WCL Walla Walla Sweets

Stellar Play Earns Stanford Player Of The Week Honors

Published on August 8, 2011 under West Coast League (WCL)
Walla Walla Sweets News Release


Walla Walla-- Alex Stanford just had one of the those weeks that don't come along very often but when they do, you take full advantage of them. The shortstop from Gonzaga did just that, hitting .484 over the past week, including a solo home run in the tenth inning to lead the Walla Walla Sweets to a 5-4 victory over the Cowlitz Black Bears. His performance not only helped the Sweets get to within one game of a playoff berth but also earned him West Coast League Player of the Week honors.

Stanford, who shared the honor with Kelowna's Brandon Marris, becomes the first Sweets player in history to be honored as Player of the Week. Starting on August 1st, Stanford became a hit machine for Walla Walla and is currenlty riding an eight-game hitting streak. He doubled and scored that night against the Falcons, doubled to lead off the game the next night and broke out in a big way last Wednesday in Bend. Stanford collected three hits and scored two runs in the Sweets win and that started a string of five games in which he has collected three hits. He had three more the next night and drove in two runs, including the game-tying run with a single in the eighth and then picked up three more hits, the Sweets only hits on the night, in the first game against Cowlitz. He was slowed to one hit in game two against the Black Bears but still provided an RBI and then went right back to work on Sunday. In one of the most important games in Sweets history, Stanford had three more hits and broke a 4-4 tie in the top of the tenth with a solo home run to right-center.

Heading into his senior year at Gonzaga, Stanford is having one of the best offensive seasons in WCL history. He has 19 multi-hit games, including eight three-hit games and a four-hit game. On top of his current eight-game hitting streak, he has stolen a base in seven-straight games. Thanks to this stretch, Stanford became the first player in the league to eclipse 60 hits and he also leads the league in batting at .344. Since an 0-4 night against Wenatchee on July 11, Stanford has hit safely in 18 of 21 games, raising his average a whole 63 points in the process.

Stanford and the Sweets begin their final three-game series of the regular season tonight against the Wenatchee Applesox and need to win just one game or have Bellingham lose one game to Kelowna to clinch their first playoff berth in team history. All three games are scheduled for a 7:05 p.m.

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West Coast League Stories from August 8, 2011


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