Father's Day Firepower Finishes 18-2 Victory in Series Finale

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WCL Yakima Valley Pippins

Father's Day Firepower Finishes 18-2 Victory in Series Finale

June 16, 2025 - West Coast League (WCL)
Yakima Valley Pippins News Release


YAKIMA, Washington - On Sunday afternoon, the Yakima Valley Pippins slugged their way to a commanding 18-2 win over the Northwest Star Academy Nighthawks to sweep the weekend series and remain undefeated in non-league play. The Pipps used two big innings, batting around in both, to put the game out of reach.

The biggest of the scoring outbursts came in the sixth inning as the Pippins plated seven runs. Leading 10-2 and facing new Nighthawks arm Aiden Brady, the Pippins started a one-out rally with a walk by Ethan Buckley. The next three runners reached as well, as Langan Naylor singled, Finley Spicer reached on an error to score Buckley, and Jake Porter singled to drive home Naylor. Dillon Anderson flew out to right field for the second out, but the Pipps offense was not done. Jaden St. Cyr would sting a ball over the top of Nighthawks right fielder Kellen Desbians, bringing Spicer and Porter across the plate as St. Cyr stood at third base. Preston Allen would follow the three-base error with a walk, setting the table for Kyler Bittner. In his second plate appearance since pinch-running for Max Senesac, Bittner hit a moonshot home run over the left field wall to give Yakima Valley a 17-2 lead. The bleeding finally ended with a strikeout.

Yakima Valley scored five runs in the bottom of the third, sending 10 men to bat. Anderson doubled with one out, before St. Cyr, Allen, Senesac, and Stevenson all reached on free passes by Nighthawks starter Rocco Wright. Anderson scored following Senesac's hit by pitch, and St. Cyr scored on Stevenson's walk. Buckley hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score Allen, the third run of the inning. The top of the order hit back-to-back RBI singles to score Senesac and Stevenson, and the Pippins led 7-0 after three innings.

Northwest Star's only runs scored in the fifth inning. Tannon Marsalis entered the game for Yakima Valley out of the bullpen, allowing a one-out single to Desbians. After a strikeout by JR Starr, Nighthawks left fielder Aaron Henry pulled a line-drive home run over the right field wall for his first home run in 2025. Henry's longball made the score 10-2 Pippins after the top of the fifth inning.

Yakima Valley got stellar outings from all three arms on the mound. Spot-starter Oliver Wilday worked four innings scoreless, only allowing one hit and striking out four. He was followed by Marsalis, who despite giving up the home run to Henry, worked an otherwise clean outing, allowing five hits, and striking out five. James Lawrence was tasked with the ninth inning, and after giving up a leadoff single to pinch-hitter Morrie Solam, induced a ground ball to Naylor to start a 6-4-3 double play. Lawrence then got another pinch-hitter, Makani Geisen, to sky a ball to Allen at third to end the game.

The Pippins sweep the Nighthawks and finish their non-league schedule 4-0. The West Coast League regular season will resume for Yakima Valley on Tuesday in Portland for the start of the three-game series with the WCL South-leading Pickles. First pitch for all three contests is at 7:15, and the games can be heard on the Pippins Audio Stream at pippinsbaseball.mixlr.com.

The Pipps return home on Friday, June 20, for Celebrate Summer night, and a second matchup with the Walla Walla Sweets in the "Battle of the Basin." Yakima Valley took the first series against its sibling rival earlier this month and will try to secure the season series with a sweep. Postgame fireworks will follow the game. Tickets can be purchased at www.pippinsbaseball.com/tickets, the only official ticketing link for the Yakima Valley Pippins. Parking is free at Yakima County Stadium.



West Coast League Stories from June 16, 2025


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