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WCL Walla Walla Sweets

Walla Walla Battles to Win Series

July 22, 2013 - West Coast League (WCL)
Walla Walla Sweets News Release


WALLA WALLA, WA -- After giving up a first inning home run Sunday night, Walla Walla Sweets (22-17) starting pitcher Matt Hall settled into a groove to collect his fourth win of the year in the rubber game against the Bellingham Bells, a 3-1 final at Borleske Stadium. The win puts the Sweets back into a tie for first place in the WCL North division after the Wenatchee AppleSox loss earlier in the day.

One of the league-leading nine All-Stars on the Sweets' roster, catcher Renae Martinez played the hero early on with a two-run single in the bottom of the first inning. The immediate offensive response came with the bases loaded and two out as Martinez muscled an inside fastball into center field, scoring second baseman John Skrbec and fellow All-Star Matt Mendenhall to give Walla Walla a 2-1 lead. Mendenhall, on base after a single to right field, notched another one-out base hit in the third inning to collect his third consecutive multi-hit game. Slugging .647 over the past seven days, he's also driven in three runs, including a triple and a solo home run in his last 17 at-bats. He went on to score in the third when designated hitter Spencer O'Neil lined his eighth double this season off the left-center field wall, giving the Sweets a 3-1 advantage.

"[Mendenhall] is really heating up," pitcher Connor Dillman said of his first baseman. "Obviously an All-Star... He's looking really great for us."

Hall continued his excellence on the mound as well, striking out seven Bells hitters over 6.1 innings. After giving up his third home run of the year with two outs in the first inning, Hall went on to retire 10 of the next 11 men he faced, surrendering a walk to catcher Jake Bailey in the third. He would find himself stranded at first base as Hall struck out back-to-back Bells and induced a ground out to retire the side.

Bellingham collected just four base hits Sunday, and after Hall walked right fielder Jack Meggs on his 101st pitch, he was taken out in favor of left-hander Drew Christina, who struck out the only hitter he faced in the seventh inning. Right-hander Connor Lawhead followed from the Sweets' bullpen, holding Bellingham hitless over 1.1 innings while striking out two of the four batters he faced. Against a pesky Bells lineup that scored in the late innings to win game two on Saturday, Lawhead said it felt good to shut the visitors down in the series finale.

"They battle up," Lawhead said. "They don't strikeout a whole lot, so it was good to just come out and pound the [strike] zone."

The Sweets head into the All-Star break on a winning note, and Lawhead said it's something that gives the team a good feeling for resuming regular season play.

"It feels good to be back in first place going into the All-Star break," he said. "It gives us a little fire to come out when we come back from the All-Star break."

The 2013 West Coast League All-Star game is Tuesday in Victoria, British Columbia. Nine Sweets will make the trip for a 7:05 p.m. first pitch before playing the Cowlitz Black Bears on the road to kick off the second half. Be sure to tune in to the live broadcast online here as Sweets broadcasters Howard Hoffman and Mason Robinson have the call on the Sweets Radio Network, presented by Big City Reds, via the Sweets mobile app, or over the airwaves at 1490-AM ESPN Walla Walla/100.1 FM.



West Coast League Stories from July 22, 2013


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