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WCL Walla Walla Sweets

Heartbreaker Hands Sweets Fifth Loss

June 16, 2014 - West Coast League (WCL)
Walla Walla Sweets News Release


CORVALLIS, Or. - As the sixth inning came to a close, the Walla Walla Sweets seemed poised for a comeback for the ages.

Unfortunately, the comeback fell just short as the Sweets fell to the Corvallis Knights 12-11 in ten innings at Goss Stadium in Corvallis.

The Sweets began the game in similar fashion to the way they did on Saturday, scoring one run in the first inning on back-to-back doubles by Andrew Mendenhall and Jordan Frabasilio.

But just like on Saturday, Corvallis got right back into the game. Right-hander Chris Kerwood, making his Sweets debut, labored through two innings, allowing eight runs, all earned, while walking three and striking out only one.

Entering the game in the third inning, Alex Fisher fared no better, allowing two runs by giving up two singles, a walk, hitting two batters and uncorking a wild pitch. This gave the Knights a 10-1 lead, highlighted by two Kevin Kline home runs, one a grand slam, and an additional solo shot by Joe Duffin.

But Dillon Dove pitched the next three innings, holding the Knights to just one run on a pair of walks, giving his position-player teammates the best chance he could to stage a resurgence.

Meanwhile, Corvallis starter Angel Landazuri departed after four innings after an apparent injury, having allowed two runs on three hits, and the Sweets looked to make some noise.

They found their answer in the next two innings. Mike Paulson led off the fifth inning with a home run to left-center field, his first of the season. After a strikeout, Jarod Gonzales and Andrew Mendenhall both walked, and Mendenhall was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Frabasilio, who patiently worked a walk to force home a run.

That only cut the deficit to seven runs, but the Sweets opened the floodgates in the sixth against Corvallis right-hander Merrick Patito. Ryan Littlefield led off with a base hit, Paulson walked, and Aldo Ferrante drove home one with a double to the left-field wall, his first hit of the season. Gonzalez walked again, Parker Osborne doubled to right-center to plate two runs, and Mendenhall singled. Frabasilio was hit by a pitch, and after a strikeout, Russell Crippen and Littlefield came forward with back-to-back singles, all bringing the Sweets to within one run of tying the game. In his second plate appearance of the inning, Paulson hit a sacrifice fly to knot the score and then Ferrante poked a single through the right side of the infield to give the Sweets the 11-10 lead before Gonzales grounded out to end the rout.

The eight-run rally formed by far the biggest comeback of the season for the Sweets.

But matching the Sweets pitch-for-pitch, the Knights came back to tie it up in the bottom half. Michael Howard walked to begin the frame, stole both second and third, and scored the tying run on an RBI groundout by Joe Duffin.

Cody Mathews (0-1), a left-hander also making his debut for Walla Walla, began his appearance by hurling three perfect innings as the fourth pitcher of the evening for the Sweets.

However, lefty Joey Wise and righty Jackson Lockwood (2-0) mirrored Mathews, combining for four-and-two-thirds innings of scoreless relief for the Knights.

And danger finally struck in the bottom of the tenth, when Jackson Soto led off with a walk against Mathews. Grant Melker pinch-ran, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, stole third and scampered home with the winning run on the ensuing errant throw from Ferrante, attempting to snuff the runner out.

It was the Sweets' first extra-inning game of the season, and despite the negative end result, the team showed the most fight that it had all season.

The Sweets will conclude their three-game series with the Knights Monday at 12:05 PM at Goss Stadium.

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