WCL Walla Walla Sweets

Poteet Dominates in Debut, Strikes Out 11 in Shut Out of Klamath Falls

July 6, 2013 - West Coast League (WCL)
Walla Walla Sweets News Release


WALLA WALLA, WA -- Just last week, Cody Poteet was riding the wave of a National Championship title with the UCLA Bruins, shooting the breeze with the likes of Major League All Stars Cliff Lee and Hanley Ramirez at Dodger Stadium. Friday night he graced the field at Borleske Stadium with a new uniform and a win in his first appearance as a Walla Walla Sweet, helping the squad to its fifteenth win of the season, a 5-0 shut out of the Klamath Falls Gems.

While his Bruins were shutting out opponents in mid-June, the Gems swept Walla Walla over three games last month, and the visitors greeted the young right-hander with similar trouble in this series opener. Third baseman Peter Maris led off with a single before back-to-back walks loaded the bases. Poteet effectively switched gears to work out of the jam with back-to-back strikeouts and a fly-out to right field. Gems shortstop Paul Panaccione singled to start the second inning, but Poteet found his groove and struck out the side. Of the next fifteen Gems hitters, only two reached, as catcher Craig Meredith was hit with a pitch in the fourth, and first baseman Dylan Rogers took first base by virtue of a dropped third strike to start the sixth. After 100 pitches over seven innings of work, Poteet's night came to a close with 11 strikeouts -- five of them looking -- and a pair of walks, as he allowed only three hits and no earned runs.

The Sweets did their scoring in the bottom of the fifth when designated hitter Spencer O'Neil stroked a lead-off double down the right field line to start the frame. O'Neil, celebrating his twenty-first birthday, traded places with left fielder Kramer Lindell on a one-out double to break the scoreless tie and put Walla Walla ahead 1-0. It was the second straight night that Lindell drove in the go-ahead run, notching his fourth RBI in as many games. With two outs, shortstop John Skrbec slapped a single up the middle to give the home team a 2-0 advantage before center fielder Mike Paulson drew a walk. Catcher Dominic Miroglio bounced a ground ball to shortstop, but Panaccione dropped the ball to keep the inning alive for second-year Sweet Kris Paulino to hit. The second baseman drove a single to right field, scoring two more runs as Walla Walla took a commanding four-run lead. Gems starter Tyler Johnson exited after that at-bat as he was tagged for four runs, two of them earned, for his first loss of the year.

With reliever Anthony Olmo on to pitch in the sixth, right fielder Jono Herkins squared to bunt, but fouled the ball into his face. He would not continue the at-bat. Olmo, who struggled with command, immediately plunked pinch hitter Luke Perisico with a curveball between the shoulders to put a runner on with one out. A walk to Lindell followed as third baseman Jarod Gonzales loaded the bases with a single to right. Skrbec hit into a fielder's choice ground out to third base, but notched his second RBI as Persico scored to put the home team ahead 5-0.

That capped the scoring as right-hander Josh Wagner slammed the door in relief. In undoubtedly his best outing of 2013, Wagner gave up one hit in two innings of work, striking out five, including all three in the ninth to put the bow on top of the Sweets' first win against Klamath Falls this season.

The victory keeps the Sweets (15-10) in a first-place tie atop the West Coast League North Division with the Wenatchee AppleSox (15-10). Walla Walla hosts the Gems for game two of the series Saturday night, with J.D. Leckenby scheduled to throw the 7:05 p.m. first pitch.



West Coast League Stories from July 6, 2013


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