PASCO – The Tri-City Dust Devils (19-18) fought the best team in the Northwest League hard for 27 outs in front of a crowd of 3,313 Friday night at Gesa Stadium, but the Eugene Emeralds (28-9) held on for a 5-4 win that gave the visitors a three-games-to-one series lead in the Mid-Columbia.
The home nine fell behind 4-0 early, with Eugene pushing a run across in the first on a fielder’s choice and three more in the 3rd in a four-hit blitz of Tri-City starter Peyton Olejnik (1-4) to begin the inning. The Dust Devils would begin their answer in the bottom of the 3rd, when C Peter Burns sent a fly ball off a pitch from Emeralds starter Yunior Marte (5-0) to ride the wind out over the left field fence. Burns’s first home run of the season and second of his professional career made it a 4-1 game. Both of the Reading, Massachusetts native’s home runs have come against Eugene.
Tri-City picked up a pair of runs in the bottom of the 4th to draw within a run. A two-out rally started with back-to-back walks drawn by RF Randy De Jesus and Burns, and SS Capri Ortiz followed with a single to right to load the bases. That brought up 2B Johan Macias, who lined a ball to left that dropped in for a two-run single that scored both De Jesus and Burns.
The game stayed 4-3 to the top of the 6th inning, where the Emeralds got a leadoff hit and stolen base from LF Carlos Gutierrez followed by an RBI double from 2B Jean Carlos Sio to push the lead to 5-3. Olejnik departed and the newest Dust Devil, righty Luke Schafer, took over to hold things in place. That he did, striking out five in a row and six overall during his stellar 2.2 inning debut.
One more reply from Tri-City came in the bottom of the 8th, beginning with 3B Jake Munroe reaching on a throwing error with one out. 1B Ryan Nicholson grounded a ball up the middle and through for a single that moved Munroe to second and brought up De Jesus. The powerful outfielder nearly gave the Dust Devils the lead, hitting a ball high and deep down the left field line that looked for a moment like a go ahead three-run homer. The strong westerly breeze shoved it foul, but De Jesus responded with an RBI single to left-center that scored Munroe to bring the home nine back within one at 5-4. The rally would end there, though, with the potential tying run left stranded at third.
Reliever Alex Martinez posted a scoreless top of the 9th inning to give Tri-City one more chance, and Macias seized the opportunity by leading off with another single that gave him a 3-for-3 night. He would get no further, with Eugene reliever Hunter Dryden getting the final three outs to complete a four-inning save.
Both teams had 11 hits on the night. Capri Ortiz and LF Anthony Scull came alongside Macias’s three-hit night with multi-hit nights of their own.
SPLIT STILL POSSIBLE
Tri-City and Eugene meet for game five of their six-game series at 6:30 p.m. Saturday Night at Gesa Stadium, where postgame fireworks will light the sky above the Tri thanks to Nuclear Care Partners. Right-hander Yeferson Vargas (3-1, 3.41 ERA) gets the ball for the Dust Devils, who need wins Saturday and Sunday to split the six-game set. Left-hander Jacob Bresnahan (0-1, 3.09 ERA), a Washington native, goes to the mound for the Emeralds.
Free broadcast coverage on the MiLB app and dustdevilsbaseball.com will begin at 6:10 p.m. with the Dust Devils Pregame Show. Fans can also watch the games for free on Bally Sports Live, and via subscription on MLB.tv and the MiLB app.
For tickets for this weekend’s games against Eugene, as well as all 2026 Dust Devils home games, visit the official ticket site, dustdevilsbaseball.com.