Pippins Celebrate Fourth with First Series Sweep of Season

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WCL Yakima Valley Pippins

Pippins Celebrate Fourth with First Series Sweep of Season

July 4, 2024 - West Coast League (WCL)
Yakima Valley Pippins News Release


YAKIMA, Washington - The Pippins earned their first series sweep of the season on the Fourth of July on Thursday. After winning the first two games in competitive fashion, Yakima Valley captured the final game against the Cowlitz Black Bears 11-6 at The Orchard.

The Pipps' offense ramped up from the start after Cowlitz had taken a quick 1-run lead after the first half-inning. Yakima Valley responded with three runs. Adrian Hinojosa, Drew Johnson and Preston Allen all scored to give the Pipps a 3-1 lead.

Johnson, who returned to the starting lineup after missing the past few games, made his impact felt later in the contest. In the third, he scored one of the seven runs for the Pipps. He led off the inning with a walk, and was followed by Allen, Brennan Morgan, Casey Wayne, Caleb Gray, DJ Dillehay and Hinojosa, who all scored. A few RBI base knocks from Morgan, Dillehay and Hinojosa gave the Pippins a 10-1 lead.

Cowlitz could not respond until the back half of the game, when the Black Bears scored three unanswered runs in the sixth and seventh innings. Sergio DeCello and Rowan Kelly scored in the sixth, as Jaron Nevarez smacked an RBI double. The Black Bears added a run in the seventh to make it 10-4.

The Pipps struck back with one run in the bottom of the seventh, as Spencer Shipman belted a ball over the left-field fence. It was his second homer of the season, and the Pippins took an 11-4 lead. Yakima Valley now has 11 home runs on the year.

Cowlitz added two more runs in the eighth before the scoring ceased when Dylan Schlaegel and Rees Hall touched home plate. Brennan Morgan came in to close the game on the mound in the ninth and punched out three batters.

AJ Hendrickson made his first start on the mound of the season and pitched well. He went for six complete innings and allowed just one earned run off five hits to earn the victory. He had three of the six punchouts for Yakima Valley, before he was replaced by Logan Egge in the seventh.

Out of the bullpen, Yakima Valley used three arms, as Egge and Koester made appearances before Morgan closed out the game.

Offensively, Yakima Valley found 11 hits as a squad. Hinojosa, Johnson and Allen each finished with multiple hits, as the Pippins dominated at the plate. Caleb Gray and Jake Lockwood both made their Pippins debuts in this game and were the only starters without a hit when game three concluded.

The Pipps are back in action on the road against the Bend Elks on Friday night at 6:35 p.m. PT from Vince Genna Stadium. Yakima Valley enters the road series at 15-15 on the year as they compete with Bend for the first time in 2024.

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