WCL Walla Walla Sweets

Sweets Take Series on Walk-Off Hit in 14th

Published on July 17, 2014 under West Coast League (WCL)
Walla Walla Sweets News Release


WALLA WALLA, Wa. - In the final meeting of the two teams for the season, the Walla Walla Sweets and Wenatchee Applesox fought into extra innings to find out who would emerge as the victor in the crucial three-game series.

The Sweets came out on top, 10-9, on a walk-off single by Andrew Mendenhall in the bottom of the fourteenth inning at Borleske Stadium Wednesday.

Walla Walla starter Cody Carroll began by hurling three shutout innings, before running into slight trouble in the fourth and fifth. He allowed an RBI single to Michael McCann in the former, and gave up an RBI single to Trenton Brooks in the latter.

Meanwhile, however, the Sweets figured out Wenatchee starter Tyler Frost early, managing three runs in the first inning. After Jarod Gonzales led off with a walk and Mikey Duarte singled, J.J. Robinson drove home the game's first run on an RBI double. Parker Osborne later reached on an error, which scored Duarte, and John Skrbec brought home a third run on an infield single.

Additionally, Osborne hit a two-run home run in the third, staking the Sweets to a 5-0 lead.

Carroll ran into more trouble in the sixth, departing after a double and a walk put men on first and second with only one out. Jesse Houser entered and walked Nick Brooks, and Nate Esposito followed by reaching on a fielder's choice that brought a run home, making the score 5-3 Sweets.

But the home team bolstered their lead in the bottom of the sixth. Renae Martinez led off with a walk, Jarod Gonzales singled, and J.J. Robinson hit his second home run of the season to extend the Sweets' lead to 8-3.

Determined, the Applesox refused to let up, breaking the floodgates open in the seventh inning against Houser. Sam Brown led off with a double, scoring on Trenton Brooks' single. Following singles by Ty Jackson and Michael McCann, Joe Gillete drove a hanging pitch from Houser deep to left field for a grand slam, stunning the Sweets and tying the game, 8-8.

Though immediately retaking the lead, 9-8, in the bottom of the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Gonzales, the Sweets would once again squander the lead, this time via an RBI single by Jackson in the top of the eighth.

That was all the Applesox would get, though, as Matt Majors entered with the go-ahead run on third and two out, inducing a groundout to retire the side. Majors would pitch scoreless baseball all the way through the 13th inning, keeping the game tied, 9-9.

"He bulldogged his way through," said Sweets manager J.C. Biagi. "He came on with two outs in the eighth and obviously there were some jams with guys on base, and they hit him a little bit, but he found his way out of it."

After Omar Porras took over for the 14th, the Sweets finally got to work at the plate. Facing left-hander Clark McKitrick, Mike Paulson led off with a double to right-center, and following a Skrbec lineout, moved to third on a single by Martinez. Wenatchee opted to walk Gonzales to load the bases, taking their chances with Duarte, who struck out swinging. But Andrew Mendenhall ended the marathon by lining a single to right field, scoring Paulson and giving the Sweets the 10-9 walk-off win.

When asked about managing the pitching staff in long, extra-inning games, Biagi responded "You just do what you've got to do for today. That's the more important thing. (We'll) figure out tomorrow when it comes."

The victory put the Sweets over .500 (17-16) and just four games behind the division-leading Yakima Valley Pippins.

The Sweets resume play Thursday at Borleske Stadium at 7:05 PM, when they open a three-game series against the Kitsap Blue Jackets.

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