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WCL Walla Walla Sweets

Sweets Snatch Series from Pippins

July 2, 2014 - West Coast League (WCL)
Walla Walla Sweets News Release


YAKIMA, Wa. - After four frustrating series losses, the Walla Walla Sweets finally secured a series win.

And it came against a division rival, no less, as the Sweets rode a solid start from right-hander Cody Carroll to a 10-4 victory Tuesday night.

In similar fashion to the previous night, the Sweets obtained a 2-0 lead in the first inning against Pippins starter Brandon Williams. Jarod Gonzales and Sean Bouchard led off the game with back-to-back singles, and Gonzales advanced to third on a flyout to center field by Andrew Mendenhall. Mike Paulson then singled to score Gonzales, and after another flyout, Jordan Frabasilio also singled, driving in Bouchard.

But this time, the Pippins failed to return the blow. Carroll (1-1) held the Pippins scoreless through six innings, including retiring the first ten batters he faced.

The Sweets attacked again in the third inning. Mendenhall led off with a single, Paulson reached on a fielder's choice error which put Mendenhall on third, and Renae Martinez and Frabasilio hit back-to-back singles to plate one run each. Kyle Nixon then doubled, driving home two, and after a walk to John Skrbec, Yakima Valley manager Marcus McKimmy removed Williams (3-2) from the game.

Reliever Nick Suniga struggled out of the game, entering with one out. He got Mikey Duarte to hit into a fielder's choice, but then walked Gonzales and served up an RBI single to Bouchard, finally escaping the inning upon getting Mendenhall to fly out to right field.

From that point, both teams were held scoreless through the sixth inning. The Sweets finally broke the silence, however, when Duarte led off the top of the seventh with a single, moving to third on another single by Gonzales. Bouchard then sent Duarte home on a sacrifice fly to left, giving the Sweets a resounding 9-0 lead.

But the Pippins' bats finally awoke in the bottom of the seventh. Taylor Snyder hit a one-out single and Shawn Wardian walked, each moving up a base on an ensuing groundout. Carroll balked the first run home for the Pippins and walked Laz Villa, signaling the end of the road for the right-hander. Matt Walker took over, surrendering an RBI single to Alex Guenette and firing a wild pitch to score Villa before walking Justin Jacobs. That prompted Walla Walla manager J.C. Biagi to turn to Jay Flaa, who struck out Ryan Rosa to end the inning.

"Basically I was just focusing inning-to-inning, just going after one (batter) at a time," Carroll reflected on his outing. "And my catcher (Renae Martinez) was doing a good job calling the pitches."

The Sweets made the score 10-3 in the top of the ninth when Skrbec doubled and scored on a throwing error when Duarte attempted to beat out an infield grounder.

Flaa remained in the game to pitch the ninth, but quickly found himself in trouble. After a strikeout, pinch-hitter Mitch Skaggs reached first base on a throwing error by Duarte, and a Guenette single and a walk to Jacobs loaded the bases for the Pippins. Rosa lined out to Duarte at second for out number two, but Reid Martinez was granted first base on a catcher's interference call, forcing a run home. But Flaa then struck out J.C. Snyder for the fifth time of the evening to end the game, 10-4, clinch the series win for Walla Walla.

The Sweets will go for the series sweep against the Pippins at Yakima County Stadium Wednesday at 7:05 PM.



West Coast League Stories from July 2, 2014


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