WCL Walla Walla Sweets

Bats come to life, pitching holds strong in Sweets' 8-3 win

Published on August 3, 2014 under West Coast League (WCL)
Walla Walla Sweets News Release


BREMERTON, Wa. - Still vengeful after being swept earlier in the week, the Walla Walla Sweets entered the second game against the Kitsap Bluejackets eager to clinch a series win.

And they did just that, defeating Kitsap 8-3 Saturday in a game that saw far more offense than the previous night.

Cody Mathews drew the starting duties for the Sweets and produced a quality outing, allowing three runs on six scattered hits over six innings.

This time, the Bluejackets scored first, as Jeffrey Bohling stole third and scampered home on a wild throw to third baseman Sean Bouchard in the bottom of the first inning.

The Sweets, however, immediately responded in the top of the 2nd against Kitsap starter Rustin Sveum. Kevin Morgan led off with a single and stole second, and Kyle Nixon drove him home with a double down the left-field line to tie the game. Nixon tagged up and advanced to third on a flyout to center field by Bouchard, and after John Skrbec walked, Moe Handcox gave the Sweets the lead on a sacrifice fly, scoring Nixon. Mikey Duarte then powered a pitch to the left-field wall for an RBI triple, giving Walla Walla a 3-1 lead.

They increased their lead to 5-1 in the 4th, via three Kitsap errors and an RBI single by Skrbec.

That signaled the end of the night for Sveum (0-4), who left after five and two-thirds innings, surrendering five runs on seven hits, walking two and striking out one.

Mathews (3-2), on the other hand, departed after six innings, handing the ball to the bullpen with a 5-3 lead, after the Bluejackets were able to get a 4th inning RBI double by D'Aundray Van Slyke and a 5th inning RBI single from Ryan Matranga.

From there, Omar Porras worked out of a jam to pitch a scoreless 7th, and A.J. Carkner stranded a runner in a scoreless 8th.

In the top of the 9th, the Sweets managed three insurance runs against reliever Zev Egli, who walked three batters in just two-thirds of an inning of work. Kevin Morgan hit an RBI double, and Nixon provided a two-RBI single. Morgan finished the evening 4-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored.

"I was just looking to drive the ball," Morgan said afterward. "(I wanted to) get my pitch to hit and then just lay off anything low and get something up to drive."

Jay Flaa entered to pitch the 9th, inducing a groundout and striking out the final two batters, giving the Sweets the series-clinching 8-3 win.

Having claimed the series, the Sweets (23-24) remain in the hunt for a playoff berth with just seven games remaining in the regular season.

The Sweets will aim for the series sweep when they face the Bluejackets at 3:05 PM Sunday at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds.

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West Coast League Stories from August 3, 2014


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