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WCL Walla Walla Sweets

The Bucks Stop Here: Sweets Edge Central Oregon 1-0

July 14, 2014 - West Coast League (WCL)
Walla Walla Sweets News Release


WALLA WALLA, Wa. - In a brief break from league play, the Walla Walla Sweets sent Alex Fisher to the mound in hopes that he could keep the Sweets on a winning note before reentering league play.

The right-hander exceeded expectations, allowing just one hit to the Central Oregon Bucks over six innings pitched, and the Sweets were able to pull off the 1-0 win.

In the bottom of the second inning, John Skrbec drew a two-out walk. Renae Martinez drove him home on an RBI double to right-center, giving the Sweets an early 1-0 lead. Moe Handcox then followed with a fly ball to deep left-center, but Central Oregon left fielder Justin Erlandson was able to catch up to it at the warning track to end the inning.

Little did either team know, that would be the end of all scoring for the evening.

Both teams had multiple scoring opportunities the rest of the way, but all would be squandered. In the third inning, Jared Gonzales singled and Mikey Duarte was hit by a pitch, placing runners on first and second with none out. But two flyouts and a strikeout would keep the game 1-0. They also got a Martinez single and a Moe Handcox walk in the fourth, as well as a runner on second with none out in the seventh, but nothing would come of the threats.

Likewise, the Bucks put two runners on with none out in the second inning, two on via a pair of walks in the fourth, and another pair of runners reached on a hit batsman and a single, but the visitors were unable to cash in on their run-scoring opportunities.

The Bucks came closest to scoring in the sixth, Fisher's final inning, when Dalton Blackwell and Kenton Brunson were both hit by pitches to lead off the inning. After Connor Reddick laid down a sacrifice bunt to move them to second and third with only one out, Fisher buckled down and struck out J.D. Larimer and Jason Rosen to escape the jam.

Fisher would end up walking four while striking out eight, allowing only one hit, a harmless single, in the second inning, earning the win for his efforts.

"I felt good," said Fisher after the game. "I kept my pitch count down and tried to get ahead (in the count) as much as I could.

"The slider was my go-to (pitch)," he continued. "I started a lot of counts with it. They weren't hitting it fair very much, so I just kept going to it, and I felt like it was a good pitch. (The Bucks) took a lot (of pitches), and the umpire had a big strike zone, so that was helpful."

Picking up right where Fisher left off, Jake Campeau pitched a scoreless seventh inning in which he stranded two baserunners, and threw only four pitches to retire the side in the eighth. Matt Majors entered the game in the ninth, earning the save after retiring the bottom of the Bucks' lineup in order, thus sealing the 1-0 victory.

Clay Bauer took the hard-luck loss for Central Oregon, allowing only the one run over four innings of work, walking two and also striking out two. Also of note was left-hander Rio Gomez, who held the Sweets hitless over the final four innings while striking out six and walking only one.

The Sweets will resume league play at 7:05 PM Monday, when they face the Wenatchee Applesox in the first of a three-game series at Borleske Stadium.



West Coast League Stories from July 14, 2014


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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