Pippins Bats Quiet Again as Kelowna Completes Sweep
June 20, 2017 - West Coast League (WCL)
Yakima Valley Pippins News Release
KELOWNA, B.C. - The past series against the Kelowna Falcons will be one to forget for the Yakima Valley Pippins. In the series opener on Saturday, the Pippins gave up a 3-1 lead in the 8th and fell on a walk off home run. On Sunday, the Pippins got a dominant outing from their starter, Cullen Kafka, only to see him get one-upped by the Kelowna starter, Kade Mechals. And then, there was Monday's game, in which the Pippins bats once again went quiet, the pitching did not hold to form, and the defense was shaky, leading to an 8-3 Kelowna win and a series sweep of the Pippins at Elks Stadium.
Playing to try to salvage a game in the series, the Pippins (6-9) were gift-wrapped an opportunity in the top of the 1st inning to try to get on the board against Kelowna starter James Brooks (Concordia). After two quick outs, Bradlee Beesley (Cal Poly-SLO) singled, and then Lucas Denney (Seattle U) and Michael Wyatt (Columbia Basin) reached on errors to load the bases for Nick Plaia (Cal Baptist). As was the case all series, however, Plaia could not deliver, grounding out to second to end the threat.
Just as they had done in the first two games of the series, Kelowna (9-6) immediately took advantage of the Pippins' missed opportunity, plating two runs in their half of the 1st inning off Pippins starter, A.J. Landis (Colorado Mesa). In the bottom of the 2nd, Kelowna was at it again, plating another two runs via RBI singles.
In the top of the 5th, the Pippins briefly came alive offensively. After Dillon Plew (Washington State) started a two-out rally with an infield single, Beesley singled to center, and then Denney walked, as the Pippins loaded the bases for the second time in the game. Wyatt delivered with an infield single to score Plew, and then Beesley was able to come around on a throwing error to halve the deficit and make it a 4-2 game. With a great chance to keep the rally going, Plaia then struck out swinging on a strange play, where he swung and missed at a high fast ball. The ball went over the catcher's head and Plaia headed toward first base on the dropped third strike but he was deemed out on a close play at the bag, keeping the score 4-2 in favor of Kelowna.
After the Falcons responded with a run of their own in the 5th to extend their lead to three runs at 5-2, the Pippins manufactured another run in the 6th, as Tyler Bosetti (Nevada) singled in Dustin Yates (Washington State) to make the score 5-3.
In the home half of the frame, Kelowna responded once again, this time breaking the game open with four hits and three runs, helped by two Pippins errors as well.
While the Pippins put a few baserunners on in the final innings, it was not enough to push across another run, and Kelowna shut the door in the 9th to win the ballgame 8-3 and sweep the Pippins at home.
Game Notes: The sweep marked just the second time the Pippins have been swept in a three game series in franchise history. Their only other time being swept came almost three years ago, when they lost three straight on the road to the Wenatchee AppleSox from July 17 to July 19 in their inaugural season in 2014. The Pippins also lost the game prior to the Wenatchee series to the Medford Rogues, on July 15, with the four straight losses marking their longest losing streak in their franchise history. The Pippins were able to bounce back from their previous sweep, finishing their inaugural season with a 35-19 mark, their best single season record in franchise history. The Pippins won 13 of their final 15 games that year and earned a playoff berth.
Landis pitched six innings in his third start for the Pippins and allowed all eight Kelowna runs, although only five of them were earned as the Pippins committed three errors on the night. With the loss, Landis falls to 0-1. Brooks pitched six solid innings and allowed three runs (only one of which was earned), while scattering just five hits, to pick up his first win of the season and improve his record to 1-2.
Beesley, who made his Pippins debut in Sunday night's game, was one of the few bright spots for the Pippins, as he recorded a three-hit night for his first multi-hit outing as a Pippin, and the sixth three-hit game for a Pippins player this season. After recording ten or more hits in five of their first six games, the Pippins have now recorded less than ten in four straight and five of their last six. The Pippins managed just 20 hits in the three games series, the fewest they have recorded in a three game series this season.
With the win, Kelowna moves to 9-6 and has now won four in a row to stay a game back of the first place Bellingham Bells in the WCL North Standings, with a chance to take over first place as they face them in their next series. With the loss, the Pippins fall three games below .500 for the first time this season and now sit 6-9, four games back of the Corvallis Knights in the WCL South.
What's Next: Kelowna hits the road for a three-game set with the red-hot Bellingham Bells, whom have won seven straight, starting tomorrow night. The Pippins continue their five-game road trip in Walla Walla as they take on the Sweets for the first time this season on Tuesday for the start of a two-game series. Left-hander, John Fuqua (Virginia Military Institute), is set to make his third start for the Pippins and will face off against fellow left-hander, Dylan Riddle (UC Irvine) of the Sweets, who will be making his first start. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. on Tuesday night at Borleske Stadium.
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West Coast League Stories from June 20, 2017
- Pippins Bats Quiet Again as Kelowna Completes Sweep - Yakima Valley Pippins
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