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WCL Walla Walla Sweets

Sweets Win Series Opener 8-1 in Bellingham

June 28, 2013 - West Coast League (WCL)
Walla Walla Sweets News Release


BELLINGHAM, WA -- Clutch hitting and even better pitching helped the Walla Walla Sweets gel together a win in the opening game against the Bellingham Bells at Joe Martin Field Thursday night. Left-hander Chris Lovejoy tossed eight complete innings in the 8-1 win, allowing just one earned run on six hits while striking out four Bells hitters.

Coming off of a start in which he pitched 6.2 hitless frames against the Wenatchee AppleSox, Lovejoy retired the first nine of ten hitters he faced Thursday. Bells first baseman Eric Angerer drew a one-out walk in the second inning, but was stranded on the base paths. Bellingham had its best chance to score in the fifth inning with the bases loaded, but Lovejoy worked out of the jam with a fly out to left field. Bellingham managed to push a run across in the sixth after shortstop Johnny Farrington singled to start the frame. He moved to third on a hit-and-run, before coming home on catcher RJ Ybarra's sacrifice fly to center field, but that was the home team's only run on six hits for the night.

Walla Walla started the scoring in the fifth inning when second baseman Reggie Southall led off with a single. After a walk to left fielder Kramer Lindell, catcher Renae Martinez drove Southall home for his third RBI of the year and a 1-0 Sweets lead.

First baseman Matt Mendenhall notched a one-out single in the sixth inning, and after a walk to right fielder Kris Paulino and a stolen base, Southall walked to load the bases. Lindell drove a 2-2 pitch to center field to score Mendenhall and take a 2-0 lead, one of three RBI on the night for the Sweets outfielder.

Walla Walla tacked on in the seventh inning. Designated hitter Dom Miroglio singled with one out before center fielder Luke Persico walked and Mendenhall was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Paulino was hit with a pitch in the next at-bat to plate a run before Southall stepped in to hit a hard line drive into center field, scoring two more runs. With Walla Walla up 5-1, Lindell followed with a double to the right-center field wall, scoring Paulino and Southall, but was cut down trying to stretch the hit into a triple. With Southall scoring all the way from first base on the play, the Sweets held that 7-1 advantage into the eighth.

Third baseman John Skrbec led off the frame with a walk before Miroglio advanced him to second base with a single. Two hitters later, Paulino walked to load the bases again before Skrbec scored on a wild pitch to Southall, which capped the scoring at 8-1.

In the ninth, Sweets reliever Connor Lawhead retired the first two hitters he faced on just two pitches before laboring to get the third out. The Bells fought back to put two runners on, but Lawhead sealed the Sweets victory by inducing an easy pop-out to shortstop to end the game.

The win moves Walla Walla just 1.5 games out of first place with an 11-8 record in the West Coast League North Division. Lovejoy collected his second win of the year as Bells starter Andrew Olson took his first loss of the season. In five innings of work, Olson allowed only one earned run while striking out six. Bellingham used five different pitchers Thursday night as its record dips to 10-6, good for one game out of first place.

The Bells host the Sweets for game two of the series on Friday night. Walla Walla right-hander Danny Zandona is scheduled to throw the 7:05 p.m. first pitch.

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