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Walla Walla Sweets

Bats silenced early, two homers not enough

July 25, 2014 - West Coast League (WCL)
Walla Walla Sweets News Release


MEDFORD, Or. - In a series in which six seemed to be the magic number, the Walla Walla Sweets and Medford Rogues traded punches in the first two games- the Sweets won the opener, 6-5, before the Rogues took the second game, 6-4.

But Thursday night's winning six-run tally belonged to the Rogues, who took the rubber game of the series with a 6-2 win over the Sweets at Harry and David Field in Medford.

With Mike Paulson starting on the mound for Walla Walla, the Rogues once again struck first. Spencer Smith led off the bottom of the 1st inning with a single, advancing to second and then to third as a throw to first base on Yuto Kata's sacrifice bunt sailed wildly into foul territory. Christian Cox scored Smith with a sacrifice fly to right field, giving the Rogues an early 1-0 lead.

Paulson would rebound to toss a scoreless 2nd inning, but served up a two-run homer to Victor Garcia in the 3rd, and also balked home a run in the 4th, extending the Rogues' lead to 4-0. Although Paulson (1-2) would again bounce back for a scoreless 5th, his work for the night was done. The left-hander finished with four runs allowed on seven hits, walking five and striking out four.

Garrett Barker entered to begin the 6th and stranded two runners for a scoreless frame, but then struggled with his command in the 7th, needing help from fellow left-hander Dillon Dove, who allowed both runners he inherited to score, and the Rogues increased their lead to a comfortable 6-1.

Meanwhile, Medford starter Jackson Bertsch was holding the Sweets scoreless through the first five innings of play. That streak was finally snapped in the 6th inning, when Andrew Mendenhall hit his fifth home run of the season, a high line drive that cleared the left field wall with plenty of distance to spare.

Bertsch would finish his night allowing just two runs on seven scattered hits over seven-plus innings, walking one while striking out seven.

The only other run the Sweets would manage against Bertsch (5-1) was via another solo homer, this time by Jarod Gonzales as he led off the 8th.

"I'd already seen him multiple times throughout the game, so I knew his stuff," Gonzales said. "I saw his changeup and he hadn't thrown me his fastball yet, and he was ahead in the count so I was sitting fastball. If he threw offspeed I was just going to battle it off."

His solo blast made the score 6-2, and it would stay that way through the end, as John Forsythe and Shane Quarterley each tossed a scoreless inning to seal the win and the series triumph for the Rogues.

A returning Sweet from last season, Gonzales added that the team will look to "bounce back, play hard and play the best that (they) can" in its next series.

The Sweets will next head to Klamath Falls, where they will open a three-game series against the Gems at 6:35 PM Friday.

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