WCL Walla Walla Sweets

Sweets Salvage Series, Down Elks

Published on June 8, 2017 under West Coast League (WCL)
Walla Walla Sweets News Release


The Sweets (4-2) were able to salvage the final game of their three-game series against the Elks (2-1) in Bend, winning by a count of 6-3 on Wednesday night at Vince Genna Stadium.

Starting pitcher LHP Tim Josten (Cal State Fullerton) set the tone. The incoming freshman hurled six scoreless innings, letting up just three hits and two walks while punching out seven.

Josten received some clutch help from his defense - he let up back-to-back singles to begin the sixth, but an unorthodox 1-5-4 double play on a botched bunt pop-up erased the threat and locked in the win for the left-hander.

Offensively, the Sweets broke through in the fifth inning. A solo home run by LF Tommy Henderson (California), his first of the summer and the team's third, gave the Sweets an early edge. The team added another run in the fifth when 2B Kevin Jordan (Loyola Marymount) singled and scored on a throwing error by the pitcher RHP Ryan Johnson (Linfield).

The Sweets grew their lead, adding two more in the top of the sixth. Three straight singles to begin the inning from DH Cameron Deere (Brown), 1B Nick Nyquist (Gonzaga), and 3B Shane Matheny (Washington State), plus an RBI groundout from Henderson pushed the Walla Walla advantage to 4-0.

However, things got dicey in the bottom of the seventh. Facing reliever RHP Milo Mincin (Whitman), the Elks struck for two runs and closed the deficit to one run.

The first five Elks batters all recorded base hits and a sacrifice fly from leadoff hitter RF Rocco Ferrari (Chemeketa CC) gave the Elks a three-run inning and sliced the score to 4-3 Sweets.

But the Sweets weren't done hitting. They grabbed two more runs in the eighth, thanks to Henderson's RBI single that scored Matheny with the team's fifth run. Several pitchers later, pinch-runner Darius Vines - who was sent in to replace RF Joseph Zimmer (Whitman) on the basepaths - trotted home on a wild pitch.

The San Francisco tandem of LHP Scott Parker and RHP Benji Post tossed uneventful eighth and ninth innings and locked down the Walla Walla win. Parker, after a leadoff double from LF Bryce Rogan (Pomona-Pitzer), stranded a runner at third by recording three consecutive outs.

Josten (2-0) records his second win. Johnson (0-1) took the loss. Post picks up his first save and becomes the third Sweets pitcher to earn one.

After wrapping up the three-game set with Bend, the Sweets hit the road tomorrow and travel north to Port Angeles, where they will play three against the newest WCL franchise, the expansion Port Angeles Lefties. Game time is set for 7:05 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights.

RHP Billy Dimlow will make his second start of the season on Thursday. The Lefties' starter is TBD.

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West Coast League Stories from June 8, 2017


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