri-City stormed back from a 4–0 first-inning hole to defeat Hillsboro 12–7 and give manager Dann Bilardello his 900th career win. A seven-run second inning highlighted by home runs from Randy De Jesus and Matt Coutney, plus a two-run triple by Ryan Nicholson, blew the game open. Five Dust Devils had multi-hit games, and Logan Britt earned the win in relief.
Game 2 (Wednesday): Scull’s Blast Not Enough in 6–2 Loss
Anthony Scull crushed a two-run homer in the second, but it was all the offense Tri-City could muster. Hillsboro answered with six runs and held off late threats. Jorge Marcheco took the loss after surrendering five runs over five innings, while reliever Sandy Gastón tossed 2.1 scoreless frames with four strikeouts.
Game 3 (Thursday): Bats Go Quiet in Tight 4–2 Defeat
A solo homer from Adrian Placencia and an RBI single from Scull gave the Dust Devils life, but Hillsboro again countered with consistent offense. Starter Chris Cortez allowed four runs (three earned), and Tri-City couldn’t capitalize after putting the tying runs aboard in the ninth.
Game 4 (Friday): Late Push Falls Short in 8–5 Loss
Trailing big early, the Dust Devils tried to mount a comeback behind solo home runs from David Calabrese, Rio Foster, and Juan Flores. Tri-City loaded the bases twice in the late innings but managed just one run from a bases-loaded walk by Placencia. Logan Britt delivered another two-inning scoreless relief effort.
Game 5 (Saturday): Fontenelle Sparks Bounce-Back Victory
Cole Fontenelle nearly hit for the cycle, finishing with a triple, homer, and single in a 9–7 win that kept Tri-City’s hopes of a series split alive. Ryan Costeiu earned the win with five solid innings, while Peter Burns had two RBI and threw out a would-be base-stealer. Randy De Jesus added his 15th home run of the year, and relievers Leonard Garcia and Dylan Phillips closed out the win.
Game 6 (Sunday): Dust Devils Lose Wild Finale in Walk-Off
Tri-City took a 3–0 lead early on a sac fly from Nicholson and a two-run blast by Scull, his second of the series. Hillsboro responded with six unanswered runs before Juan Flores, Foster, and Calabrese led an eighth-inning rally to retake a 7–6 lead. But in the bottom of the ninth, after a leadoff single and double, and a game-tying sac fly, Cristofer Torin delivered the walk-off hit down the right-field line to end the series with a heartbreak for Tri-City.
Series Highlights & Notes
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Anthony Scull was the offensive MVP of the series, batting .346 (9-for-26) with two home runs and eight RBI. In the second half, he’s hitting .306 with a .381 OBP and team-best .863 OPS.
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Rio Foster extended his on-base streak to 14 games before it was snapped Saturday. He homered in Friday’s loss and reached multiple times in several games.
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Logan Britt, Leonard Garcia, Dylan Phillips, and Sandy Gastón all contributed scoreless innings from the bullpen during the week, keeping Tri-City within reach.
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The Dust Devils and Hops will meet one final time in 2025 — a regular-season closing six-game series September 2–7 at Gesa Stadium.
Next Up: Vancouver Comes to Town
Tri-City returns home to host the Vancouver Canadians for a six-game set beginning Tuesday, July 29 at 7:05 p.m. at Gesa Stadium. The homestand opens with Ben Hill Night presented by Circle K and a Coca-Cola Tuesday ($2.50 Coca-Cola products). The week also features themed nights, giveaways, and a key divisional matchup as Tri-City remains in the thick of the Northwest League playoff race.
🎟 For tickets and more info, visit dustdevilsbaseball.com.