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WCL Walla Walla Sweets

Sweets Ride Five-Run 5th to Victory

July 19, 2014 - West Coast League (WCL)
Walla Walla Sweets News Release


WALLA WALLA, Wa. - Once the Kitsap Bluejackets took a 1-0 lead in the top of the 5th inning, the Walla Walla Sweets became even more determined to bounce back from an 11-4 loss the previous night.

And they did, gaining momentum with a five-run rally in the bottom half, en route to defeating the Bluejackets by a score of 9-2 on the Sweets' annual "Tough Enough to Wear Pink" night.

A Caylen Clardy RBI single plated the game's first run of the game in the top of the 5th, but in the bottom half, Kyle Nixon led off for the Sweets, breaking up Kitsap starter Bryon Baker's no-hit bid with a single into center field. Mark Contreras followed with a walk, and after a groundout by Aldo Ferrante moved the runners to second and third, Kevin Morgan gave the Sweets a 2-1 lead with a 2-RBI single up the middle.

A hit batsman and a walk then loaded the bases with one out, and David Marshall was summoned from the Kitsap bullpen. He walked Mikey Duarte to force home a run, and Moe Handcox and Jarod Gonzales would both go on to score on a pair of wild pitches from Marshall, extending the Sweets' advantage to 5-1.

Neither team scored in the 6th, but after the Bluejackets got an RBI single from Nick Choruby in the top of the 7th, the Sweets resolved to put the game out of reach in the bottom half. They did, as Mikey Duarte drove a moonshot home run to left field, and in the 8th, Mark Contreras hit an RBI triple to deep center field and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Aldo Ferrante. The score stood at 9-2.

As the Sweets played add-on, Jake Campeau relieved O'Neil, hurling a scoreless 8th inning. Jay Flaa would pitch the 9th in a non-save situation, striking out the side in order and preserving the Sweets' 9-2 win.

Through his seven innings, O'Neil (4-2) allowed just two runs on five hits, walking four but striking out nine.

"I felt pretty good," O'Neil said afterwards. "I was pretty much throwing all my pitches just to force contact, and they (Kitsap) swung and missed a lot."

Reflecting on the Sweets' nine runs on just four hits, O'Neil said, "It was nice to have that run support. It made things more comfortable on the mound."

The Sweets got all they would need with their five-run rally in the 5th against Baker (2-3), but would add their final four tallies later in the game, two against Zev Egli and two more while facing Sam Sheehan.

The win moved the Sweets (18-17) back over .500, still in a tie for second place in the East division, but now just three games behind first-place Yakima Valley.

The Sweets and Bluejackets will play the deciding game of the series Saturday at 7:05 PM at Borleske Stadium.

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