Easley Does It

It took seven plate appearances for Tri-City second baseman Nate Easley to log his first official at bat against the Hillsboro Hops.

After walking four times Monday night and again in the first inning Tuesday, Easley hit a sacrifice fly in the second inning and finally put a ball safely in the field of play, or, more accurately, out of the field of play in the fourth. 

Easley's two-run home run to left field, the first professional homer for the son of former longtime major leaguer Damion, gave the Dust Devils a 7-0 lead on the way to a 9-0 victory over the Hops at Ron Tonkin Field.

Easley doubled his season RBI total on the night as the Devils rocked Hops starting pitcher Taylor Wright for eight runs, scoring in each of the first six innings in a walk away win to even the five-game series between last season's Northwest League championship series participants at a game apiece.

Wright was gone before the fifth inning was over after surrendering ten hits--four for extra bases--and eight earned runs.

Tri-City catcher Kyle Overstreet came to the plate in the ninth with a chance to hit for the cycle, but settled for a single, double and triple after Jordan Watson struck him out. That was about the only drama of the evening.

Already trailing 7-0, the Hops had an opportunity to take a chunk out of the lead in the bottom of the fourth after loading the bases with one out. But Manny Jefferson's sharp ground ball past the mound drew Easley to the bag at second, setting up an inning-ending 4-3 double play. First baseman Carlos Sosa went down on his stomach to field a wide throw keeping his foot on the bag to record the final out.

Jefferson's double was the only extra base hit for the Hops, one of five hits allowed in five innings by 6-5, 260 pound Jordan Guerrero, Tri-City's 19-year-old starting pitcher. Guerrero struck out two and walked two. Prior to the rally-sapping twin-killing in the fourth, the Hops were unable to advance Jefferson after his leadoff two-bagger in the third inning. Sergio Alcantara popped out to third at the end of a long at bat and Anfernee Grier lined out to right before Guerrero fanned Josh Anderson to end the inning.

The Hops did not have a base hit out of the infield following the fourth inning as they fell to 1-10 on the season when held to less than ten base hits.

Defensively, the Hops flashed the good and the bad. One outfield error did not lead to an earned run and the source of that throwing error, right fielder Stephen Smith made a fine diving catch to end the Tri-City first inning. Smith should have had an outfield assist but his throw to the plate on Easley's sacrifice fly in the second inning popped out of the glove of catcher Luke Lowery as he tried to apply the tag to a sliding Josh Magee. Lowery recovered to gun down Carlos Sosa trying to advance to second for an inning-ending double play as Tri-City took a 3-0 lead. Later in the third, Alcantara made a beautiful backhand catch in shallow left field to rob Buddy Reed of a bloop hit. But following a walk to Chris Baker, Overstreet tripled to left center, a ball that Marcus Wilson was unable to block in the gap. Overstreet then scored on another close play at the plate when Westhers Magdaleno flied out to Smith in right. Alexis Olmeda's relay throw to the home was high, but in time and catchable and popped off Lowery's glove as Overstreet slid in safely to give the Devils a 5-0 lead.

All nine batters in the Tri-City order had a hit. Easley finished 1-for-3 officially with two runs scored and two RBI. Overstreet was 3-for-5 with a run and RBI. Veras had a hit and a walk for the Hops to extend his hitting streak to seven games and Olmeda reached on an infield hit in the ninth, extending his hit streak to five.

Game three of the series is at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday night, as are the final two games of the series Thursday and Friday. Tune in to Rip City Radio 620 AM for pregame coverage beginning at 6:35 p.m. each night.