Sports stats

WCL Walla Walla Sweets

Falcons Have Big Sixth Inning, Take Series From Walla Walla

June 27, 2013 - West Coast League (WCL)
Walla Walla Sweets News Release


KELOWNA, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- A long sixth inning for the Sweets against the Kelowna Falcons was the difference in game three as Walla Walls suffered its fifth road loss of the year, 9-2, at Elks Stadium Wednesday night. The Falcons sent 12 men to the plate as seven hitters walked in the frame, scoring seven times.

Walla Walla took an early 1-0 lead when second baseman Scott Silva reached on a throwing error to start the third inning. He moved to second base on the play, and came home to score on right fielder Kramer Lindell's single to right field, his seventh RBI of the year.

The Sweets held onto that lead until the bottom of the fourth. Designated hitter Nolan Johnson started the inning with a single and moved to second on a wild pitch. An error at shortstop two hitters later continued the frame, and with two outs, second baseman Chris Scaggari slapped a single up the middle, sending Johnson home to tie the game.

With two outs in the fifth, right fielder Grayson Porter doubled down the left field line on the first pitch he saw and scored when Johnson doubled to left on the very next pitch to put Kelowna ahead 2-1. That hit ended Sweets starter Jonathan Harris's night after 4.2 innings. Harris allowed two earned runs on seven hits and struck out four in his third loss of the year. Left-hander Drew Christina struck out the final hitter in the fifth to get out of the frame, but ran into trouble the next inning.

Third baseman Preston Gray led off the sixth with a walk. He moved to second on an errant pick-off throw before catcher Anthony Young and Scaggari followed with consecutive walks to load the bases. With Nate Goodwin pinch running for Gray, shortstop Joe Robbins drove him home on a sacrifice fly to left field. Center fielder Darryn Kolk followed suit with an RBI sacrifice fly, sending Young home. With Kelowna ahead 4-1, Olsen walked and Porter was hit with a pitch on the back of the hand to load the bases. Another walk to Johnson scored a run, and left fielder Jarred Klemm drove in two more with a single, putting Kelowna ahead 6-1.

Porter took a hard slide into home plate on that play, a move toward which Sweets catcher Renae Martinez took exception. The two exchanged words and a couple of shoves as both dugouts emptied onto the field, but the quarrel ended before it could really begin. Scaggari drove in Klemm for his second RBI of the game and a 7-1 Falcons advantage.

Walla Walla used four different pitchers in the sixth, including Mike Paulson's first appearance on the mound. Paulson, normally an outfielder, tossed one-third of an inning, walking two and surrendering three runs. In the seven-run sixth, Kelowna recorded just two base hits.

Falcons starter Marc Andre Haybeck won his first game of the year in seven innings pitched. He finished with eight strikeouts on three hits. Haybeck sat down 13 of 14 Sweets hitters from the third inning through the seventh. Center fielder Luke Persico was the lone Sweet to record a hit, a single to start the fifth, but with one out was eliminated on a ground-ball double-play to end the frame. Persico led off the eighth inning with a double to left field and came home to score on third baseman John Skrbec's single to left, but that capped the scoring 9-2.

The loss drops Walla Walla's record to 10-8 as the series-clinching win for Kelowna ups the Falcons' record to 5-13. The Sweets hit the road to face the second-place Bellingham Bells Thursday for a 7:05 p.m. first pitch.



West Coast League Stories from June 27, 2013


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Walla Walla Sweets Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central