WCL Walla Walla Sweets

Wylie's Slam Helps Sweets Roll in Support of Arlt

Published on July 28, 2013 under West Coast League (WCL)
Walla Walla Sweets News Release


WALLA WALLA, WA -- Jake Wylie enjoys hitting with the bases loaded.

Saturday night at Borleske Stadium, Wylie backed starting pitcher Joel Arlt with plenty of run support in the form of a first inning grand slam to left field, giving the Walla Walla Sweets an early lead that the club never surrendered. Arlt lasted seven innings against the Central Oregon Bucks, striking out six while only surrendering one earned run en route to his first win in non-league action.

It was the first start for the left-hander since June 24, but Arlt said a relaxed approach before the game prepares him for success.

"You're still going out there and pitching," Arlt said. "You just have to prepare mentally. You know that you're trying to go longer [into the game]."

Arlt walked the first hitter he faced before striking out the first of six on the night to bump his overall total to 28 this season. He'd end the top of the first with another swinging strikeout, stranding one of the Bucks' four runners left on base. The out-of-towners had very few runners to leave on the bases all night as Arlt cruised through seven consecutive outs after allowing a lead-off single to third baseman Garrett Harpole in the second inning.

Arlt hit a man in the fourth with one out, but again reeled through the Bucks' lineup, recording six straight outs into the sixth. Right Fielder Cody McDonald broke the streak when he tripled to the left center field wall and later scored in the sixth inning on an RBI ground out to break up the shut out as the first Central Oregon run of the ball game.

However that was not before Walla Walla took control of the contest from the outset.

Third baseman Jarod Gonzales ripped the first pitch he received into right field, reaching second base on a passed ball in the first offering to center fielder Jono Herkins. Herkins beat out an infield single to shortstop, and as Gonzales led off of third base, first baseman Jo Carroll dropped the ball for a split second, allowing a heads-up Gonzales to race home and score the first run of the game. Designated hitter Matt Mendenhall walked and shortstop Nick Vilter followed with his eleventh hit by pitch of the year to load the bases. Wylie worked a 2-1 count before lifting off on his first home run of the season to give the Sweets a 5-0 lead.

Wylie, playing right field Saturday night, hit the ball hard in his next two at-bats, having a double to the left field wall to show for it, and a line-out to the wall in the fourth. Last week against the Bellingham Bells, Wylie notched the game winning RBI with a first pitch single and the bases loaded, so Manager J.C. Biagi liked what he saw from the young slugger Saturday night as well.

"That's what we signed him up for," Biagi said with a grin. "He hit some absolute rockets [tonight]."

Wylie also missed some time at the beginning of the year with an ankle injury, but is clearly feeling better, another reason to find a spot for him in the lineup.

"It's really good to see him [succeed]," Biagi said. "It's been a little bit difficult at times keeping him in and making sure we get those plate appearances for him, and these are good opportunities for him. He got into a couple balls really well."

Second baseman Scott Silva drove Wylie in from second base in the third inning after his one-out double started the line moving. Gonzales continued the offense in the fourth frame, drawing a lead-off walk on four pitches before going to second on a balk and coming home thanks to Vilter's two-out double to the left field corner. That run came at a price for Bucks catcher Kyle Beam, who collided with Gonzales on a play at the plate, forcing him to come out of the game.

In the bottom of the sixth, left fielder Beau Bozett singled sharply to right field to start the inning and scored three hitters later on O'Neil's sacrifice fly to give Walla Walla an 8-1 edge.

The Bucks then fought back with a run in the seventh as replacement catcher Cooper Stiles doubled to left-center field and scored on a missed catch error at first base. However Walla Walla grabbed that run right back when Silva reached on a fielder's choice and scored all the way from first base on catcher Zach Reay's triple to the right-center field wall. That sealed the scoring at 9-2, and the Sweets' fifth non-league victory of the year.

Right-hander Connor Lawhead came on to replace Arlt in the eighth, striking out six consecutive hitters on 32 pitches to end the ball game. Game two of the short weekend set with the Bucks starts Sunday. Left-hander Mike Paulson has the 5:05 p.m. first pitch.

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West Coast League Stories from July 28, 2013


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