WCL Walla Walla Sweets

Sweets Clinch Another Series with 5-1 Win Over Klamath Falls

July 7, 2013 - West Coast League (WCL)
Walla Walla Sweets News Release


WALLA WALLA, WA -- Winning baseball teams do one thing well: they win series. The Walla Walla Sweets did just that again Saturday night, clinching another weekend set with a 5-1 victory over the Klamath Falls Gems at Borleske Stadium.

Right-hander J.D. Leckenby made his first start since June 21st and retired the first seven Gems hitters he faced. Left fielder Austen Brand reached with a single to left with one out in the third, but Leckenby induced a ground out and a fly out to end the top half of the inning.

By the bottom of the first inning, it had been 45 at-bats since the last time Sweets utility man Mike Paulson hit a home run. That was nearly a month ago, when the Sweets opened their road schedule at Kiger Stadium, eventually losing to Klamath Falls 13-7. Making a start at first base Saturday night, Paulson hit "reset" in at-bat number 46.

The first two Sweets hitters were retired quietly to start the bottom of the first before third baseman John Skrbec drew a walk. With a full count, Paulson drilled a line drive over the right-center field wall to give the Sweets an early lead that they would not give up.

Leading 2-0 into the third, shortstop Nick Vilter was hit by a pitch to before a strikeout and back-to-back walks loaded the bases. Left fielder Kramer Lindell drove in his fifteenth RBI of the season with a sacrifice fly to right field, bringing Vilter across the plate for a 3-0 Sweets advantage. With more of the same in the home half of the fourth inning, three consecutive walks loaded the bases, as Gems pitchers combined to walk 12 Sweets hitters on the evening. Catcher Zach Reay scored on right fielder Kris Paulino's fourth sacrifice of the year as each runner tagged up to advance a base. Second baseman Reggie Southall also scored when Skrbec grounded to first base, putting Walla Walla ahead by five.

Klamath Falls responded with a run in the fifth inning as catcher Craig Meredith walked with one out and later scored on a single by designated hitter Peter Maris. Leckenby came out after that hit, but reliever Joe Arlt came in and was simply dominant, shutting the Gems out over 4.1 innings. The left-hander was nearly perfect in the fourteen batters that he faced, allowing an eighth inning walk to Maris. The other thirteen took a seat as Arlt did not allow a hit all night. Despite Leckenby's solid 4.2 innings of work, Arlt collected his first win of the year out of the bullpen, collecting three stirkeouts. He retired the final five Gems batters to seal the win.

Klamath Falls starter Jackson Lockwood was saddled with his second loss of the year as the Gems brought in three relievers in an effort to stall the Sweets' bats. Bret Hartnett threw just one inning but allowed two earned runs without surrendering a hit, as the left-hander issued four walks in his eighth appearance of the year. Angelo Lingos and Scott Burke combined for four innings out of the bullpen and did not allow the Sweets to score.

The victory maintains a first place tie between Walla Walla (16-10) and the Wenatchee AppleSox (16-10), who have ridden a five-game winning streak to keep pace atop the WCL-North division.

The series finale bewteen the Sweets and Gems starts Sunday, with lefty Chris Lovejoy on the mound for a 5:05 p.m. first pitch.



West Coast League Stories from July 7, 2013


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