Sweets Rally to Secure Sibling Rivalry Season Series with a Sweep

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WCL Yakima Valley Pippins

Sweets Rally to Secure Sibling Rivalry Season Series with a Sweep

July 7, 2025 - West Coast League (WCL)
Yakima Valley Pippins News Release


WALLA WALLA, Washington - The Battle of the Basin has finally crowned its first champion after four seasons of play. The Walla Walla Sweets rallied for four unanswered runs to win 4-2 on Sunday and sweep the Yakima Valley Pippins in their lone trip to Borleske Stadium this summer.

The Pippins had a chance to tie the game in the top of the ninth. Langan Naylor led off the inning with a walk before Finley Spicer popped out. Still with the tying run in the batter's box, Dillon Anderson hit a line drive to Sweets' second baseman Troy Sanders, who made an acrobatic catch in the air before throwing to first to double off Naylor, ending the game.

Following Ty Pangborn's masterful five-inning start, only allowing one run on two hits, Koshi Arai entered the game in the bottom of the sixth. Arai immediately hit the first batter he faced, Landon Young, before allowing a double to the West Coast League's leader in batting average, Dominic Cadiz. The next batter, Owen Estabrook, hit a pitch between Arai's legs and into center field, bringing home both runners to flip the game to Walla Walla's favor, 3-2. Arai left the game without recording an out.

Walla Walla tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning. Facing Pippins' newcomer Connor Batzer, Billy Scaldeferri hit a one-out single. He advanced to third base on back-to-back fielder's choices by Trevor Tse and Sanders before scoring on a two-out single by Andrew Demianew.

Yakima Valley held an early lead in the contest, picking up a run in the second and third innings. In the second, Ethan Buckley drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second base on an error by Estabrook. Following a Neil Jansen flyout, another new face, Jack Varney, mashed a one-out RBI triple score Buckley, his first hit as a Pippin. The next inning, Julian Angulo cranked a two-out solo home run over the left field wall, his first home run of the season.

The Pippins fall to 0-3 in the second half of the season and 7-23 overall. The losing streak is now 10 games. Walla Walla earns the first "Battle of the Basin" title since the rivalry series was named before the 2022 season, winning the season series 5-4. The Sweets are 3-0 in the second half and 17-13 overall this summer.

The Pippins have an off day at home Monday before making the trip to Springfield, Oregon, for three games with the Springfield Drifters beginning Tuesday. First pitch for all three matchups between the Pippins and the Drifters is scheduled for 6:35 pm. The Pippins will return home on Friday for the final three games before the all-star break, against the Bend Elks.



West Coast League Stories from July 7, 2025


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