WCL Walla Walla Sweets

Sweets Run Away with Non-league Win Against Lobos

Published on July 2, 2013 under West Coast League (WCL)
Walla Walla Sweets News Release


WALLA WALLA, WA -- As temperatures heated up above 100 degrees at Borleske Stadium, so too did the Sweets' offense, racking up double-digit hits yet again in an 11-4 win against the Portland Lobos Monday night. Walla Walla has notched more than 10 hits in three of the past four games.

Sweets starting right-hander Josh Bornstein lasted just one frame after walking the first two hitters in the game. Third baseman Hikaru Mizuno walked on four pitches, and second baseman Keenan Hatfield followed suit. Shortstop Tucker Campbell singled to load the bases before Mizuno scored on a wild pitch. With each runner advancing a base, back-to-back balks brought two more runs in to score, giving Portland a 3-0 lead. Bortstein retired the next three hitters in order, striking out two, but was relieved in the next inning by right-hander Connor Dillman.

The Sweets responded in the bottom of the first with two runs of their own. Designated hitter Matt Mendenhall reached first base on an infield hit before center fielder Luke Persico doubled to left-center, notching his first RBI of the night. Persico moved to third base on the throw home and scored on an errant pick-off attempt to make it a one-run game at 3-2. He finished with three RBI and two runs scored.

Mendenhall led off the third inning with another base hit, this time a double to right field. Two hitters later, catcher Zach Reay singled up the middle to drive him home. Bret Helton, making his first start of the year at first base, hit a double to left-center field to move Mendenhall over before shortstop Scott Silva drove in the go-ahead run with another base hit to center. With the Sweets ahead 4-3, right fielder Beau Bozett singled to drive in Helton, stretching the Sweets' lead to 5-3 on his twenty-first birthday. Second baseman Reggie Southall capped the four-run inning with a fielder's choice RBI ground out to put Walla Walla ahead 6-3.

Reay said despite an interesting wind-up delivery from Lobos starter TJ Pruneda, the Sweets were able to see the ball well.

"We had good [at-bats] the first [inning] through the ninth [inning]," Reay said. "[Pruneda] definitely was old-school with it, but he didn't throw very firm so it wasn't too hard to time him up."

John Skrbec timed his first triple of the year well, leading off the fourth inning with a shot to the right-center field wall. He scored on Persico's fielder's choice ground out to give Walla Walla a 7-3 lead.

Portland snatched a run back in the sixth when shortstop Tucker Campbell notched a one-out double. He scored on center fielder Rob Strys's two-out double.

With the Sweets ahead 7-4, Walla Walla scored two more in the seventh. Reay walked and scored on Helton's one-out triple, his third hit of the game. Helton came home on Silva's RBI ground out to give Walla Walla a 9-4 advantage. The Sweets tacked on two more in the eighth inning with lead-off walks to Southall and left fielder Jono Herkins, who scored on base hits from Mendenhall and Persico, capping the scoring at 11-4.

Connor Dillman collected his second non-league win of the season, and third overall. He worked four innings on the mound, walking none and not allowing any earned runs.

The win gives Walla Walla its third victory in as many tries in non-league games. The Sweets have scored 41 runs in three non-WCL match-ups this season. They are now alone in second place in the West Coast League North Division standings at one game back of the Victoria HarbourCats.

The Sweets return to league action Tuesday against the Kitsap BlueJackets. First pitch at Borleske Stadium is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

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West Coast League Stories from July 2, 2013


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