Pippins Defend Home Turf During the First 'Battle of the Basin'
June 4, 2025 - West Coast League (WCL)
Yakima Valley Pippins News Release
YAKIMA, Washington - The Yakima Valley Pippins' offense could only muster up two runs, but that was all it took to defeat the Walla Walla Sweets 2-1 during a defensive-filled night at Yakima County Stadium on Tuesday.
In the first of nine meetings between sibling rivals Walla Walla and Yakima Valley, it was the Sweets striking first off second-year Pippins pitcher Colton LaFave. In the second inning, Walla Walla's Trevor Tse drew a walk, advanced to third on a throwing error by Pipps catcher Max Senesac and came home to score on an RBI single by Nigel Fahland. LaFave was spotless after that, striking out six total batters in his first appearance this summer.
LaFave would exit in the top of the fourth inning. In the bottom, Pippins third baseman Jacob Brooks reached on an error by Tse. Later in the inning, with Preston Allen up to bat, Brooks would come around to score on an error by Sweets first baseman Tanner Kern. Allen would make his way to second on a groundout by Kyler Bittner, before reaching third on a passed ball. Allen would score, unearned, on the third error by the Sweets in the fourth inning, this time committed by catcher Isaiah Chacon.
The Pippins also got some offense from Finley Spicer, who went 3-for-4 with three singles. His lone out was a strikeout due to a pitch clock violation.
In relief of LaFave, Jackson Burtis threw scoreless fifth and sixth innings, facing the minimum number of batters despite giving up two hits and a walk, thanks to two 5-4-3 double plays turned by the Pippins infield, and a successful pickoff throw to second base.
Following Burtis, Evan Ellis would enter the game in the seventh and finish. With the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the ninth, Ellis blew a fastball by Walla Walla's Landon Young for an electric strikeout in front of nearly two thousand fans.
Burtis earned the win in relief, and Ellis earned his second save of the season. The Pippins improve to 2-2 on the young season, and 1-0 at home.
Game two between the sibling rivals is set for Wednesday night at 6:35pm. Tickets are on sale at www.pippinstickets.com, the only official ticketing link of the Yakima Valley Pippins. Parking is free at Yakima County Stadium.
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