Dust Devils Surge with Back-to-Back Road Wins

The Tri-City Dust Devils kept their postseason aspirations alive with a gritty weekend showing against the Eugene Emeralds at PK Park. Combining high-IQ small ball on Friday with explosive late-inning home runs on Saturday, Tri-City secured consecutive victories on the road.

⚾ Weekend Scoreboard

1. Game 1 (Friday, August 1): Tri-City Dust Devils 3, Eugene Emeralds 2

2. Game 2 (Saturday, August 2): Tri-City Dust Devils 9, Eugene Emeralds 6

3. Game 3 (Sunday, August 3 – Finale): Tri-City Dust Devils 6 vs. Eugene Emeralds 3

Game-by-Game Breakdown

1. Friday: Atencio & Small Ball Grind Out the Win

The Dust Devils manufactures runs early to back starter Jose Atencio, who tossed 5.1 solid innings allowing just two runs to claim his second victory.

• 🏃 Small-Ball Clinic: Outfielder Gage Harrelson drew key walks and stole third base, allowing David Mershon to drive in consecutive runs via a single and an RBI fielder’s choice.

• 🔒 Closing It Out: Nicolo Pinazzi tossed two perfect innings with three strikeouts before Sam Tookoian navigated the 9th to secure his 13th save of the season.

• 📈 Streaks Intact: Peter Burns (7 games), David Mershon (8 games), and Jorge Ruiz (8 games) extended hit streaks, while Ryan Nicholson reached base for his 14th straight game.

2. Saturday: Bremner & Big Bats Blow It Open

Top Angels pitching prospect Tyler Bremner earned his second consecutive win on the mound, striking out six across five innings while operating with an early wire-to-wire lead.

• 💣 Clutch Longballs: Harold Coll crushed a two-out, two-run home run in the 7th, followed by David Mershon’s two-out, two-run blast in the 8th to seal the 9-6 victory.

• ⚡ Speed & Streaks: Shortstop Capri Ortiz swiped three bases to set a new career-high (32 steals), while Ryan Nicholson’s two-run double extended his on-base streak to 15 games.

Northwest League Standings (Second Half)