WCL Walla Walla Sweets

Sweet Sweep: Walla Walla Wins Big

July 11, 2013 - West Coast League (WCL)
Walla Walla Sweets News Release


VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- The Walla Walla Sweets launched a pair of home runs for the third time in their series against the Victoria HarbourCats, helping the ballclub to a 16-5 victory and the first sweep of the 2013 season Wednesday night. Victoria has had a tough time holding opposing offenses scoreless in the first inning this season as right fielder Kris Paulino hit his first home run of the year -- a grand slam -- to set the tone early.

Left fielder Kramer Lindell proved to be a tough out yet again as he singled to center field to start the game in the top of the first. Lindell reached in the top of the first inning in all three contests during the week at Royal Athletic Park. Third baseman John Skrbec and catcher Renae Martinez both walked behind him to load the bases as shortstop Nick Vilter stepped to the plate. He was hit by the pitch to drive in a run and give Walla Walla an early 1-0 lead.

Paulino drove the first pitch he saw from starting pitcher Tanner Kiest over the right-center field wall, giving Walla Walla a 5-0 lead.

"I knew [Kiest] had some command problems early in the game, so I knew I'd get another fastball," Paulino said. "It felt good."

Walla Walla handed Kiest his second loss of the season in his first start this year as he exited after one inning of work. Victoria followed with six more pitchers out of the bullpen, and none pitched more than 2.1 innings as only seven of the Sweets' 16 runs were earned. Of 10 walks, seven scored. Vilter was hit with a pitch twice as Sweets batters were plunked three times, and two of those scored.

Third baseman John Skrbec, who homered in games one and two, didn't go deep Wednesday night, but drew two of those walks, scored once, and drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning. It's been a consistent approach at the plate this summer that's made him so successful.

"I'm not doing anything differently," Skrbec said. "I guess I'm just seeing the ball pretty well, and it's paying off."

Vilter and designated hitter Spencer O'neil also saw the ball well Wednesday night. Each man drove in five runs as O'Neil hit the second home run in the game, a three-run blast to right field in the sixth inning, as the club sent 10 men to the plate. It marked the third time in the series that the Sweets had notched two homers in the same game, and gave Walla Walla a 13-3 lead at the time as part of a seven run inning. Skrbec drove in the first run of the frame after second baseman Reggie Southall led off with a triple.

"Pitchers have been doing a good job of pitching around me, but I'm taking my approach seriously and getting the right pitch to hit," Skrbec said.

In a night of offense to pad stats for the entire lineup, it was Vilter who had probably the most interesting final line of the starting nine. His night: 1-for-1 officially, with two walks, a pair of hit-by-pitches, two runs scored and five RBI. His lone base hit was a double, off an 0-2 pitch, to the left-center field gap with the bases loaded to drive in three runs.

Victoria responded with a run in the first as first baseman Robby Nesovic singled a run home to put the HarbourCats on the board. The 'Cats have had a tough time holding opposing offenses scoreless in the first inning this season, and the loss drops them to 4-9 when the opposition scores in the first.

Shortstop Alex Degoti also drove in a run in the fourth. Designated hitter David Schuknecht hit a two-run homer in the sixth to drive in the last of five runs for Victoria.

Walla Walla (19-11) outscored the home team 33-8 over the week as the Sweets move two games ahead of the Wenatchee AppleSox (17-13) in first place in the WCL North Division.

The Sweets head out to Corvallis, OR, to play the Knights Thursday for a 6:40 p.m. first pitch. Right-hander Jonathan Harris will get the start for Walla Walla.



West Coast League Stories from July 11, 2013


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