WCL Walla Walla Sweets

Sweets Drop Series Opener Against Kelowna

June 11, 2014 - West Coast League (WCL)
Walla Walla Sweets News Release


WALLA WALLA, Wa. - Although he hadn't pitched in a starting role in three months, Jay Flaa prepared for the long haul for the Walla Walla Sweets on Tuesday evening.

And he was largely successful, allowing five runs, only three earned, through five innings while striking out six.

"I thought he came out and set a very good tone," said pitching coach Mark Michaud regarding Flaa's effort. He was throwing three pitches for [strikes], and when you do that you give yourself a chance to win a ballgame."

Unfortunately, the bullpen could not hold strong against the Kelowna Falcons' bats, giving up three runs on seven hits the rest of the way, and that proved to be the margin of error needed for the Falcons to grab the opening game of the series, 8-5.

The visiting Falcons put a run on the board in both the third and the fourth innings, while the Sweets failed to score until the bottom of the fourth, when their bats appeared to finally get to Kelowna starter Matt Moriarty. Andrew Mendenhall led off with a walk, advanced to second on a groundout, stole third, and then scored on a Kyle Nixon single. Jordan Frabasilio was hit by a pitch, and Zach Rapacz followed with a single to center field, but Kelowna center fielder Trey Kamachi fired a laser beam home to nail Nixon attempting to score, and Aldo Ferrante popped out to end the inning with only one run scored.

The fifth and sixth innings brought a mixed bag of results. Flaa allowed three hits and a walk, which enabled the Falcons to piece together three runs and build their lead to 5-1, signaling the end for the right-hander from North Dakota State. But the offense bounced right back, posting two runs in the fifth behind three base hits and a Nixon sacrifice fly. After left-hander Dillon Dove, a newcomer from the College of Southern Idaho, pitched a scoreless top of the sixth, the Sweets put two more on the board with a pair of walks, a Jarod Gonzales single and a sac fly by Mendenhall.

This all came against righties Sam Murphy and Joel Lamont, who combined to allow four earned runs on four hits and three walks over just an inning and a third.

But with one out in the sixth, Josh Nuemberg entered for the Falcons and was unhittable- literally, as he allowed no hits and struck out six batters through three and two-thirds innings of work out of the bullpen to notching to collect the win.

Kelowna strung together a series of base hits to score two in the eighth inning against Dove, and Max Schuman hit a solo homer in the ninth off Russell Crippen to give Nuemberg a three-run lead going into the bottom half, where the right-hander struck out the side to finish off the Sweets.

The Sweets will face the Falcons in the second game of the series Wednesday at Borleske Stadium, with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 PM.



West Coast League Stories from June 11, 2014


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