WCL Walla Walla Sweets

Falcons Hang On to Grab Series from Sweets

June 20, 2014 - West Coast League (WCL)
Walla Walla Sweets News Release


WALLA WALLA, Wa. - In the rubber game against a division rival, the Walla Walla Sweets proved resilient in the late innings.

But it was not enough, as the Sweets fell to the Kelowna Falcons, 6-5, in the final game of the series Thursday at Borleske Stadium.

Sweets' right-hander Jesse Houser hit a couple of speed bumps to open the contest. He walked Kevin Biro to begin the game, and after Biro stole second, Scotland Church singled to left to move Biro to third. The latter then hustled home on an errant cutoff throw from the outfield.

In the second, Jared Smith and Colton Waltner singled, Smith moved to third on a fielder's choice and then scored on an RBI single by Kevin Biro. The score would remain 2-0 through the top of the fifth inning.

Houser regained his composure on the mound in the third, striking out the side. And in the fourth, he induced two groundouts before walking Waltner, but the walk proved meaningless as he got Josh Croft to fly out to center field, giving the Walla Walla Community College righty another scoreless inning.

After four scoreless frames against Kelowna starter Jeremy Alderman (2-1), Houser's Sweets teammates finally came through with two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Mark Contreras and Jarod Gonzales drew back-to-back walks, and Jordan Frabasilio singled to load the bases. Andrew Mendenhall then hit a grounder to third, and the Falcons erased Contreras on a force out at the plate. Kevin Morgan followed with a base hit that just stayed fair inside the third base bag, scoring two, but Mendenhall was cut down at third base on a throw from the outfield, and Cooper Hummel lined out to end the threat.

The Falcons, though, seeking revenge from last week's series, roared back to score three and regain the lead in the top of the sixth. Four consecutive singles by Brandon Grimsley, Jared Smith, Thomas Lane and Colton Waltner, along with a double steal, provided the knockout punch to Houser (1-2), who was removed from the game with one out. Dillon Dove took over and held the Falcons scoreless through the seventh inning.

Gonzales, Mendenhall and Hummel all singled in the bottom of the seventh to bring the Sweets to within two runs, but the Falcons got the run right back against Alex Fisher in the eighth, the second Walla Walla reliever of the evening, via two singles and a walk.

The Sweets continued the see-saw battle in the home half of the eighth. Ryan Littlefield led off with an infield single, pinch-hitter Parker Osborne walked, and Sean Bouchard reached on an error to load the bases. A sacrifice fly by Gonzales scored Littlefield to give the Sweets their only run of the inning.

Walla Walla native Jake Campeau came out of the bullpen to pitch a perfect ninth inning for the Sweets. Aldo Ferrante, in his first plate appearance after coming into the game as a late defensive replacement, gave the Falcons a brief scare with a two-out solo home run in the bottom half to narrow the score to 6-5, but Riley Barr struck out pinch-hitter Mike Paulson to end the game and earn the save.

On his first home run, Ferrante commented that there was "Not much to it. I knew he (Barr) was gonna go to the fastball, and it's all a matter of where (on the bat) you hit it."

And although Ferrante put the sweet spot on the ball, the Sweets dropped to 5-7 on the season, tied for third place in the division with Kelowna.

The Sweets travel to Wenatchee next to play a three-game series against the Applesox. The series opens Friday at 7:05 PM at Paul Thomas Field in Wenatchee.



West Coast League Stories from June 20, 2014


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