Elks lose to Sweets 6-3
August 4, 2011 - West Coast League (WCL)
Bend Elks News Release
The Walla Walla Sweets responded in a big way on Wednesday night against the Bend Elks, scoring six runs on 13 hits, then held on to leave the bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th, beating the Elks by a score of 6-3.
The Sweets got an early one in the top of the 1st against starter Daniel Chavez (6-3), who went six innings giving up four runs, three earned, and striking out 5 on the night. Chavez gave up back to back singles to start the game, then the defense traded a run for two outs as Andrew Mendenhall grounded into a double play, but leadoff hitter Alex Stanford scored from first to make it 1-0.
Each team scored a run in the fifth, the Sweets run was a result of the first of three errors made by the Elks on the night. With a runner on second and one out, a fly ball dropped into right field for a single, and Nick Wagner mishandled it, allowing Kevin Hawk to advance home on the play, giving the Sweets a 2-0 lead. The bottom half of the inning saw two of the first three hitters hit by a pitch delivered by starter Ryan Richardson (3-3) who picked up the win on the night, and with runners on and two outs, Michael Benjamin delivered a one out single to cut the lead to 2-1.
Then in the sixth, the Sweets got a single and a double respectively to lead off the inning, then Austin Heaps came to the plate and hit a lazy fly ball into left field that was misplayed by Jordan Brower, dropped, and allowed Mendenhall to score. That was followed by an RBI groundout from Kopacz, and the Sweets took a 4-1 lead. The Sweets scored two more in the seventh as Mendenhall and Zack Wentz had an RBI double and an RBI single respectively, giving the Sweets a 6-1 lead.
Then in the bottom of the 9th, Nick Wagner walked to lead off the inning, pinch hitter Taylor Noyer struck out, and Cullen Hendrickson grounded into a fielder's choice in which Wagner advanced safely as Sweets second baseman made a throwing error in attempting to start the double play, putting runners at first and third with one out.
After Ryan Dunn popped out for the second out of the inning, Sweets reliever Sean Santschi issued three consecutive walks to plate two runs, leaving the bases loaded with two outs for Jordan Brower, the Elks only hitter with multiple hits on the night. After a pitching change, Brower hit a 0-1 pitch hard at the third baseman who had trouble fielding it, managed to flip it to the pitcher Simon Anderson covering, and Jordan Brower was called out on a close call that left many of the fans booing as they left the ballpark.
The Elks (28-22) now hold a one game lead over the Cowlitz Black Bears as they get set for their final regular season league home game Thursday against the Sweets, 6:35 first pitch.
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