WCL Walla Walla Sweets

Sweets Overmatched by Bend Bats

Published on June 29, 2014 under West Coast League (WCL)
Walla Walla Sweets News Release


BEND, Or. - After shutting out the Bend Elks in the bottom off the first inning, Walla Walla Sweets starter Cody Mathews appeared to have the answer to the Sweets' pitching troubles in the series.

But the Elks went on to score six runs in the second and eight in the third, en route to a 20-4 thrashing of the Sweets Saturday night.

The bottom of the second brought to mind the previous night's 14-4 rout, as the Elks scored their first two runs via an RBI single and an RBI groundout, before Jake Peeveyhouse hit a grand slam to right field, breaking the game open early.

With back-to-back strikeouts to begin the top of the third, the Sweets seemed destined for another scoreless inning at the plate. But Parker Osborne drew a two-out walk, Jordan Frabasilio singled him to second, and Sean Bouchard walked to load the bases for Ryan Littlefield, who drove Osborne home with a single to left, making the score 6-1.

But Bend delivered the true knockout punch in the bottom of the third. Nick Lopez grounded out to lead off, but Trevor Allen followed with a solo home run. Brock Carpenter then doubled, and Curtis Wildung hit a two-run homer to put the Elks up 9-1.

The scoring continued from there. Jerren Larimer was hit by a pitch, and three consecutive singles chased Mathews (1-2) from the game with the bases loaded. Omar Porras then entered, but allowed four runs before recording the final out, and the Elks took a commanding 14-1 lead into the fourth.

While Bend pitching held Walla Walla's bats scoreless in the fourth and fifth, the Elks added another run in the fourth on a triple by Grant Newton and a following Peeveyhouse RBI single.

Sean Bouchard drove two home with a bases-loaded single in the sixth, but the Elks would reciprocate in the home half on a pinch-hit, two-run homer by Jo Carrol, taking their second fourteen-run lead of the game.

Refusing to let up, the Elks would go on to score one run in the seventh and two in the eighth to take a tremendous 20-3 lead into the top of the ninth. The Sweets showed life in the final inning, as Cooper Hummel led off with a double down the right field line, moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a single by John Skrbec. But Dalton Blackwell, pitching the ninth inning after entering the game as a pinch-hitter, retired the side to clinch the series win for the Elks on their second straight blowout victory, 20-4.

Four Sweets pitchers- Mathews, Porras, Russell Crippen and Alex Fisher- combined to allow twenty runs, seventeen earned, on twenty-three hits, while walking three and striking out just four. Mathews took the loss, while Porras took the bulk of the load on his shoulders, pitching three-and-two-thirds innings in relief.

On the pitching side for Bend, starter Austin Guzzon (3-1) went four innings, allowing just one run on two hits while walking six and striking out eight. Four relievers- Austin Kelly, Rio Gomez, Kevin Hamman and Blackwell- allowed a combined three runs over the last five innings, with Gomez and Hamman providing one scoreless inning each.

The Sweets will conclude their series with the Elks Sunday at 5:05 at Vince Genna Stadium in Bend.

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West Coast League Stories from June 29, 2014


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