SPOKANE VALLEY – Sunday afternoon’s 7th inning provided both a joyous twist and a tough turn for the Tri-City Dust Devils (14-16 2H, 49-47) in a 12-6 loss to the Spokane Indians (17-13 2H, 46-50) at Avista Stadium.
Though still taking a six-game road series for the first time in the High-A era in Spokane Valley, it looked for a moment like the visitors might take five out of six. That moment came in the top of the 7th when sub 1B Kevin Bruggeman mashed a three-run home run to left to give Tri-City a 6-3 lead. The Hofstra baseball alum’s second home run in three days, off Indians reliever Francis Rivera (3-3), put the Dust Devils nine outs away from a fifth straight win.
Then came the bottom of the 7th, where the Indians got right to work. Beginning at the top of the order with leadoff man RF Tommy Hopfe, Spokane sent 14 men to the plate and scored eight runs. Tri-City’s bullpen, which had been great during the series, could not stop the avalanche as four runs scored via walk or hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded. By the time the inning ended the Indians held an 11-6 lead, later adding a run in the bottom of the 8th on the way to taking a second win for the week.
Reliever Sam Tookoian (1-2) took the brunt of the damage in the 7th in a rare tougher day for him, giving up five runs while getting only one out. Dust Devils starter Chase Shores went 4.1 innings and gave up three runs on five hits with four strikeouts, getting a no-decision.
The teams stood in a 3-3 tie going to the 7th. Tri-City trailed 1-0 early, tying the game on an RBI single in the top of the 2nd by 2B Johan Macias. The visitors then trailed 2-1 in the 5th before original 1B Ryan Nicholson sent a two-run double to right-center, giving the team its first lead at 3-2.
DUST DEVILS NOTES
-3B Harold Coll (25-game on-base) and 1B Ryan Nicholson (10-game hit) continued their streaks to the second half of the two-week road trip. Coll reached base 15 times in 29 plate appearances in the six-game set, and Nicholson hit an even .400 (10-for-25) in his week at Avista.
-The 2026 Inland Northwest Rivalry ended in a 12-12 draw, with both the Dust Devils and Indians winning two series by a 4-2 margin. Spokane won the first and third series between the teams, both at Avista Stadium, while Tri-City both defended its home turf at Gesa Stadium and won the last series on the road.
-All three Northwest League winners Sunday scored double-digit runs. The Hillsboro Hops claimed a 10-2 victory over the Vancouver Canadians at Hops Ballpark to split their six-game set. A week after the Everett AquaSox put a 21-3 beating on Spokane, they found themselves on the losing end of a 17-3 blowout by the Eugene Emeralds at Everett Memorial Stadium.
HELLO, TRACK TOWN USA
Tri-City makes its first and only 2026 visit to PK Park for a six-game set with the Eugene Emeralds beginning Tuesday, July 28, at 6:35 p.m. That start time will hold through Friday with Saturday’s game, on August 1, beginning at 5:05 p.m. and Sunday’s contest a 4:05 p.m. late afternoon finale. Pitching matchups have not been announced.
The Dust Devils then return Tuesday, August 4, for a six-game series with the Hillsboro Hops. For tickets to the set with the Hops, as well as all 2026 Dust Devils home games, visit the official ticket site, dustdevilsbaseball.com.