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WCL Walla Walla Sweets

Sweets Stave off Victoria's Bats Late in 9-7 Win

August 6, 2014 - West Coast League (WCL)
Walla Walla Sweets News Release


WALLA WALLA, Wa. - In order to sweep away negative memories of the past series at home, the Walla Walla Sweets needed to play good baseball to open their series against the Victoria Harbourcats.

And they did, getting six innings of two-run ball from starting pitcher Matt Walker as well as a cluster of early runs, eventually grabbing the 9-7 win Tuesday night at Borleske Stadium.

Building on a solid relief outing in his previous appearance, Walker (1-1) held the Harbourcats scoreless for the first three innings, working himself out of trouble twice, as Victoria put a runner in scoring position in both of the first two innings.

"I felt good, I just wanted to come out here and throw strikes," Walker said. "And I think I did that. My slider was pretty good tonight. I tried to spot my fastball a little bit, and it felt good."

His Sweets teammates, meanwhile, pounded Victoria starter Mikey Wright (4-5) for six runs in the second inning. Wright faced five batters before recording an out, as Sean Bouchard, John Skrbec, Clayten Ayres and Andrew Mendenhall each collected singles, while a bases-loaded walk to Cooper Hummel proved costly. The Harbourcats' right-hander was unable to finish the inning, and only after two more bases-loaded walks did reliever Dylan Stowell pull Victoria out of the inning.

The Sweets added onto their 6-0 lead the following inning, when Ayres scored on a bases-loaded walk to Kyle Nixon. That signaled the end for Stowell, who yielded to Riley Edmunds.

All the Harbourcats could manage against Walker was a run scoring on a fielder's choice and an RBI single by Danny Collier, both coming in the 4th inning.

Edmunds, meanwhile provided five and a thirds innings of two-run relief, yielding a bases-loaded walk to Kevin Morgan and a sacrifice fly to Bouchard, as the Sweets extended their lead to 9-2.

The importance of those two runs game to the forefront when, following a scoreless 7th inning from Omar Porras, the Sweets sent Garrett Barker to the mound for the 8th. The left-hander loaded the bases for the Harbourcats on a leadoff single and two walks, then served up a grand slam to Bryce Greager, suddenly changing the score to a less comfortable 9-6. After Barker allowed another single, Sweets manager J.C. Biagi summoned Chris Kerwood from the bullpen, who walked one batter and hit another with a pitch before handing the ball over to Jay Flaa.

The latter walked a run home to make the score 9-7, before retiring the next three batters in order to escape the jam with the lead still intact.

After the Sweets went down in order in the bottom of the 8th, Flaa retired the side in order in the 9th, notching his seventh save and locking up the Sweets' series-opening 9-7 victory.

Although the Sweets (25-24) moved back over .500 for the season, their playoff hopes continue to dwindle, as second-place Wenatchee also won its game Tuesday to continue its bid for the wild card berth.

The Sweets will look to clinch the series win Wednesday, when they face the Harbourcats at 7:05 PM at Borleske Stadium.

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