Pippins Muster Just One Hit in Second Straight Shutout Loss
July 18, 2021 - West Coast League (WCL)
Yakima Valley Pippins News Release
The Yakima Valley Pippins suffered a second straight shutout loss for the first time in team history, as the Cowlitz Black Bears used three pitchers to combine to one-hit the Pippins.
The Pippins fell to 17-12 in West Coast League play and 2-3 in the second half, and have now been shutout in three of their last four WCL contests.
Myles Davis turned in another superb start for the Black Bears, taking a perfect game into the seventh inning. He walked Willie Lajoie and hit Blake Dickman with a pitch to end the perfect game, but retired the next two batters to preserve his no-hitter.
Cowlitz spread their runs out over the first few innings, capitalizing on an error in the second inning to score the first two runs of the game, both unearned to Pippins starter Tyler Frieders.
In the third inning, Matthew Schwarz singled to lead off the inning, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Rikuu Nishida and scored on a single by Brock Bozett.
Cowlitz added their fourth and final run in the fifth inning, taking advantage of a leadoff walk by Jaden Sheppard - Frieder's second of two in the game. Frieders struck out Schwarz, his only strikeout of the game, and got Nishida to fly out before Sheppard scored when Bozett doubled to give the Cowlitz a 4-0 lead they would hold until the end.
Peysen Sweeney (0-0, 1.50 ERA) pitched the final three innings for Yakima Valley, keeping Cowlitz off the board with three strikeouts to one walk and one hit. Frieders (3-2, 2.61 ERA) took the loss.
Alex Shanks ended the no-hit bid with a single to left field to start the top of the eighth inning, ending Davis' (2-2, 3.44 ERA) day having thrown nearly two-thirds of his 97 pitches for strikes.
Michael Benz (2-3, 2.70 ERA) came on to finish the eighth, inducing a flyout before striking out the next two batters. Mark Woinarowicz (1-0, 4.10 ERA), who pitched for Yakima Valley in 2019, struck out the side in the ninth to complete the one-hit shutout effort.
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West Coast League Stories from July 18, 2021
- Pippins Muster Just One Hit in Second Straight Shutout Loss - Yakima Valley Pippins
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