Salem-Keizer drops regular season finale

BOISE, Idaho - There were mixed feelings around the Volcanoes dugout on Sunday night, as Boise handed Salem-Keizer a 9-1 defeat in the regular season finale. However, the Volcanoes will advance to the Divisional Round of the Northwest League Playoffs, as Hillsboro eliminated Eugene from playoff contention earlier in the evening.

Salem-Keizer (39-37, 19-19) finished the regular season one game better than Eugene in overall record, overcoming the Emeralds in the final three days of the regular season. Boise (30-46, 16-22) posted the league's worst record in 2015, despite showing flashes of excitement down the stretch.

The Volcanoes got on the board first in the opening inning. Steven Duggar hit a one-out double to left before coming in to score on an RBI single by Miguel Gomez, who finished the regular season as the league's hits and RBIs champion.

Salem-Keizer starter Nolan Riggs (4-3, 3.23) didn't have his normal control in Sunday's finale, yielding two hits, two walks and a run in the first inning. Riggs was eventually bailed out of the frame as he coaxed a double play to keep the 1-1 tie intact.

There wasn't a lack of opportunity for Salem-Keizer to score, as they loaded the bases in the second and smacked a leadoff single in the third. However, those two situations would represent the Volcanoes best chances to score for the remainder of the ballgame, going scoreless through the final eight frames.

Meanwhile, Boise continued to threaten off of Riggs, who did an outstanding job to limit the Hawks' damage despite his control betraying him. When the right-handed led off the fourth inning with a double and a walk allowed, he was forced to hand the keys over to the bullpen.

The Hawks went on a scoring rampage off of Salem-Keizer's bullpen, tallying two in the fourth, one in the fifth and an additional five in the sixth inning. The middle relief efforts of Nate Santiago, Rayan Hernandez and Armando Paniagua gave way to seven hits, six runs and four walks as Boise ended its season on an offensive surge.

Heath Slatton cooled down the Boise offensive charge in the eighth inning, but by that time the game was all but decided as the Hawks dodged the series sweep.

Duggar was the only Volcano with multiple hits, going 3-for-4 on the night to finish the series with a 6-for-10 mark.

Despite the rough ending to the regular season, the Volcanoes will advance to the postseason for the ninth time in team history, searching for their sixth Northwest League Championship in just their 19th season of existance. Although Salem-Keizer holds a 16-11 record in postseason games all-time, it is searching for its first playoff victory since September 10, 2009.

The Volcanoes will host the first and second-half champion Hillsboro Hops in game one of a three-game divisional series for the right to advance to the Northwest League Championship Series. First pitch for the playoff opener is set for 6:35 p.m. from Volcanoes Stadium, while game two and game three (if necessary) will be played at Ron Tonkin Field in Hillsboro. Click here for more playoff details.