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WCL Walla Walla Sweets

Sweets 'squeeze' Past HarbourCats

August 4, 2013 - West Coast League (WCL)
Walla Walla Sweets News Release


WALLA WALLA, WA -- In two seasons with the Sweets, Connor Lawhead has never pitched the first inning. Saturday night, the right-hander made a start with a statement.

After Sean Silva was scratched from his scheduled start, Lawhead led his club through eight strong innings -- the most he's ever had in a Sweets uniform -- striking out 12 Victoria HarbourCats (20-26) en route to putting the Walla Walla Sweets (24-22) just half a game out of first place in the WCL North division standings with a 1-0, extra-inning win.

Just one night after Victoria starter Ty Provencher tossed a complete game victory over the Sweets, the Borleske Faithful were treated to an even more classic pitchers' duel as Lawhead out-drew the visiting Bryan Conant, who also cruised through nine complete frames, striking out 10. Conant retired the first six Sweets in order, including striking out the side in the second inning before Dominic Miroglio singled on the first pitch of the third. Making his first start in right field this year, Miroglio was erased on a failed fielder's choice when second baseman Scott Silva's sacrifice bunt bounced back to the mound. Conant fired to third base to erase the threat, and stranded another runner at third as well, inducing a pop out to shortstop to end the frame.

With his strikeout total bumped to 45, Conant is tied for sixth-most in the West Coast League behind Provencher's top-ranked 56. His final three came in a 1-2-3 ninth inning to send the game into extras.

With the game scoreless in the tenth, Miroglio and Silva worked together in the bottom of the tenth to cap the dramatic contest. Leading off the inning with a single to right field, pinch runner Beau Bozett took over for Miroglio at first base, promptly stealing second with center fielder Jono Herkins at the plate. Herkins reached when his sacrifice bunt turned into a fielder's choice-gone-awry as catcher Alex Real fielded the ball and fired wide to third base, allowing Bozett to slide into the bag safely. Silva laid down a suicide squeeze bunt, bringing Bozett across the plate without a play to score the game-winning run.

As his teammates mobbed him along the first base line, Bozett was just excited to be a part of the thrilling win.

"Miroglio -- thank God he got a hit," Bozett said with a grin. "I was getting ready to pinch run all game. I knew at some time I'd go in."

Despite striking out 10 times as a club, the Sweets had 11 base runners on the night, yet Conant kept anyone from reaching past second base over his final six innings of work. Lawhead on the other hand allowed just four hits Saturday, and no HarbourCat ever stood on third base. Designated hitter Austin Russell led off the fourth inning with a single up the middle and reached second base on the first of three Sweets errors. Lawhead fielded a bunt on another would-be sacrifice attempt in the next at-bat, but threw to third base to erase Russell before back-to-back strikeouts ended the threat.

During their last four ball games, Walla Walla's defense hasn't done itself any favors, committing 14 errors to contribute to a (now defunct) four-game losing skid. Despite the three mistakes Saturday, the Sweets were sharp defensively at Borleske. Shortstop Nick Vilter robbed Real of a base hit in the sixth, diving to his right and throwing from his knees across the diamond to end the inning. After Sean-Luke Brija took over for Lawhead in the ninth, a pair of base runners were denied of advancing as third baseman John Skrbec -- who accounts for five of those 14 aforementioned miscues -- made a running scoop on a ground ball in the top of the ninth inning to end that threat. In the top of the tenth, Herkins dropped a line drive in center field, but with one out, Skrbec dove to his left to begin a 5-4-3 double play to put Walla Walla back in the dugout.

With the club energized after that play, Silva expressed confidence in the team's chances to get back on offense and win the game. As the contest came down to his final at-bat, Silva had just one thought on his mind.

"Whatever you do -- don't pop this ball up," he said with a laugh.

A rejuvinated Sweets ball club is now just one-half of a game behind the WCL North-leading Wenatchee AppleSox (25-22). The rubber match between the Sweets and HarbourCats is scheduled for a 5:05 p.m. first pitch Sunday, with left-hander Sean Silva (4-0) getting the start.



West Coast League Stories from August 4, 2013


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