Pippins' Late Comeback Falls Short
August 2, 2025 - West Coast League (WCL)
Yakima Valley Pippins News Release
LONGVIEW, Washington - Yakima Valley hit its offensive stride late in the game, but it was too little, too late against the Cowlitz Black Bears, suffering an 8-5 loss Friday night. The Black Bears scored all eight runs in the middle four innings, driving home just enough insurance in the sixth inning.
Koshi Arai, the third pitcher used by the Pippins, began the sixth inning by issuing a walk to Branson Castleberry. A run scored on the next play, an error by Ethan Hogan at third base that sailed into right field. The batter, Brayden Oram, advanced to third base on the play. Laim Barrett hit a sacrifice fly to score Oram, clearing the bases and securing the first out. Gavin Poffenroth hit next, drawing a walk ahead of a single by Holt Williams. Arai struck out Martin Serrano to pick up the second out but walked Luke Kovac to load the bases. Jarrett Sabol blew the game wide open for the Black Bears, picking up two RBI on a single before Arai picked up the third out. Cowlitz led 8-1 after six innings.
The Pippins began a late-innings comeback in the eighth, scrapping three runs across the plate. Jack Varney, Ethan Buckley, and Greg Luna all reached safely, setting up Sam Moore's sacrifice fly and Ethan Hogan's RBI single. The Pipps would score again in the ninth. Zech Samayoa reached on a one-out single before Jack Varney followed with a single of his own, his third hit of the game, allowing Samayoa to go from first base to third base. Ethan Buckley grounded into a fielder's choice, bringing home Samayoa to make it a three-run game, 8-5. The Pipps rally ended there though, as pinch hitter Garren Gooler flew out to right field to end the game.
Cowlitz scored two runs in the third inning against Pippins starter Harrison Hoffarth. Oram singled to lead off the inning, followed by a Bennett walk. Williams poked a sacrifice fly to right field before Barrett came home on a wild pitch to lead 2-0.
The Black Bears tacked on insurance runs in the fourth and fifth innings. JR Starr scored on an Oram sacrifice fly in the fourth inning, and Poffenroth came home on Sobal's first RBI single of the game in the fifth.
Cowlitz starter Cameron Fausset earns the win to improve to 2-3 this season. Hoffarth suffers the loss, dropping to 0-2.
Cowlitz snaps Yakima Valley's three-game winning streak, improving to 10-13 in the second half of the season and 17-32 overall. The Pippins fall to 6-16 in the second half and are now 13-36 this summer.
Yakima Valley's final road trip of the season continues Saturday at David Story Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
West Coast League Stories from August 2, 2025
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- Huge Seventh Inning Powers Cats to Win - Victoria HabourCats
- Pippins' Late Comeback Falls Short - Yakima Valley Pippins
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