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WCL Yakima Valley Pippins

Walk-Off Homer Leads Pippins to Comeback Win

June 15, 2015 - West Coast League (WCL)
Yakima Valley Pippins News Release


YAKIMA, Wash. - Saturday night, the Pippins had a 9th inning rally fall just short to the Walla Walla Sweets. Sunday, they made yet another late rally and did enough to prevail by a score of 6-4 over the Sweets at The Orchard.

For the first six innings, the Pippins (6-2) had trouble mustering much at the plate against Sweets' starter Trevin Haseltine and reliever Chris Tate. Yakima Valley was held scoreless and collected just one hit over the first six frames, but made a furious rally towards the end to get back in the game.

Trailing 3-0 entering the bottom of the 7th, the Pippins scored twice on an RBI double from Josh Nashed and a RBI single from Alex Guenette, who made his season debut with Yakima Valley.

Walla Walla (4-4) countered with a solo homer off the bat of Juan Gamez on the first pitch of the 8th, but the Pippins had another counter punch stored up. With the bases loaded and one out, Dayton Provost launched a two-run double to left field to tie the game at 4.

In the 9th, the Sweets got a runner to third base with one out, but a suicide squeeze attempt failed and the Pippins got to the bottom of the 9th in a 4-4 tie. After the first two hitters were retired by Walla Walla reliever Easton Lucas, Branson Trube drew a walk, and moved to third on an errant pickoff throw by Lucas.

That brought up Reid Martinez, who was 0-4 leading up to his at-bat in the 9th inning. On a 3-2 pitch, Martinez hit a walk-off home run just inside the foul pole down the right field line to finish the comeback and even the series at one game apiece. Yakima Valley finished with six runs on six hits over the final three innings after accumulating no runs on one hit through the first six frames.

The win ends a two-game losing streak for the Pippins and sets up a rubber match against the Sweets Monday night at 7:05 pm. It's Tough Enough to Wear Pink night at The Orchard, as the Pippins will don pink jerseys, hats and bats in support of breast cancer awareness. Game-used items will be auctioned off after the game to benefit cancer programs in the Yakima Valley. The event is put on in partnership with Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital.

NOTE: Walla Walla played the game under protest starting with one out in the top of the 7th inning, with the Sweets leading, 2-0. The Sweets had attempted to enter David Geary at third base in the 6th, but he was not on the lineup card. Umpires deemed him ineligible and removed him from the game. West Coast League rules say that a player is eligible only if he is on the lineup card that day. However, the WCL rulebook also says that NCAA rules are observed, and the NCAA rulebook says players are eligible if they are on the lineup card in game one of the series, which Geary was. A decision has yet to be made by the WCL on the matter.



West Coast League Stories from June 15, 2015


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