Two Homers Secure Pippins Win against Rival Sweets
June 16, 2024 - West Coast League (WCL)
Yakima Valley Pippins News Release
YAKIMA, Washington - Yakima Valley returned home to begin a six-game homestand, which started with the Walla Walla Sweets. The Pipps put together some of the biggest hits of the season and took game one 5-4 on Saturday night at The Orchard.
The home run ball was a theme from early on in the game. After Walla Walla held a 1-0 lead heading into the bottom of the third inning, Casey Wayne came up with a 2-run home run to give Yakima Valley the lead. It was Wayne's second home run in as many games, as he is now tied for the second-most home runs in the WCL.
After taking the lead in the third, the Pipps never gave it up. Preston Allen was a large reason for the success of Yakima Valley holding on to the lead throughout the middle innings. He finished game one with four hits in four tries and was a home run shy of hitting for the cycle. His triple came in his last at-bat of the night in the bottom of the seventh. Julian Angulo would then hit an RBI single to bring Allen across to make it 4-2 Pippins.
In the eighth, Mauricio Guardado was able to find his first hit of the 2024 season - and it was a big one. He sent a no-doubter over the right-field fence to give the Pippins a 5-2 lead as the game went to the ninth. The catcher was 0-14 on the season before that homer.
Garin Gurtler was eventually able to pitch a double-play ball to limit the damage to just two runs for Walla Walla in the top of the ninth, and the Pipps won the game. Guardado's solo shot ended up being enough to keep Yakima Valley in front, and secure game one of the Battle of the Basin series.
Max Goldberg made the start on the mound for the Pipps. He finished with 5.0 innings pitched, allowed six hits, two earned runs and two strikeouts. He was eventually relieved by Donovann Jackson, who made his second appearance on the mound in as many games. The Chaffey College pitcher is tied for the most appearances in the WCL, with Aiden Gebhard of the Springfield Drifters, with six mound appearances.
Jackson performed well by striking out three of the eight Sweets batters he faced off with in two innings. He continued his strong strikeout numbers on the season and is now one punchout shy of being tied with Carson Judd for the most among the Pippins pitching staff.
Gurtler's night was solid as well, as he gave up just two runs and earned his first save of the season. As a group, the Pipps threw 88 strikes out of 144 pitches.
Yakima Valley has Game 2 on tap tonight, as the Pipps and Sweets get set to go at it again from The Orchard at 5:05 p.m. Quentin O'Connor will make his second start of the season, as he tries to lead the way for the way for the 8-4 Yakima Valley Pippins.
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West Coast League Stories from June 16, 2024
- Riverhawks Rally Late to Beat the HarbourCats 5-4 in Extra Innings - Victoria HabourCats
- Two Homers Secure Pippins Win against Rival Sweets - Yakima Valley Pippins
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