WCL Walla Walla Sweets

Sweets Beat Pippins to Snap Streak

July 1, 2014 - West Coast League (WCL)
Walla Walla Sweets News Release


WALLA WALLA, Wa. - Coming off a sweep at the hands of the Bend Elks, the Walla Walla Sweets arrived in Yakima Monday looking to snap their five-game losing streak in league play.

It took eleven innings, but they finally found the answer in the form of an Andrew Mendenhall two-run double, winning 5-3.

Fired up right out of the gate, the Sweets took an early lead in the first inning. Mendenhall led off the game with a deep drive off the center field wall, coasting into third on what was scored as a three-base error, and scored on an RBI single by Sean Bouchard. Jordan Frabasilio later reached on a fielder's choice, scoring on a Kevin Morgan triple, giving the Sweets a 2-0 lead.

But the Pippins fought back in the bottom half. Jake Roberts led off with a single, but was caught stealing second before Justin Jacobs was hit by a pitch. Ryan Rosa followed with an RBI triple to make the score 2-1, and subsequently scored the tying run on a wild pitch.

The Sweets retook the lead in the top of the second, though. Mike Paulson and J.J. Robinson singled, and after two popouts, Bouchard drove Paulson home with his second RBI single in as many innings.

Walla Walla starter Spencer Hobson pitched scoreless second and third innings to hold the lead, but then surrendered a leadoff homer to Vince Fernandez in the fourth to tie the game at 3-3. However, that would end all scoring until extra innings.

Hobson was done after seven innings, walking three while striking out three, but allowing just three runs on six hits.

Yakima Valley starter Austin Woodward kept the Sweets in check through six innings, and Austin Hansen and Kenny Rosenberg provided three-and-a-third innings of scoreless relief.

The score remained tied until the top of the eleventh inning, when Paulson and pinch-hitter John Skrbec walked. With two out, Mendenhall hit his two-RBI double down the left field line against Nick Kern (0-1), giving the Sweets the 5-3 lead.

"The pitcher (Kern) was throwing a lot of fastballs, and I just tried to (swing) on time and get a pitch that I liked. I felt good up there," Mendenhall said of his final at-bat. "I finally felt like I was seeing the ball a little better and laying off some bad pitches, so I felt good."

Jesse Houser, who took over on the mound in the eighth for Walla Walla, shut the Pippins down in the bottom half to secure the victory. Houser (2-2) finished the night with four hitless innings of relief, striking out six while walking only one and earning the win.

The Sweets and Pippins will play the second game of the series Tuesday at 7:05 PM at Yakima County Stadium.



West Coast League Stories from July 1, 2014


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