The Boise Hawks are going to the Northwest League playoffs for the first time since 2006.
They needed a win Saturday afternoon, and they got that victory in emphatic fashion.
Leading 7-2 in the eighth inning, outfielder Reggie Golden put the finishing touches on the final game of the regular season with a solo home run. And with that, the Hawks notched an 8-2 victory over the Vancouver Canadians and earned the right to take on the Tri-City Dust Devils in the East Divisional Series.
“Our hard work’s definitely paying off,” Golden said.
Boise, which will be gunning for its first Northwest League title since 2004, will host Tri-City in Game 1 at 6:45 p.m. Monday. Game 2 and Game 3, if necessary, will be played at Tri-City on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Hawks’ box office will sell tickets from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday and from 10 a.m. until game time Monday.
The Hawks clinched their playoff spot by winning five of their final six games.
“We came here the last week at home and took care of business,” said first baseman/designated hitter Paul Hoilman, who set a club record with 17 home runs.
Manager Mark Johnson said he’s excited his young team will get to experience the playoffs.
“It’s a different taste of baseball, and it’s great that these guys get to taste it,” he said.
Tri-City finished atop the East Division in the first-half and second-half standings, but under the Northwest League’s playoff format the team with the second-best overall record in the division qualifies for the postseason. Boise (36-40) didn’t finish with a winning record, but that doesn’t mean the Hawks won’t be a confident squad when they take on Tri-City. The Hawks went 5-7 against the Dust Devils in the regular season.
“You see a lot of teams starting to go downhill this time of year and getting tired and worn out,” Johnson said. “But these guys seem to have a lot of life left.”
Perhaps that’s why the players in the clubhouse after the game were obviously excited, but also focused.
“I think if we win it all, we go a little more crazy,” Hoilman said.
