WCL Walla Walla Sweets

Sweets Sputter in 4-2 Loss in Port Angeles

June 9, 2017 - West Coast League (WCL)
Walla Walla Sweets News Release


The Sweets have been both frustrating and frustrated and frustrating at the plate recently. On Thursday, in the first game of a three-game tilt against the Port Angeles Lefties, the Sweets were held to just two hits, struck out 13 times, and lost a game in which their pitching staff allowed just four total hits.

At Civic Field on Thursday, the Sweets continued their road-trip swoon, losing for the third time in four games since leaving Walla Walla. Their overall record now stands at 4-3.

Lefties starter RHP Wyatt Haccou (Biola) carved the Sweets to pieces, striking out four while allowing two hits and one unearned run, one walk, and striking out 10 in seven innings of dominance. He no-hit the Sweets for the first five innings.

Haccou K'ed the first four batters he faced. Each of the top four batters in the Sweets lineup struck out more than once.

Meanwhile, Sweets starter RHP Billy Dimlow (Emory) was solid enough. The right-handed All-American struck out six in four innings, while letting up just four hits and two earned runs.

Dimlow, who won by throwing five shutout innings on Opening Day, gave the offense another chance to hit their way to victory. However, the bats faltered and Dimlow took his first loss of the year.

The Sweets actually jumped on the scoreboard first. LF Tommy Henderson (California) led off the third inning with a walk, the only free pass issued by Haccou. A booted ground ball by Port Angeles 3B Jake Portaro (Utah) off the bat of Sweets SS Vinny Capra (Richmond) placed runners at the corners with two outs.

Timing his jump perfectly, Capra broke for second on an off-speed pitch. The throw from C Brody Kato (Arizona Western) was late, and in the commotion, Henderson streaked toward the plate.

The Sweets literally stole their way to the lead.

But justice served in the bottom half of the inning. A one-out single by LF Trent Bryan (Harvard) was promptly followed by doubles from both CF Alex Junior (Tennessee Tech) and Brody Kato. The former placed runners on second and third with two out, and the latter drove both runners home for a 2-1 Port Angeles lead.

The lefties added insurance off of Dimlow in the fourth when SS Seth Freed (Ball State) reached on an error by Capra. He was driven home two batters later on an RBI single from Jon Burghardt (Washington State).

Dimlow yielded to RHP Patrick Stanton (Whitman), and while Stanton mostly dodged and weaved his way out of trouble for three innings - he stranded five - Port Angeles did manage to tack on a fourth run.

Stanton issued a seventh-inning leadoff walk by Junior, who advanced on a groundout and scored on an RBI single by Portaro.

By far, the Sweets' biggest missed opportunity was in the ninth inning. They scored a run - CF Danny Sinatro (Washington State) worked a leadoff walk, then Capra was plunked by Lefties reliever RHP Brandon Reynolds (Tacoma CC). Then, 1B John Glenn (California Baptist) reached on an error by the second baseman, scoring Sinatro.

Suddenly, the Sweets had runners on second and third, no out, and a two-run deficit.

A base hit likely scored Capra and pinch-runner Darius Vines (Oxnard CC). A single could have tied the game.

Instead, the Sweets went down meekly on two strikeouts and a ground ball back to the mound. They failed to convert on three straight run-scoring opportunities.

Dimlow took the loss (1-1). Haccou (2-0) won with flair. RHP Kieran Shaw (Harvard) worked his second save.

The Sweets are second in the WCL in hits but eighth in runs. Thursday's game demonstrated their difficulty at stringing together rallies.



West Coast League Stories from June 9, 2017


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