Pippins Open Second Half with 10 Punchouts in Win
July 3, 2024 - West Coast League (WCL)
Yakima Valley Pippins News Release
YAKIMA, Washington - Yakima Valley was in much need of a victory heading into the second half of the 2024 summer season. The Pippins had lost eight of nine games, which started against the Cowlitz Black Bears on the road. However, the Pipps got some revenge against the opponent that started this midseason rough patch.
The Pippins won 6-4 in the first game of a three-game series with the Black Bears on Tuesday night at The Orchard in front of 1,441 fans. Fireworks lit up the night sky after the game, but the fireworks began earlier on the field for the Pipps.
Yakima Vally took a 2-1 lead after the first frame. Julian Angulo reached first base on a few errors defensively by Cowlitz, which helped bring Toussaint Bythewood and Preston Allen across. The Pippins took the lead after they were down for a few minutes after Bronson Neave scored the first run of the game for the Black Bears in the top of the inning.
Cowlitz wasted no time in the effort to fight back. The Black Bears brought Rowan Kelly across to tie the game 2-2. Dylan Schlaegel hit an RBI single that evened up the score. The Pipps did not hesitate to strike back an inning later.
An RBI double from Allen brought home Casey Wayne, and the Pipps led 3-2. Cowlitz punched back with another run in the fourth, as Keaton Grady smacked an RBI single to bring in JJ Kennett. It was 3-3 nearly halfway through game one.
The Pipps found themselves down once again an inning later, as a sacrifice fly from Jonathan Mendez brought Neave in to score. This was his second scored run of the ball game, and the Black Bears took a 4-3 lead. That lead did not last long, as the Pipps fired back with three runs in the bottom of the frame.
Allen, Brennan Morgan and Rece Schuerman gave the Pippins a 6-4 lead in the fifth. Schuerman's RBI single gave him his first hit of the series, and his 23rd hit of the year. Yakima Valley held on to this lead the rest of the way, and conquered Cowlitz at home.
On the bump, the Pipps got some great work from starter Ethan Salscheider. He went for a personal best this season, as he fanned six Black Bears in just 5.0 innings. However, he gave up nine hits and four earned runs. Luckily for Yakima Valley, Carson Judd came to the rescue.
In his first appearance out of the bull pen this summer, Judd absolutely cooked. He finished with a four-inning save and kept Cowlitz quiet the rest of the game. He punched out four Black Bears and did not allow a hit.
This pitching masterclass was necessary to take down a Cowlitz team that had dominated the Pippins just a few weeks ago. Yakima Valley advanced to 13-15 on the season - and 1-0 to start the WCL's second half - as they continue to work back toward postseason positioning in the South Division.
Offensively, the Pipps were caried by Allen and David Ballenilla. Both batters went for three hits each and combined for over half of the hit total. Allen finished with his 35th hit of the season, which places him second best in the league in that category. He is tied with Nate Kirkpatrick of the Bellingham Bells.
Yakima Valley heads into game two of this series with all the momentum. The Pipps still need to close the deal in one of the next two games to secure a series victory, which has not happened since June 20, when the Pipps took down Wenatchee in the rubber match of that home series.
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West Coast League Stories from July 3, 2024
- Pippins Open Second Half with 10 Punchouts in Win - Yakima Valley Pippins
- Errors Plague AppleSox vs. HarbourCats - Wenatchee AppleSox
- HarbourCats Open Road Trip with a Bushel of Runs and a Win - Victoria HabourCats
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