Cooperstown

I grew up in upstate New York, and still have the majority of my family there. Since I had not returned home in over 4 years, and since so much had changed in our lives and our family since coming to Walla Walla, we finally decided to load up the Toyota Sienna and drive across the country for Christmas. Destination: Rochester, NY.

While here, my father suggested a great idea - a day trip to Cooperstown (about 2.5 hours away) to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame with my son - three generations of baseball fans at the cathedral of the game. It had been more than 20 years since I had last visited the Hall, and my son had never been. So we braved the heavy snow (upstate NY was hit with a storm after Christmas that dropped more than 2 feet of snow in various areas and at least 18 inches in most areas) and traveled back roads through the Southern Tier, checking into Cooperstown.

Notice the over-riding theme of Main Street Cooperstown.

What a magical place, even in the dead of winter. First off, Cooperstown is a cool city to visit even without the Hall of Fame. In addition to the Hall, there are numerous museums and history tied to James Fenimore Cooper - author of the Leatherstocking Tales which includes Last of the Mohicans (not the namesake, but the son of the namesake). Check out the Wikipedia entry here. The Main Street reminds me of Main Street in Walla Walla, except change all the wine-themed boutiques with baseball-themed restaurants and shops (check out the picture of the Cooperstown Bat Company in the historic district.

Isaac in the locker of a HOF.

Once in the Hall, I was able to share with Isaac and my dad all the joy that baseball places on the mountainous piles of history, notes, and records of the game. It was great to share with Isaac the story (along with pictures) of Jackie Robinson, and watch him process a world where people couldn't play or work with each other due to the color of their skin. It was especially gratifying to see him come to the conclusion on his own that was ridiculous. He sat in Hank Aaron's locker. We watched Abbott and Costello's "Who's on First?" routine, with Isaac doubled over laughing, but not as much as my father, who had a hard time breathing afterwards! When we saw displays of HOF'ers Ozzie Smith and Tony Gwynn, we were able to talk about how they started their careers in Walla Walla, just like Sweets players do. We looked at and took virtual tours of old stadiums like Ebbets in Brooklyn. We saw King Felix's jersey from his perfect game this summer. We bought souvenirs. We were fans.

The Wizard, who started his career in Walla Walla.

It was fun to be a fan with my father and my son. With a great-grandfather who played minor league baseball and a grandfather who sparked a love of the game for me by taking me to minor league games when I was a kid, I realized how much baseball connected (5) generations of my family. I was grateful to have grown up in a part of the country that was so rich in baseball history. One other small connection that made it even more special - friend and business partner Jeff Cirillo is on the ballot this year. To consider that only 1% of all players to have played professionally are in the hall, and that only a few percentage points more are able to get on the ballot, it gave me a greater appreciation for the career that Jeff had and for what that has allowed him to give back to the game, both in Walla Walla and beyond.

What Sweets player will be the first to make it to the Hall of Fame? What will that experience be like? It was fun to daydream about that as I wandered the Halls and experienced one of those "bucket list" experiences with my father and my son.

Holidays made easy

I don't like to shop.

I don't like to browse, to try things on, to decide between this color or that color. The perfect shopping experience is one that I can either A) do from the comfort of my own home (makes me very grateful that I live in the generation that I do!!!) or B) go in, see what I want, get it and go.

I also run a business that is reliant on people who buy things. Tickets. Hot Dogs. Beer and soda. Hats. T-Shirts. Programs. You get the idea. So how do I reconcile my distaste for shopping with the reality that I run a retail business? That is easy. We create a shopping experience that offers that opportunity to both the shopping lover and the shopping...well, hater is a strong word, so I'll roll with "strongly disliker"...

Sure - we have the Sweets Shoppe, a boutique shop (not a candy store, although you can now buy candy there) that caters to those (including my wife) who do like the shopping experience. Lots of styles, multiple colors, men, women, kids, collectibles...all tucked into about 800 sq. feet of cute retail fun.

But for those like me (and I imagine there are a lot of you out there) that would rather be with friends or family or picking at your eye sockets with toothpicks than shopping, we have made it easy to pass on this holiday tradition. Our hats are separated out by both style and size - if you know your hat size and there isn't a line, you can be in and out in less than 4 minutes. Our retail lines, while plentiful, don't overwhelm the buyer and allow you to move quickly if you so choose. Tickets are quick, and you don't have to worry about size.

So, with that in mind, here are a few gift-giving ideas that are great for the season, and often times don't require sizes:

the new Christmas Lou cap.

1. Ticket Plans - with the release of the schedule last week, we now have our full ticket plans available. Starting with the best deal dollars-wise down to a single-game package that includes hats and food, we likely have a plan that works for the fan you are shopping for. And guess what - as long as you are human, the gift fits. Here are quick links: 
• 2013 Season Tickets - check out the family pass for those of you who have a big household. At an average ticket price of $2.27/per person/per game, it is as good a deal as you will find in any ballpark in any city. We only have about 15 left, so this one is worth the quick call. Check out why season tickets are the best deal - both in terms of price and benefits.
• 8-game and 17-game Plans - some of the plans are geared towards giveaways, others fireworks, others early-season or late-season to match vacation schedules. With (3) plans to choose from, there is bound to be an option that works for your schedule.
• Vouchers - a full sheet gets you and 11 buddies, or you and three buddies four times, or you and one buddy six times, into the park for 22% off what you would pay at the gate. And they are flexible, so you can create your own ticket plan.
2. Gift Certificates -  not sure what of our award-winning merchandise your loved one(s) would like? It isn't nearly as cool - but a gift certificate is so flexible. Plus, it is a gift certificate to something that is fun - not like taxes or anything in that vein.
3. Friends and Family 4-Pack - maybe your family is looking for a singular experience - perhaps not a whole season, but a great night together at the ballpark. This is the plan for you - (4) G/A tickets, (4) dinners at the ballpark, and (4) unique Sweets caps ($138 in retail value) for $44. Simple. In and Out.



Lid Alliance memberships are a great and painless way to shop.

4. Lid Alliance Membership - do you know someone that is crazy about hats...unique, a little crazy, and certainly rare hats? a membership in Lou's Lid Alliance is the perfect gift. Check out the link and find out what is becoming one of the best collector's clubs in town.

 If you are a shopper, we are grateful for you and look forward to helping you enjoy the experience of small-town boutique shopping. If you are not, we have you covered there as well. And if you see me curled up, rocking back and forth in the corner of a store as my lovely wife asks me if this seventh different shirt would be a good gift for my sister, please come and save me!!

Who likes puzzles?

Have you ever built a schedule for a league? To paraphrase a fellow member of the WCL scheduling committee, it is like doing a 5,000 piece jigsaw puzzle - except halfway through the process, the pieces are switched out with another puzzle and then it becomes a rubik's cube. But you still need it to look like the finished product of the original puzzle. And then your dog eats a few of the pieces.

That being said, we are close to finalizing the 2013 schedule - and I am excited for it to come out. One challenge this year that is a by-product of the success of the league - scheduling 11 teams versus 12 (the WCL went from 9 to 11 teams due to expansion markets Medford, OR and Victoria, BC) is a significant challenge. You will always have a team that isn't playing league games. You also want to make sure that, as close as possible, everyone has a fair number of weekend games to allow each club a fighting chance at financial success.

Another challenge this season was a consensus to start the season later than the first week of June. In addition to traditionally bad weather throughout much of the Pacific Northwest the first two weeks of June, many of the league's top players don't arrive until after June 15 (quarter schools). By starting so early, we have a massive upheaval of the roster as 10-day players leave and full-season signees are shuttled in. As a general manager, it is a bit of a cluster. That change, however, compacted an already compacted time frame in which we play our season.

Other factors that come into play include black-out dates (dates a team can't use their ballpark for various reasons). For instance, in Walla Walla, our great Legion programs have traditionally hosted (3) tournaments at Borleske Stadium and we try to make sure that we are on the road for those weekends so that they can successfully host these games (I enjoy that so many high school players from around the state and region are coming to see what a fantastic facility we have). Mileage and time on the road are major items to consider as well - you can't travel more than 10 hours at a time or exceed a certain amount of mileage (legally). To make it even more fantastically fun, (1) change always has a domino effect and creates (10) other problems.

SO - what does this mean? A lot of late-night phone calls, crumpled papers strewn about, and frantic calculations of miles to get to a schedule everyone can be happy (almost) with. And then the real fun begins (hotels, charters, meal money, etc). It's a good thing I have a great secretary. Oh wait, I don't.

Back to the spreadsheets!

League Owners Meetings - Fall 2013 - Fun for all!

Now that the off-season is here, and life settles into a little more normal routine (than versus the season, where "routine" is up at 7 AM and at the ballpark until almost midnight.), a priority returns to blogging. A lot of our franchise's development has been captured here - looking to continue that for the 2013 season.

It is hard to believe that about three years ago, I attended our first league owners meetings at the Hotel Monaco in Portland. It has become a trip that I look forward to, because for the most part I have become friends with the other owners and GMs in the league. It is a great opportunity to catch, learn what went well (and what didn't) in there market, and get a true vibe for the health of the league.

Proof I was there.

This year the fall meetings were held in the Mia Hamm building on the Nike campus in Beaverton, OR. So far, my favorite meeting place. Our conference room was the Buckeye conference room adjacent to Mr. Knight's offices. Wow. My 9-old boy dreams of seeing where Spike Lee and Michael Jordan made the magic happen came true. Apparently, Phil himself stopped in to say hi, but since the league was discussing a proposal that John (Stanton) and I had made, we were out of the room as they discussed it, so I missed that treat. The campus is phenomenal - Nike is the king of brand cohesion. What made the trip extra-special was that it was arranged that we could shop in the Nike Employee Store. I give my wife a hard time when she shops - she seems to ignore the budgets we prepare ahead of time. Well, I am just as bad when the store is the Nike Employee Store. A big thank you to the Corvallis Knights and Nike for arranging that. Check out the picture I snapped of the center of campus as we were walking around after the meetings.

We welcomed (3) new owners this fall to the league - Jerry Walker (who owns/operates the S-K Volcanoes of the NWL, a minor league affiliate of the SF Giants) and purchased the Klamath Falls Gems; CSH (represented by Gary Gelinas), which now owns Medford (soon to announce a new team name); and John McLean, who is the managing partner for the new Victoria HarbourCats. The new blood is refreshing and all three have experienced success in their respective fields - I look forward to working with them off the field to make the league even stronger than it has become in the past three years.

The divisions will be re-aligned again - with the addition of Victoria and Medford, it has created a more North/South tilt than East/West, and with future expansion likely to be more North/South, it makes sense to put in a structure now that will be able to support that expansion in the future. In the next week or so we should find out where Walla Walla, a border town, ends up.

The league is in good shape - the players are better, the stadiums and markets are better, and there are some really accomplished and intelligent business people in that room - more so than you find in most professional leagues. 2013 should be a great year.

ZF

Sweets rally for victory

Walla Walla scored four runs in the top of the seventh to rally past the Bells, 7-6, on Wednesday night at Joe Martin Field.

Now for some notes from around the ballpark:
- The Sweets improved to 23-30 with the victory. They finish their season today against the Bells.
- Doug Ashby earned his first win of the summer in his final appearance last night. He allowed one run on two hits in the sixth inning but benefited from the Sweets' seventh-inning rally.
- Arturo Reyes earned his first save of the summer, tossing a scoreless ninth inning.
- Luke West tossed a perfect seventh and Simon Anderson was perfect in the eighth.
- J.J. Robinson led the offense with two doubles, a run scored and two RBI. He hit a bases-loaded double off the top of the right field wall to drive in the final two runs in the four-run seventh.
- Robinson now has seven doubles on the season.
- Kalani Brackenridge and Spencer O'Neil each had two hits as well. Brackenridge drove in a run and scored a run.
- Kris Paulino scored his 26th run of the season to set a new single-season record for the Sweets, surpassing Alex Stanford's mark of 25 from last summer.
- Alex Bonczyk crossed the plate twice.
- Hunter Virant will start for the Sweets on Thursday. He has allowed two runs or less in every start this summer. The most hits he has allowed in a game this season is five. That came against Bellingham on June 29.

Sweets heartbroken again

Walla Walla lost a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the ninth inning and Bellingam eventually won the game with a walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th on Tuesday night.

Now for some notes from around the ballpark:
- The Sweets fell to 22-30 with the loss and are now 3-3 in extra-inning games this summer.
- Walla Walla made three errors in the game, with the final error playing a key role in the Bells 10th-inning rally.
- Tyler Roberts started for the Sweets and had his best start of the summer. He pitched 8.2 innings, allowing just two runs on five hits. He struck out a season-high seven batters.
- Roberts was one strike away from finishing the complete game but Michael Leach singled to center to tie the game.
- Connor Lawhead relieved Roberts and got out of the ninth but he threw away a bunt in the 10th that eventually led to a two-out walk-off single to left field.
- The Sweets have now lost seven games this season when they have held a lead after seven innings.
- Brett Jacobs extended his hitting streak to eight games with a single in the eighth.
- Kris Paulino had three hits for the Sweets and scored both runs. He has hits in each of his last four games and has three doubles in this series.
- On the season, Paulino has scored a team-high 25 runs. He has tied Alex Stanford ('11) for the most runs scored in a single season in franchise history.
- Spencer O'Neil recorded an RBI single in the first and now has 32 on the season.
- Joe Arlt will start on Wednesday for the Sweets. He allowed one run on eight hits over 7.1 innings last week against the Bells. He is 3-2 with a 2.44 ERA in 51.2 innings.

Tough start to final road trip

The Sweets found themselves down 6-0 after the first inning and 13-0 after four innings on Monday. They fell to Bellingham, 15-4, in the first game of a season-ending four-game series.

Now for some notes from around the ballpark:
- The Sweets are now 22-29 on the season. The 15 runs allowed are the most the Sweets have given up in a game this season.
- Bellingham has a 3-2 lead in the eight-game series.
- Brett Jacobs had two of the Sweets' 10 hits. He has a seven-game hit streak and has multi-hit games in four of his last five outings.
- Spencer O'Neil had two hits, including an RBI double. It was his second consecutive game with a double and increased his team-record RBI total to 31.
- Kris Paulino collected two doubles and drove in a run on Monday.
- Doug Ashby pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
- Kyle Kingsley pitched six innings of relief, allowing nine runs (two earned).
- Walla Walla made a season-high six errors on the night. They committed five errors in the second, third and fourth innings combined. Those five errors led to seven runs.
- Tyler Roberts will start on Tuesday night. Roberts is 2-4 with a 3.78 ERA on the year. He started against Bellingham last Tuesday, allowing four runs on five hits over five innings. He struck out a season-high six hitters. It was just the third time this summer that he allowed more than two runs in an outing.

Sweets win at home, finish season on road

The Sweets wrapped up the home portion of their 2012 schedule with a 7-3 victory over Kelowna on Sunday night. Walla Walla will now finish its season with four games in Bellingham.

Now for some notes from around the ballpark:

- The Sweets are now 22-28 thanks to the victory on Sunday.

- Walla Walla finished above .500 at home for the first time in team history, finishing 14-13.

- The Sweets now face Bellingham for four games. The Sweets and Bells split four games in Walla Walla.

- J.J. Robinson earned his first win of the summer, allowing just one run on five hits over seven innings. He walked five and struck out five. His start is the longest outing for a Sweets starting pitcher against Kelowna this summer.

- Ben Ruff went 4-for-4 with two runs scored batting ninth for the Sweets. It is his first four-hit game of the summer.

- Brett Jacobs extended his hitting streak to six games with a three-run home run in the seventh inning. The home run is the first of the summer for Jacobs. He now has 23 RBI on the season.

- Alex Bonczyk had two hits and drove in three runs. He now has 22 RBI and 21 runs scored on the season, becoming the first player in team history to accomplish that feat. 

- Both Simon Anderson and Joe Arlt were able to escape jams with double plays in the final two innings. A line drive to first turned into an inning-ending double play in the ninth.

- Matt Imhof will start on Monday after missing his start on Saturday. He will be in search of his first win of the summer.

- Bellingham has already clinched a playoff berth and will face Wenatchee in the East Division Championship Round. Wenatchee's magic number is 1 to clinch another East Division title.

Sweets blanked by Falcons

The Sweets were shutout for the sixth time this season on Saturday night, falling to Kelowna, 5-0.

Now for some notes from around the ballpark:

- The Sweets fell to 21-28 with the loss. They are 2-5 against Kelowna this year.

- Cale Coshow tossed eight scoreless innings, allowing six hits, to earn his third victory of the summer. In two starts against the Sweets this summer, Coshow has not allowed a run in 14 innings.

- Garrett Tygerson started for the Sweets and allowed four runs on six hits over five innings. He fell to 0-3.

- Connor Lawhead pitched the final four innings, allowing one run on just two hits. He struck out three and retired the side in order in three of his four innings.

- Brett Jacobs had two hits for the third-straight game. He has hits in each of his last five games and was named the Abajian Toyota/Scion Player of the Week.

- Jacobs is hitting .299 with a team-high 11 doubles. 

- The Sweets are now 13-13 at home this season. They have not finished above .500 at home in franchise history.

- J.J. Robinson will make his first start of the summer on Sunday. He has made two relief appearances this summer. 

- Ben Ruff has played each of the last two nights with Shane Zeile resting. It is Ruff's first two games at short this summer.

Sweets walk away with win

Walla Walla scored six runs in the second with the benefit of just one hit on its way to a 7-4 victory over Kelowna on Friday.

Now for some notes from around the ballpark:
- The Sweets improved to 21-27 with the victory. If they win their final six games they will finish .500 for the first time in franchise history.
- Walla Walla is now 2-4 against the Falcons this year. The teams have split the season series in each of the last two years.
- The Sweets improved to 13-12 at home this year.
- Zach Brandon earned his first win of the summer on Friday, allowing one run on three hits over six innings. He walked four, struck out four and hit three batters.
- He now leads the league with 13 hit batters this summer.
- Brett Jacobs had two hits on Friday, including a two-run double in the second. It was his 11th double of the season. He now as 20 RBI and 41 hits.
- Kalani Brackenridge also had two hits, scored a run and drove in a run.
- Beau Fraser scored two runs.
- Matt Imhof will start on Saturday. He struck out nine over 6.1 scoreless innings last Saturday but earned a no decision. He is still searching for his first victory. He has struck out 32 and walked just 11 in 29 innings this summer.

Kelowna shatters playoff hopes

Kelowna shattered the Sweets' playoff hopes on Thursday as they grabbed a 5-4 victory at Borleske Stadium. The loss mathematically eliminated the Sweets from playoff contention.

Now for some notes from around the ballpark:
- The Sweets are now 20-27 on the season and need to win their final seven games in order to post the first .500 season in franchise history.
- Tyler Qualls's two-run home run in the ninth was the deciding hit in Thursday's contest. It hit the fair pole in right field. Six inches more and it would have been a long strike.
- The Sweets trailed, 3-0, heading into the bottom of the seventh but rallied with four runs.
- Ben Ruff scored the first run with a double to left. He has four doubles, three triples and a home run this season.
- Kris Paulino followed by greeting reliever Cale Coshow with a monstrous three-run home run to right-center to make it 4-3. It was Paulino's first home run of the summer and came on the first pitch.
- Paulino has now scored 21 runs and driven in 14. He had three doubles, three triples and a home run. He also leads the team with 17 walks.
- Shane Zeile had two hits and has collected multiple hits in four consecutive games. He is hitting a team-leading .324.
- Hunter Virant started for the Sweets and allowed one run on three hits over five innings. He walked four and struck out six.
- Virant has allowed two runs or less in every start he has made this summer. In 36 innings, he's allowed just 16 hits.
- Sweets pitchers have struck out 303 batters this summer, good enough for fourth in the league. They are one of just four teams to have struck out at least 300 batters this summer.
- Connor Lawhead registered his second scoreless outing, pitching a scoreless eighth on Thursday.
- Paulino's home run was the 20th for the Sweets this summer. A check for 2,400 was presented by Wildhorse Resort and Casino to CASA in the seventh for Home Runs for Charity. The total could change depending on how many home runs the Sweets hit the remainder of the summer.
- Zach Brandon will start on Friday night and is in search of his first victory of the summer. He allowed one run on six hits over 4.2 innings of relief against Wenatchee on July 25.
- The Sweets have now lost a league-high six games when leading after the seventh or eighth inning.

Sweets keep hopes alive

Walla Walla kept its slim playoff hopes alive with a 4-3 victory over Bellingham on Wednesday. The Sweets will need to keep winning if they want to have a chance to defend their East Division title.

Now for some notes from around the ballpark:
- The Sweets improved to 20-26 with the victory. It is the second consecutive year they have won 20 games.
- Walla Walla is now eight games behind Bellingham with eight games to play. The Sweets need eight wins and eight Bells losses to make the playoffs.
- The Sweets and Bells split the four games that were played in Walla Walla. The two teams close out the season with four games in Bellingham next week.
- Walla Walla now welcomes Kelowna to town for four games. It is the final home series of the season for the Sweets. Kelowna took 3-of-4 from the Sweets in Kelowna in mid-June.
- Joe Arlt earned his third win of the summer on Wednesday, allowing just one run over 7.1 innings. In his last 47.1 innings, Arlt has posted a 1.34 ERA. He is 3-1 over his last 15 appearances and has allowed two runs or more on just one occasion.
- Ben Ruff recorded the final five outs to earn his fourth save. He is third in the league with four saves.
- Shane Zeile had two hits and drove in a run for the Sweets. He has seven hits in his last three games. He has multiple hits in each of his last three as well.
- Ryan Cooper had two hits for the Sweets and scored a run. It was Cooper's first multi-hit game since June 28 against Bend when he went 3-for-4.
- Alex Bonczyk and Kris Paulino each scored a run and now have both scored 20 or more runs this season. Bonczyk leads the team with 21 runs scored.
- Paulino is the only player on the Sweets to have as many walks or more walks than he does strikeouts. He has walked 17 times and struck out 17 times.
- Hunter Virant will start on Thursday. He is 2-2 with a 2.61 ERA in 31 innings this summer. He has struck out 25 and walked 19. In his last start, he allowed one unearned run in five innings against Wenatchee.
- He allowed one run on one hit in five innings against Kelowna on June 22 in his first start with the Sweets. He walked seven and struck out four.

Bells shutout Sweets

Bellingham picked up its eighth shutout of the season on Tuesday as Adam Gunn and Davis Engel combined to shutout the Sweets on nine hits. The loss put the Sweets on the brink of being eliminated from playoff contention.

Now for some notes from around the ballpark:
- The Sweets drop to 19-26 with the loss. They are nine games behind Bellingham with nine to play. They need to win out and have the Bells lose all nine to have a chance at making the playoffs.
- It is the third time in the last two seasons that the Bells have shut out the Sweets.
- Bellingham leads the league with eight team shutouts this summer.
- Adam Gunn struck out 11 batters over eight scoreless innings on Tuesday. He is now 4-0 on the year.
- Tyler Roberts started for the Sweets and struck out a season-high six batters over five-plus innings. He allowed four runs on five hits.
- Connor Lawhead made his first appearance of the summer in relief, allowing just one hit over three scoreless innings. He struck out three.
- Shane Zeile had two hits and now has five in his last two games.
- J.J. Robinson had two hits, including his fifth double of the season.
- Joe Arlt will start on Wednesday for the Sweets. He is 2-2 in a team-high 15 appearances. He allowed five runs (one earned) on Saturday against Wenatchee.

Another eighth-inning nightmare

For the eighth time this season, the Sweets fell victim to an eighth-inning rally, as Wenatchee scored all seven of its runs in the eighth inning on Saturday night in a 7-2 victory. The Sweets had a 2-0 lead after seven.

Now for some notes from around the ballpark:
- The loss dropped the Sweets to 19-25 on the season and kept them eight games behind Bellingham for second in the East.
- The Sweets won the season series against the Applesox, winning five of the eight games.
- Walla Walla now has 10 games to make up eight games on the Bells. Starting with tonight's game, the Sweets and Bells play six more times.
- If the Sweets can win at least nine games and the Bells drop at least eight games, the Sweets would tie them for second place in the East Division standings.
- Matt Imhof had his best start of the summer on Saturday, striking out nine over 6.1 scoreless innings. He didn't walk a batter and allowed just five hits in earning a no decision.
- Shane Zeile broke out of a mini-slump, collecting three hits in the contest.
- The Sweets committed three errors in the eighth inning on Saturday.
- Cabe Reiten's grand slam capped a magical season for the shortstop against the Sweets. Reiten hit two game-winning home runs and drove in nine runs in the eighth inning alone this summer.
- Tyler Roberts will start on Tuesday against Bellingham. Roberts picked up his second win of the summer last Friday with 2.1 scoreless innings of relief.
- The Sweets and Bells split a mini two-game series at Borleske Stadium at the end of June.

Sweets win in 10

Friday night was another tooth-and-nail contest between the Sweets and the Applesox and this time it took extra innings. After blowing a 5-0 lead, the Sweets were able to score the winning run in the top of the 10th to earn their third-straight win over Wenatchee.

Now for some notes from around the ballpark:
- The victory improved the Sweets to 19-24 on the season. They have won four-straight games for the first time this season.
- Thanks to Bellingham's loss to Kelowna, the Sweets are now 7.5 games behind the Bells and 8.5 back of Wenatchee with 11 games to play.
- Beau Fraser picked up three hits on Friday, including the game-winning single in the top of the 10th inning.
- Fraser has 10 hits in his last four games. He has collected three hits in three of those four games.
- The Sweets set a league record for triples on Friday, hitting their 15th and 16th three-baggers of the season. The 16 triples surpasses the previous record of 15 that was set by Bend in 2010.
- Shane Zeile's third triple of the summer led off the 10th inning, and he eventually scored on the Fraser single. It was Zeile's first hit of the series.
- Ben Ruff hit his third triple of the season as well, a fourth-inning shot off the wall that scored Marc Garza from first base.
- Spencer O'Neil had two hits and drove in two runs on Friday. He now has 30 RBI on the season, the most in a single season in franchise history. The total has him second in the league.
- Brett Jacobs got the Sweets on the board on Friday, driving in Alex Bonczyk with a single in the first. Jacobs has at least one hit and one RBI in all three games of the series.
- Bonczyk picked up his fourth sac fly of the season, scoring Ruff with a fly to right in the fourth. Bonczyk is tied for the league lead in that category. He's also second in the league with nine sacrifice hits.
- With his run in the first inning, Bonczyk became the first Sweets player to reach 20 runs scored this season. He has scored 20 and driven in 18.
- Walla Walla also had three doubles on Friday and now lead the league with 67 two-baggers.
- Hunter Virant pitched the first five innings, allowing just one unearned run on three hits. He walked four and struck out three. Virant earned a no decision.
- Tyler Roberts earned his second victory of the summer, tossing the final 2.1 innings. He allowed five hits and struck out one.
- The Sweets turned three double plays on Friday. They turned two 4-6-3 double plays and an 8-3 double play. Bonczyk caught a fly crashing into the center field wall and threw it back into the infield to double-off the runner.
- Matt Imhof will start on Saturday for the Sweets. He is 0-4 with a 6.35 ERA. He has struck out 23 and walked just 11 in 22.2 innings.
- Two records the Sweets won't be happy about breaking are the league record for balks and home runs allowed. Walla Walla has already broken the home runs allowed record, having given up 23 blasts this summer, four more than Klamath Falls' previous record of 19.
- The Sweets have tied the league record for balks in a season with 13. Bellingham set the mark with 13 in the 2008 season.

Sweets escape again

The Sweets have picked the perfect time to play some of their best baseball of the season. Needing a win, the Sweets jumped out to a 3-1 lead and then hung on to earn a 3-2 victory over Wenatchee on Thursday night.

Now for some notes from around the ballpark:
- The Sweets improved to 18-24 with the victory and are 4-2 against Wenatchee this summer. Walla Walla remains 8.5 games behind Bellingham for second place and 9.5 games behind Wenatchee for first place in the East.
- Since dropping five of the first six meetings against Wenatchee last summer, the Sweets have gone 8-3 in the last 11 games.
- Ben Ruff came on with the bases loaded in the ninth inning and induced a game-ending 6-4-3 DP. Ruff's third save came a night after he earned his second win.
- Team's are hitting just .220 against Ruff with runners in scoring position. It lowers to .167 with two outs.
- Arturo Reyes started for the Sweets and lasted five innings. He allowed one run on four hits and struck out three. He has allowed one run or less in all but one start this summer. Reyes earned his fourth win of the summer.
- Reyes's numbers are even better with runners in scoring position as he has limited opponents to a .127 average with men in scoring position. It drops to a measly .111 with two outs.
- Joe Arlt tossed three innings of scoreless relief, allowing just one hit. He worked out a 2nd and 3rd jam in the sixth, getting a pop out and a strikeout.
- Brett Jacobs provided a majority of the offense, driving in two runs with a pair of two-out hits. He doubled home Alex Bonczyk in the third to break a 1-1 tie and then scored Bonczyk with a single to make it 3-1 in the fifth.
- Jacobs now has four hits and three RBI in his last two contests and is hitting .316 with runners in scoring position and two outs. He's also third in the league with 10 doubles.
- Bonczyk scored twice on Thursday and now leads the team with 19 runs scored on the season.
- Kalani Brackenridge hit his first triple of the year and scored the tying run in the third.
- The Sweets have hit 14 triples as a team, one shy of the league record set by Bend in 2010.
- Nick Vilter had two hits on Thursday, registering his multi-hit game since recording back-to-back three-hit games against Wenatchee in early July.
- The Sweets are tied for the league-lead in doubles with 64 and lead the league in triples with 14. They are third in the league with home runs (15).
- Hunter Virant will start on Friday for the Sweets. He is 2-2 with a 3.12 ERA. He has lost his last two decisions.

Wild walk-off Wednesday

The Sweets rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth inning and then won the game in the bottom of the ninth on a walk-off single to right field. The 5-4 victory is the third this summer over the Applesox and the Sweets first walk-off.

Now for some notes from around the ballpark:
- The walk-off victory for the Sweets is their first of the summer in a league contest. They won on a walk-off wild pitch in non-league contest against the Central Oregon Bucks.
- With the win, the Sweets improve to 17-24 on the season. They are 3-2 against the Applesox this season. They have three contests left against them this season.
- Kris Paulino stole the show on Wednesday, collecting four hits, scoring three runs and driving in the game-winning run in the ninth. He tripled, doubled and collected two singles, finishing a home run shy of the cycle.
- He tripled to start the eighth and then scored the tying run on an Alex Bonczyk sac fly.
- He is now tied with Spencer O'Neil for the team lead in runs scored with 18.
- Beau Fraser scored the winning run and also had three hits. He has six hits in his last two games.
- Tyler Billen started and lasted into the fourth inning. He allowed three runs on three hits.
- Zach Brandon pitched 4.2 innings, allowing one run on six hits. It was one of his best outings of the summer.
- Ben Ruff evened his record at 2-2 by pitching a scoreless ninth inning.
- The Sweets made three errors that led to a pair of unearned runs.
- Arturo Reyes will start tonight. He has allowed one run or less in six of his seven starts this summer. He shutout the Applesox on six hits over seven innings on July 3 in Wenatchee. He walked one and struck out four.
- The Sweets have won seven-of-nine against the Applesox.

Sweets start stretch run with Wenatchee

The Sweets begin their final 14 games of the summer tonight when they welcome Wenatchee. Walla Walla has enjoyed two consecutive off days due to the All-Star Game.

Now for some notes from around the ballpark:
- With their 3-1 victory over Klamath Falls on Sunday, the Sweets improved to 16-24 through 40 games. It was their first victory over the Gems this summer.
- It also snapped Klamath's 11-game winning streak.
- Joe Arlt pitched the first eight innings, allowing just one run on six hits. He struck out five and has struck out a team-high 33 batters this summer.
- He improved to 2-1 with the victory and has allowed just five runs over his last 12 appearances.
- Simon Anderson earned his third save of the year on Sunday, pitching a scoreless ninth.
- Alex Bonczyk had two hits and now has 41 on the season. He is one of just 10 players in the league to have 40-plus hits.
- Arturo Reyes, Hunter Virant and Shane Zeile played in the All-Star Game for the Sweets.
- Reyes tossed a scoreless fourth inning.
- Virant allowed one hit in 2/3 of relief. He was named the Top Prospect on the East squad by the MLB Scouting Bureau.
- Zeile went 1-for-4 in the game with a single. He was also in the Home Run Derby, finishing third. He hit five in the first round, one in the second and lost a swing-off with Austin Byler, 3-1.
- Tyler Billen will start for the Sweets tonight. He is 1-0 with a 4.26 ERA on the summer. It is his first start of the summer. He has allowed just one run over his last nine innings, spanning four appearances.

Big inning dooms Sweets

Walla Walla built a 6-3 lead after six innings but Klamath Falls scored eight runs in the top of the seventh to earn its 11-straight win, 12-6, on Saturday.

Now for some notes from around the ballpark:
- The Gems have won 11 consecutive games and 18-of-19 after starting 2-18. Their win, coupled with Bend's loss to Bellingham, gave them sole possession of second place in the West Division.
- The Sweets lost for the third-straight game and are 0-5 against the Gems this year.
- Spencer O'Neil had a big night for the Sweets, picking up three hits and two RBI. He now has 28 RBI on the season.
- The RBIs were his first since July 11 against Cowlitz. He is tied with Elliot Stewart for the most RBI in team history.
- Shane Zeile collected a hit for the seventh consecutive game. His fifth-inning home run made it 6-3. It was his fourth of the summer. He has 14 extra-base hits, the most on the team.
- Alex Bonczyk had two hits from the leadoff spot. He is one shy of reaching the 40-hit mark.
- Kris Paulino also had two hits and worked a bases-loaded walk. He leads the team in walks with 15.
- Tyler Roberts lasted six-plus innings on Saturday, allowing four runs. It was just the second time this year that Roberts had allowed more than two runs in a start.
- As a team, the Sweets are hitting just .261 with men in scoring position. That number drops to .193 with two outs.
- Joe Arlt will start the series finale on Sunday. Arlt allowed two runs over five innings last Sunday against the Gems.

Gems take game one

The Gems jumped out to a 5-0 lead and cruised to a 10-1 victory on Friday night against the Sweets.

Now for some notes from around the ballpark:
- The Gems have now won 17-of-18 and are now 19-19 on the year. They started the season 2-18. They are a half game out of the playoffs in the West Division.
- After winning the first two games against Cowlitz last week, the Sweets have dropped seven-of-eight. They are 15-23 and eight games out of a playoff spot.
- Luke West had his longest outing of the summer on Friday, tossing 4.1 innings. He entered in the third and pitched through the seventh. He allowed three runs on seven hits and struck out six.
- Shane Zeile had two hits for the third-straight game and has hit safely in six consecutive. He collected his eighth double and has now doubled in each of his last four games.
- Beau Fraser picked up the only Sweets RBI with a double in the third inning. It was his first RBI of the season as a Sweet.
- J.J. Robinson made his second appearance on the mound, tossing the final two innings. He allowed two runs on five hits and struck out two.
- Tyler Roberts will start tonight. He is 1-3 with a 3.15 ERA. He has allowed two runs or less in all but one of his starts this summer. He allowed just two runs over seven innings last Saturday against Klamath Falls but found himself on the short end of a 2-0 score.

Crazy night ends in loss for Sweets

Two separate lengthy delays highlighted Thursday's series finale between the Sweets and the Black Bears. Cowlitz came out on top, 5-2, and won the series, 2-1.

Now for some notes from around the ballpark:
- The Sweets fall to 15-22 on the year with the loss. They are currently seven games out of a playoff spot.
- The Sweets welcome Klamath Falls to Borleske Stadium for a three-game series this weekend. They were swept in Klamath Falls last weekend.
- The Gems are the hottest team in the league, having won 16-of-17 after starting 2-18.
- On Thursday, Shane Zeile had two hits for the second-straight night and also drove in a run.
- Nick Vilter added a sac fly RBI in the first inning to give the Sweets their only lead of the night.
- Zach Brandon fell to 0-4 on the summer, allowing three runs on six hits over three innings.
- Joe Arlt tossed two scoreless innings of relief.
- Garrett Tygerson pitched a scoreless ninth.
- Thursday also featured a 40-minute rain delay before the game started and a 30-minute delay in the bottom of the ninth as the lights went out due to a power surge.
- Matt Imhof will start tonight for the Sweets and will be in search of his first win of the summer. He is 0-3 with a 5.85 ERA.

Pitching helps Sweets snap skid

Four Sweets pitchers struck out 12 batters and allowed just one run on eight hits in a 5-1 victory over Cowlitz on Wednesday. The win snapped a five-game losing streak for the Sweets.

Now for some notes from around the ballpark:
- The Sweets improved their record to 15-21 with the win on Wednesday. They moved within seven games of Bellingham for the final playoff spot in the East Division.
- Arturo Reyes started for the Sweets and lasted just 4.1 innings. He allowed one run on four hits, walked four and struck out six. It is the sixth time in seven starts that Reyes has allowed one run or less in an outing.
- It was also his shortest outing of the summer. He worked out of two bases-loaded jams, including a fourth-inning jam in which he struck out back-to-back batters to end the inning.
- Tyler Billen came on in the fifth and struck out the first four batters he faced. He ended up going 2.2 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits. He's allowed just one run over his last nine innings.
- Doug Ashby tossed a scoreless eighth and has now worked in three consecutive games. He has not allowed a run or walked a batter in his last four outings.
- Simon Anderson tossed a scoreless ninth for the Sweets.
- Kalani Brackenridge had his hitting streak come to a close on Wednesday. It ended at 12 games.
- Alex Bonczyk had three hits from the leadoff spot and also scored two runs. He hit his team-leading third triple of the summer in the seventh inning. Bonczyk now has seven hits in his last three games.
- Shane Zeile picked up two hits and drove in two runs. Zeile has hit safely in each of his last four games and all but three games this summer.
- Marc Garza's RBI double in the fourth broke a 1-1 tie. It was his first RBI since June 11 against Bend.
- The Sweets have six players with 12 or more RBI this season and nine that have score 10 or more runs.
- Zach Brandon will start on Thursday and is in search of his first victory of the summer. He is 0-3 with a 6.05 ERA in six appearances. He allowed two runs on five hits over four innings in his last outing on Friday against Klamath Falls.

Black Bear out-pitch Sweets

Three Cowlitz pitchers combined to limit the Sweets to just one run on five hits in a 2-1 victory on Tuesday night. Nick Paxton drove in both runs, including the game-winning run in the top of the fourth.

Now for some notes from around the ballpark:
- The Sweets fell to 14-21 with the loss and have dropped their last five games. The Sweets have an identical record through 35 games as they did last year.
- The loss, coupled with Bellingham's victory, moved the Sweets eight games back in the playoff chase.
- Kalani Brackenridge doubled in his first at-bat and has now hit safely in 12 consecutive games. It is the longest streak on the Sweets this summer.
- Brackenridge also scored the only run of the game for the Sweets.
- Hunter Virant started for the Sweets and gave up two runs on just two hits over six innings. He walked two and struck out six. He has allowed two runs or less in all four of his starts this summer. Virant suffered his first loss.
- It was also released on Monday that Virant, Arturo Reyes and Spencer O'Neil will represent the Sweets in the 2012 WCL All-Star Game presented by NAPA Auto Parts.
- O'Neil was voted in by the fans.
- Doug Ashby tossed a scoreless seventh inning and has now recorded three-straight scoreless outings.
- Garrett Tygerson pitched the final two innings, allowing just one hit on the night. He has allowed just one run over his last six innings.
- Reyes will start tonight for the Sweets. He leads the league with two complete games and his 2.18 ERA currently ranks sixth in the league. With six innings tonight, he will also take over the league-lead in innings pitched.
- Reyes has allowed one run or less in five of his six starts this summer. He allowed a run on three hits in a no decision against Cowlitz last week.

Sweets swept, return home

The Sweets jumped out to a 5-0 lead on Sunday night but saw it disappear in a 6-5, 13-inning, loss to Klamath Falls. Walla Walla was swept for the third time this season and finished its road trip 2-4.

Now for some notes from around the ballpark:
- The Sweets were swept for the the third time this season, all on the road. They finished their road trip with a 2-4 record and will now open an eight-game homestand.
- In fact, 16 of their final 20 games are at Borleske Stadium.
- The Sweets open their homestand against Cowlitz. Walla Walla took two-of-three from the Black Bears last week in Longview, Wash.
- Kalani Brackenridge extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a single in the 13th inning on Sunday. He is hitting .308 over that stretch.
- Jarrod Turner had two more hits on Sunday and has now hit safely in six of his last seven games.
- Nick Vilter started the Sweets scoring with a solo home run in the second inning. It was his third of the season.
- It was also the first run the Sweets had scored since the sixth inning on Thursday.
- Last week, the Sweets hit .192 against the Black Bears. Pitching-wise, the Sweets allowed just eight runs on 18 hits in the three games.
- The Sweets have lost their last four games and are just 4-6 in their last 10.
- With 20 games remaining, the Sweets find themselves 10 games behind Wenatchee for first place and seven games behind Bellingham for the second and final playoff spot. The Sweets trailed the Bells by five games with 21 to play last summer.
- Of the final 20 games, the Sweets face the Applesox four more times, the Bells six more times and Kelowna four times.

Sweets shutout again

For the second night in a row, the Sweets were shutout by the Gems. Four Klamath Falls pitchers combined on the shutout.

Now for some notes from around the ballpark:
- The Sweets have lost their last three games and are now 14-19 on the year. The Sweets fell to 7-13 on the road this season.
- Walla Walla has been shutout in back-to-back games for the first time since Aug. 2-3, 2010. They were blanked by the Corvallis and Cowlitz in consecutive games at the beginning of August.
- The Sweets haven't scored since the sixth inning of Thursday's game against Cowlitz.
- Tyler Roberts started for the Sweets on Saturday and allowed two runs on seven hits over seven innings. It matched his longest outing of the season. Of the seven hits, just three reached the outfield.
- The Sweets turned three double plays in the ballgame. Shane Zeile had a hand in two of the three.
- Kalani Brackenridge extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a single in the eighth inning. Brackenridge has raised his average from .197 to .245 during the stretch.
- Luke West pitched a scoreless eighth on Saturday. The right-hander hasn't allowed a run in his last six outings. He's given up runs in just two of his 11 outings on the summer.
- Brett Jacobs collected his team-leading eighth double of the season. He added a single in the ninth as well. He's hitting a team-high .333 on the year.
- Walla Walla struck out 10 more times on Saturday and have struck out 22 times in the first two games of the series.
- The Sweets and Gems are now an even 4-4 in the all-time series.
- Joe Arlt will start the series finale on Sunday for the Sweets. The left-hander hasn't started since June 2 against Corvallis. He allowed five runs on four hits in three innings in a 12-3 loss. Since, Arlt has allowed just two runs over his last nine appearances, spanning 21.1 innings. He hasn't allowed a run in his last 8.1 innings of relief.
- On the season, Arlt is 1-1 with a 2.59 ERA. He has struck out 19 and walked nine in 24.1 innings.

Gems pitching takes game one

Klamath Falls' pitching staff allowed just four hits and struck out 12 Sweets batters in a 4-0 victory on Friday night at Kiger Stadium. It was the first of three games between the two teams this weekend.

Now some notes from around the ballpark:
- It is the fourth time this summer that the Sweets have been shutout. They have posted just one shutout of their own.
- Of the Sweets' four hits, none were in the same inning.
- Jarrod Turner had two of the four hits.
- Kalani Brackenridge extended his hitting streak to nine games with a double in the fifth inning.
- Nick Vilter picked up his sixth double of the summer in the sixth inning.
- The Sweets left nine runners on base over the course of the game and six in total between the third and seventh innings.
- Kyle Kingsley lasted just two innings on Friday, leaving with a lower body injury before the start of the third inning.
- Zach Brandon came on to throw four innings, allowing two runs on five hits. It was one of his strongest outings of the summer.
- Garrett Tygerson allowed one run on five hits over two innings. Tygerson played many games at Kiger Stadium during his youth days.
- The Sweets did not commit an error on the game and have posted a .966 fielding percentage this summer. That is tied with Kelowna for third in the league.
- The Gems made three errors in the game and have a league-worst .946 fielding percentage.
- Brett Jacobs, Ryan Cooper and Kris Paulino have combined to hit just .118 (8-for-68) in the month of July. Cooper's only hit in the month is a home run against Wenatchee.
- Tyler Roberts will get the start on Saturday night. Roberts is 1-2 with a 3.29 ERA in five starts this summer. In his last start, Roberts allowed two runs on five hits over 4.2 innings. He has walked 12 and struck out 12 on the season.
- With 12 strikeouts last night, the Sweets have struck out a league-high 235 times this summer.
- In four games this week, the Sweets are hitting just .174 and have struck out 34 times.

Sweets drop finale in Cowlitz

The Sweets couldn't pick up the series sweep of the Black Bears on Thursday, falling 5-3. The Sweets did win the series, 2-1.

Now for some notes from around the ballpark:
- The Sweets were unable to sweep Cowlitz for the first time in team history.
- Cowlitz scored all five of its runs with two outs and nobody on base.
- The Sweets trailed 3-0 until the sixth inning when Shane Zeile hit a three-run home run to tie the game. It was Zeile's third home run in the past week and a half.
- Of his four total home runs, three have either given the Sweets the lead or tied the ballgame.
- Matt Imhof suffered his third loss of the summer on Thursday, allowing five runs on seven hits over 6.1 innings.
- DJ Smith was strong in relief, tossing 1.2 scoreless innings. Smith hasn't allowed a run in each of his last three appearances, spanning four innings.
- The Sweets now begin a three-game series in Klamath Falls. The Sweets went 4-2 against the Gems last year. This is the first meeting this season.
- Kyle Kingsley will start for the Sweets tonight. The right-hander is 2-1 with a 5.60 ERA on the season. He allowed three runs on seven hits over 5.2 innings in his last start, a victory over Wenatchee.

Sweets take big win on Wednesday

The Sweets received a two-run home run from Spencer O'Neil in the top off the 11th as they defeated the Black Bears, 3-1, on Wednesday. Cowlitz put the winning run on third base in both the eighth and 10th innings but the Sweets were able to work out of trouble.

Now for some notes from around the ballpark:

- Since starting the season 4-12, the Seasons have gone 10-4 over their last 14 games. The Sweets moved within six games of Bellingham for the second and final playoff spot in the East Division.

- Through this point last season, the Sweets were 12-18.

- Spencer O'Neil's home run snapped a 1-1 tie in the 11th inning. It was his fifth home run of the season and tied him for the league-lead in RBI with 26.

- It was O'Neil's first hit against his former team. He was scratched from the starting lineup prior to the game but came on as a pinch-hitter in the ninth.

- Shane Zeile had a hit on Wednesday and has hit safely in each of his last six games. He is hitting a team-high .341 in 11 games with the Sweets.

- Kris Paulino and Brett Jacobs each had two hits in the game last night. The hits were the first in the month of July for Paulino.

- Arturo Reyes made his sixth start of the summer and allowed one run or less for the fifth time. He allowed a run on three hits over six innings, lowering his ERA to 2.18.

- Joe Arlt was dominant again in relief, tossing three scoreless innings. Arlt hasn't allowed a run in his last 8.1 innings of relief and just two runs over his last 21.1 innings. He has struck out 17 and walked only 7 while allowing 16 hits.

- Ben Ruff picked up his first win of the summer on Wednesday, tossing 1.2 innings of scoreless relief. He entered with runners on the corners and one out in the tenth and issued an intentional walk to load the bases. He then induced a pop up to short for the second out and got a strikeout to end the inning.

- Cowlitz then put the tying runs on the corners with no outs in the 11th but Ruff got a strikeout, pop out and a fielder's choice to end the game.

- In his last four appearances, Ruff hasn't allowed a run in 4.2 innings. He has allowed just two hits, walked only one and struck out seven.

- The Sweets made two errors last night but are still in the top half of the league in fielding percentage. The Sweets are fourth with a fielding percentage of .964. 

- Walla Walla has also turned a league-low 19 double plays this summer. They have turned four double plays over the last two games. Two came at crucial times on Wednesday as Nick Vilter started an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play in the eighth with runners on the corners and just one out.

- Matt Imhof will get the ball in the series finale on Thursday. Imhof is 0-2 with a 5.27 ERA. He has not started a game since June 30 against Bellingham. He allowed three runs on just one hit in two innings of relief against Wenatchee last week. 

Sweets start trip on right foot

Behind eight dominant innings from Hunter Virant, the Sweets opened their six-game road trip with a 3-2 victory over the Black Bears on Tuesday night. The two teams will continue their three-game series tonight.

Now some notes from around the ballpark:
- The Sweets improved to 6-10 on the road this season and their road record currently ranks fifth in the league.
- The Sweets also improved to 3-4 in one-run games this year.
- Hunter Virant made his third start of the summer on Tuesday and put together his best outing of the year. He allowed two runs on two hits over eighth innings. He walked three and struck out five.
- The left-hander faced the minimum over the first seven innings, issuing just a single and a walk. He picked both of those runners off. He retired 14-straight from the third through the seventh inning. The Black Bears hit a home run in the eighth to make it 3-2 but Virant got a line drove double play to end the threat.
- He picked up his second win of the summer in the process and has allowed just eight hits in 20 innings on the mound. Teams are hitting just .129 against the lefty.
- Ben Ruff pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his second save of the summer. The right-hander has been good of late, allowing just one hit over his last three innings. He has struck out five and hasn't issued a walk in that span either.
- The Sweets finally got on the board in the sixth inning, breaking a scoreless tie with a single run. Brett Jacobs lofted a sac fly to left with the bases loaded to score Kalani Brackenridge with the first run.
- Walla Walla scored two more runs in the seventh. An infield error scored the first run and Alex Bonczyk's fielder's choice ground ball made it 3-0.
- Shane Zeile was the only player on either team to record multiple hits, picking up two of the four Sweets knocks. He hit his fourth double of the season and of his 13 hits, eight have been for extra bases.
- Bonczyk picked up his 15th RBI of the season and also stole his team-leading 10th base.
- The Sweets were hit three times on Tuesday and now lead the league with 45.
- Arturo Reyes will start on Wednesday for the Sweets. The right-hander has gone 3-1 with a 2.29 ERA over his first five starts. He has allowed one run or less in four of his five starts and has allowed just one run over his last 16 innings. Reyes has struck out 11 and walked only three in those two starts.
- Beau Fraser will make his debut with the Sweets tonight. He will catch and bat seventh in the lineup.
- Spencer O'Neil pinch-hit on Tuesday and struck out. It ended his 16 game streak of reaching base safely. It was his first appearance in Cowlitz since spending last summer with the Black Bears. He received a nice round of applause from the fans in attendance.

Sweets begin six-game roady

After dropping a 7-3 decision to the Bucks on Sunday and enjoying an off day on Monday, the Sweets begin a six-game road trip against Cowlitz on Tuesday. It is the first of three with the Black Bears this week.

Now for some notes from around the ballpark:
- Tuesday's series opener will be the first game of the year between the Sweets and the Black Bears. The two teams met in the first week of the season last year.
- Last season, the two teams met nine times, with the Black Bears earning the series victory, 5-4. The Black Bears won the first two series of the season before the Sweets took 2-of-3 on their final road trip of the season.
- Tuesday also begins a stretch of 12-straight games against the same two teams. After facing the Black Bears, the Sweets head to Klamath Falls for three. The Sweets then host the same two teams next week before the All-Star break.
- On the season, the Sweets are 5-10 on the road. They lost nine of their first 10 but have rebounded to win four of their last five.
- Spencer O'Neil will be making his return to Cowlitz for the first time since playing for the Black Bears last season. He was an All-Star and won All-Star game MVP honors with Cowlitz.
- O'Neil will also be looking to extend his on-base streak to 17 games. He reached base in every league game since June 14 in Corvallis.
- Leading or trailing after the fifth inning has been a big determining factor for the Sweets this season. When leading after five, the Sweets are 9-2, but are just 1-13 when trailing after five.
- The Sweets will face two left-handers in their series with Cowlitz. On the year, the Sweets are hitting just .234 against lefties as opposed to .282 against righties.
- Surprisingly, Ryan Cooper (a left-hander) is hitting a team-best .417 against southpaws. Marc Garza is hitting .381 in 21 at-bats against lefties.
- Both teams enter the series with 12-16 records. The Sweets are eight games out of first place, however, while the Black Bears are just five back.
- Hunter Virant will start for the Sweets on Tuesday, his third of the summer. He is 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA in three appearances. He has struck out 12 in 13 innings and has allowed just six hits.
- The Sweets will have a new face in the dugout on Tuesday as the signing of Beau Fraser was officially announced. Fraser started the season as a 10-day contract player for Corvallis. He is going to be a senior at Portland this season and will help the Sweets behind the plate and at the plate.

Sweets get hot on Saturday

The Sweets didn't need to score three in the bottom of the ninth on Saturday as they jumped out to a 9-0 lead and defeated the Bucks 13-2.

Now some notes from around the ballpark:
- With 13 runs on Saturday, the Sweets have now scored 10 or more runs in seven games this season. They are 7-0 in those games.
- The Sweets scored once in the second, three times in the third, five in the fifth, three in the sixth and one in the seventh.
- J.J. Robinson had two doubles, scored twice and drove in two. He scored the first run on a safety squeeze in the second inning and made it 4-0 with a two-run double in the third. Robinson also walked twice, reaching safely four times.
- Ryan Cooper clubbed a two-run triple to highlight the five-run fifth and also scored Robinson with the safety squeeze in the second.
- Kris Paulino, Alex Bonczyk and Shane Zeile batted 1-2-3 last night and all scored two runs. Paulino had two hits and two runs scored, Bonczyk had three hits and scored twice and Zeile had two hits, two RBI and two runs scored.
- Garrett Tygerson got the start for the Sweets and worked six innings. It was his first start of the summer and the right-hander allowed just two runs on eight hits to earn the victory.
- Tyler Billen tossed two scoreless innings of relief and Ben Ruff closed out the game with a scoreless ninth.
- Tempers flared in the ninth after Ruff hit Nick Wagner in the front shoulder with a fastball.
- Zeile played first base for the first time this summer last night.
- Game time temperature last night was 95 degrees. It is expected to be above 100 degrees at first pitch this evening.
- Zach Brandon will get the start for the Sweets. It will be his second non-league start of the summer. He allowed one run on two hits over five innings against the Lobos on June 17.
- Spencer O'Neil and Brett Jacobs have each missed the first two games of this series.
- The Sweets will have an off day on Monday before beginning a six-game road trip in Cowlitz on Tuesday. The Sweets will play three against the Black Bears and then head south to Klamath Falls for a three-game series.

Wild finish favors Sweets

Walla Walla had to rally from two runs down twice in the final two innings, finally earning a walk-off victory on a wild pitch, 8-7. The victory improved the Sweets to 3-1 in non-league games.

Now some notes from around the ballpark:
- The Sweets scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth to overcome a 3-1 deficit but gave up four runs in the top of the ninth. They scored all three runs in the ninth with two outs.
- In the eighth, Kris Paulino made it 3-2 with an RBI triple and Alex Bonczyk tied the game with a bloop single. Shane Zeile broke the 3-3 tie with a two-run home run to left.
- In the ninth, Paulino brought the Sweets within one with a double to left and scored the tying run on a throwing error. With J.J. Robinson at the plate and the bases loaded, the first pitch went to the backstop and Bonczyk scored from third ahead of the throw.
- Zeile's home run was his second in as many games and his third of summer. All three of his home runs have come with two strikes in the count.
- Paulino finished with three hits and three RBI. All three of his hits were for extra bases, with two doubles and a triple.
- Bonczyk finished with two hits and also scored two runs.
- Doug Ashby earned the win with three innings of relief. He faced the minimum over the first two innings but was touched for four runs in the ninth. It was his first win of the summer.
- DJ Smith started for the Sweets, allowing three runs over six innings. He gave up all three runs in the third inning. He struck out five.
- The Sweets improved to 10-7 at Borleske Stadium this summer and 3-1 against non-league opponents.
- Garrett Tygerson will start tonight for the Sweets. It is his first start of the summer. He made one start last summer for Wenatchee.

Sweets drop finale to Wenatchee

Walla Walla battled back to tie the game in the sixth inning but Cabe Reiten hit a three-run home run in the top of the eighth inning to send Wenatchee past the Sweets on Thursday. The two teams split the four-game series.

Now for some notes from around the ballpark:
- The Sweets were victimized by an eighth-inning home run for the third time this summer. Austin Barr's grand slam on opening night sent the Sweets to a 6-4 defeat. Steven Halcomb's solo home run in the eighth inning on June 10 broke a 3-3 tie and sent Bend to a 4-3 victory.
- Shane Zeile hit his second home run of the series in the sixth inning on Thursday. It went over Borleske Blue in left field to tie the game.
- Marc Garza picked up three hits for the Sweets on Thursday. It was his first three-hit game of the season.
- Kalani Brackenridge and Alex Bonczyk each extended their hitting streaks to six games.
- Matt Imhof struck out four in two innings and allowed just one hit, the three-run home run.
- Simon Anderson tossed a scoreless ninth, leaving the bases loaded with a 6-4-3 double play.
- The Sweets will now open a three-game non-league series with the Central Oregon Bucks. The Bucks are made up of players that can also play for the Bend Elks.

Sweets continue to score

The Sweets put up double-digit runs for the second consecutive game on Wednesday, defeating Wenatchee, 13-3. Walla Walla has now won each of the last two games with the Applesox and has a chance to win the four-game series tonight.

Now for some notes from around the ballpark:
- In the last two games, the Sweets have scored 25 runs on 31 hits. They had 13 runs on 14 hits last night.
- Last season, the Sweets scored 19 runs in nine regular season games against the Applesox.
- Alex Bonczyk and Nick Vilter each had three hits for the Sweets on the Wednesday. Bonczyk also scored three runs, drove in two and stole three bases.
- Bonczyk now has scored 14 runs, driven in 14 and stolen a team-high nine bases.
- He has also hit safely in five-straight games and has picked up five stolen bases in those contests.
- Vilter had two doubles, a home run and drove in five in the offensive outburst. His two-run double in the first put the Sweets on the board and his RBI double in the eighth capped the scoring. He added a two-run home run in the fifth inning, his second of the summer.
- Vilter is now hitting .302 with 13 RBI on the season. In the last two games, he has six hits, three doubles, six RBI and has scored three times.
- Spencer O'Neil extended his on-base streak to 16 games with a pair of singles. He his hitting .358 with a .492 on-base percentage during the stretch and leads the league with 24 RBI. In his last 10 games, O'Neil is hitting .438 and has driven in 15 runs.
- Chance Kopacz also extended his hitting streak on Wednesday, stretching it to nine games. In those nine games, Kopacz is hitting .342.
- Surprisingly, Brett Jacobs is hitting an outstanding .404 against RHP this summer. Against lefties, he's hitting just .154.
- As a team, the Sweets are hitting .284 against RHP this summer.
- In the last two weeks the Sweets have raised their batting average with runners in scoring position up over .300 to .302. Bonczyk is hitting .419, Jacobs is hitting .500, Vilter is hitting .412 and O'Neil is hitting .368.
- In the last six games, the Sweets are hitting .311 and have posted a 2.21 ERA.
- On the season, the Sweets are hitting .271 as a team, the third-best average in the league.
- Kyle Kingsley picked up his second home win of the summer on Wednesday, allowing three runs on seven hits over 5.2 innings.
- Hunter Virant, Garrett Tygerson and Ben Ruff combined to finish out the game. Virant tossed 1.1 scoreless innings and Tygerson and Ruff pitched the eighth and ninth, respectively.
- Over the last nine games, the Sweets bullpen has allowed just two runs in 27 innings.
- Tyler Roberts will get the ball in the series finale against Wenatchee. He picked up a win in his last outing against Bend last week. Roberts was perfect over the first five innings and finished with seven innings of one-run ball.

Sweets erupt in Wenatchee

The Sweets picked up their most lopsided win over Wenatchee in franchise history on Tuesday night, defeating the Applesox 12-0. Walla Walla scored four runs in the fourth inning and eight runs in the sixth and collected 17 hits.

Now some notes from around the ballpark:
- The Sweets will celebrate Independence Day with special Stars and Stripes caps. The hat has a white cap with blue stripes and a blue brim. The W2 logo is filled with the Stars and Stripes.
- On Tuesday, the Sweets scored their first four runs with four consecutive extra-base hits in the fourth inning. Shane Zeile, Nick Vilter and Chance Kopacz all doubled to make it 2-0 and Ryan Cooper followed with a two-run home run to right to make it 4-0.
- The Sweets then sent 11 batters to the plate and scored eight runs in the sixth inning. Brett Jacobs collected a two-run single and Spencer O'Neil and Zeile hit back-to-back home runs to make it 12-0. It was the second time this summer that the Sweets have hit back-to-back dingers.
- It was the fourth of the summer for O'Neil and gave him a league-leading 23 RBI on the year.
- Zeile finished the night 4-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI. He finished a triple shy of the cycle. He singled in the second, doubled in the fourth and singled and homered in the sixth. It was his first home run of the summer. Zeile is hitting .375 with two doubles, two triples, a home run, five RBI and seven runs scored in seven games.
- Kopacz also had four hits in the ballgame. The four hits helped raise his batting average to .266 on the season. He has hit safely in each of his last four games, the third time he has done that this summer. Kopacz has also scored a run in each of his last four.
- Nick Vilter had three hits for the Sweets and also scored two runs. In 13 games, Vilter is hitting .271 with eight RBI and eight runs scored.
- Arturo Reyes was the recipient of the run support and picked up his third win of the summer with seven scoreless innings. Reyes allowed six hits, struck out four and only walked one. He has allowed one run or less in four of his five starts this summer.
- Luke West tossed the final two innings to help the Sweets to their first shutout of the season. West has registered seven consecutive scoreless innings on the season.
- It was the Sweets first shutout since July 7 of last year when they shutout Bellingham, 3-0.
- Walla Walla was hit twice on Tuesday and now lead the league with 39 hit by pitches, 12 more than the second team.
- The Sweets also continue to lead the league in triples with 11.
- The Sweets and Applesox will now conclude the second half of their split four-game series. They play tonight at 5:05 p.m. and tomorrow at 7:05 p.m.
- Kyle Kingsley will get the start tonight for the Sweets. The right-hander is 1-1 with a 5.82 ERA on the season. He allowed two runs on five hits over six innings in a no decision last week against Bend. Kingsley struck out two and walked two.

Sweets miss out on Monday

The Sweets had several opportunities to take their series-opener with Wenatchee on Monday night but could not complete the comeback, falling 3-2. It was the first of four meetings this week between the two teams.

Now for some notes from around the ballpark:
- The Sweets struck out 15 times on Monday, the most this season. They struck out eight times with runners in scoring position.
- Walla Walla struck out three consecutive times after Kalani Brackenridge led off the third with a double.
- The Sweets then loaded the bases with no out in the seventh and only scored one run. Drew Jacobs struck out back-to-back batters before Alex Bonczyk made it 3-2 with an infield single.
- Shane Zeile led off the eighth with a triple to center field but Jacobs struck out the next three to strand him.
- On the season, the Sweets are hitting .274 with runners in scoring position and just .193 with runners in scoring position and two outs.
- Zach Brandon started and lasted four innings. He threw one bad pitch and it resulted in a three-run home run in the third with two outs. He struck out four and walked one in the outing.
- Joe Arlt appeared out of the bullpen for the second-straight game and tossed four scoreless innings. He allowed just two hits and four baserunners in total. In his last seven outings, Arlt has allowed just two runs on 12 hits. He has struck out 14 over his last 17 innings.
- Zeile's triple gives the Sweets four players that have two three-baggers on the season.
- Spencer O'Neil extended his on-base streak to 14 games with a pinch-hit single in the seventh. The hit drove in his 20th run of the season and was his first hit against a left-hander.

Sweets fall at home, head to Wenatchee

The Sweets dropped the final game of their five-game homestand to Bellingham, 5-1, on Saturday night at Borleske Stadium. Walla Walla went 3-2 on its homestand and begins a four-game series with Wenatchee tonight.

Now some notes from around the ballpark:
- The Sweets jumped out to a 1-0 lead on Saturday but the Bells scored the final five runs.
- J.J. Robinson's double in the second in the put the Sweets on top but the Bells scored four runs in the fifth to take the lead.
- It was Robinson's fourth double of the season and his third RBI of the year.
- Ryan Cooper extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a single in the seventh inning. He has a hit in every game he has played this summer.
- Spencer O'Neil was hit and walked on Saturday and has now reached base safely in 13-straight games.
- Joe Arlt had another strong outing on Saturday, allowing just one run over three innings of relief.
- Following Robinson's double in the second, the Sweets did not record a hit until the seventh inning.
- Walla Walla begins a split four-game series with the Applesox tonight. It is a rematch of last year's East Division Championship.
- The two teams will play tonight and tomorrow in Wenatchee before playing games three and four in Walla Walla on July 4 and 5.
- Walla Walla and Wenatchee will do the same thing at the end of July but in the reverse order.
- Last season, the Sweets went 3-6 against the Applesox. They then swept Wenatchee in the East Division Championship round.
- Zach Brandon will start on the mound for the Sweets tonight. He is 0-2 with a 6.28 ERA in four appearances (three starts). He has struck out 14 and walked just four in 14.1 innings. He has struck out three in each of his last three outings.

Sweets ride big first to victory

The Sweets scored seven runs in the first inning and never looked back as they defeated Bellingham, 10-2, on Friday. It was the third-straight victory for the Sweets and they have now won six of their last seven.

Now some notes from around the ballpark:
- The Sweets scored seven runs on seven hits in the first inning Friday. It is the fifth time this season the Sweets have scored six or more runs in a single inning.
- Spencer O'Neil and Kris Paulino book-ended the seven-run outburst with two-run triples. Kalani Brackenridge added a two-run single and Shane Zeile drove in the other run with a single.
- O'Neil finished the game with a double, triple and three RBI. He is now tied for the league-lead with 19 RBI on the season.
- In his last 10 games, he has struck out just twice in 31 at-bats. He struck out 16 times in his first 45 at-bats of the season.
- Paulino picked up his second triple of the season in the first inning. He is now tied with Ben Ruff and Alex Bonczyk for the team lead in that category.
- As a team, the Sweets lead the WCL with 10 triples.
- Brett Jacobs registered his second four-hit game of the season on Friday. He had hits in each of his first four ABs and scored three runs on the night. Since returning from Canada, Jacobs has scored eight runs and picked up three doubles in six games.
- Ryan Cooper extended his hitting streak to nine games with a single in the first inning. He is hitting a team-high .419.
- Brackenridge has driven in two runs and scored three times over the last two nights.
- Hunter Virant made his first home start of the season on Friday. He gave up two runs on five hits over 5.2 innings. He struck out six and walked one. Virant held Bellingham off the board through five innings before being chased in the sixth.
- Virant didn't walk a batter until the sixth inning and also picked off two runners.
- DJ Smith had his second strong outing of the week in relief. He got the final out of the sixth and then tossed a scoreless seventh.
- Tyler Billen and Garrett Tygerson closed out the final two innings. Billen got a 4-6 DP to get out of a no-out, bases-loaded jam in the eighth, and Tygerson induced a game-ending 4-6-3 DP in the ninth.
- Matt Imhof will make his second league start of the season on Saturday. Imhof allowed one run on three hits against Kitsap last Sunday. He struck out nine and walked two over seven innings.
- He struck out the side in the first inning of that game.
- Following Saturday, the Sweets will have a day off before travelling to Wenatchee on Monday. It will be a rematch of last year's East Division Championship. The teams will play two games in Wenatchee before finishing with two games in Walla Walla on July 4 and 5. They will do the same thing at the end of the month.

Roberts dominant as Sweets beat Bend

Tyler Roberts was perfect through the first five innings and the Sweets broke a scoreless tie with five late runs on their way to a 5-1 victory over Bend on Thursday. The Sweets have now won back-to-back series for the first time this season.

Now some notes from around the ballpark:
- Tyler Roberts set down the first 15 Elks in order before Parker Guinn reached on an infield single to lead off the sixth. Roberts eventually left Guinn at third with a strikeout.
- Of the first 15 outs, seven were ground balls to Shane Zeile at third, four were strikeouts, two were fly outs and two were ground balls to the right side.
- Roberts would go seven innings, allowing one run on three hits while striking out five. It was his longest outing of the season and he picked up his first win.
- The Sweets got on the board in the fifth with a pair of two-out hits from Kalani Brackenridge and Ryan Cooper. Brackenridge singled to start the rally and Cooper followed with a double to left-center to score him.
- Walla Walla then added to the lead in the sixth as they loaded the bases with no outs. Ben Ruff knocked a single up the middle to score one but the Sweets then hit into an inning-ending double play.
- Bend scored its only run in the seventh on a single from Grant Newton. It nearly scored two but Spencer O'Neil fired home and Jarrod Turner applied the tag on Steven Halcomb just before Halcomb crossed the plate. Video review showed that Halcomb's foot actually popped up before hitting the plate to allow Turner to apply the tag.
- The Sweets put the game away in the seventh with three runs. O'Neil was hit with the bases loaded to score a run and Nick Vilter added a two-run single to make it 5-1.
- O'Neil has now been on base in 11-straight games. He was hit three times on Thursday and now leads the league with 10. In his last nine WCL games, O'Neil has scored eight runs and driven in eight.
- Cooper batted leadoff for the first time this season and picked up three hits. His single in the third extended his hitting streak to eight games.
- Brackenridge reached base three times with two walks and a single and scored two runs.
- Shane Zeile was on base twice with a single and a walk and he also scored twice.
- Kevin Hawk saw game action for the first time since June 11 when he came on in the eighth on Thursday. Hawk has missed the last two and a half weeks with a knee injury.
- Joe Arlt tossed a scoreless eighth inning on Thursday and has allowed just one run over his last 12.1 innings. He has struck out 14 and walked just four in his last four appearances.
- The Sweets pitching staff allowed just four runs on just 15 hits in the three-game series against Bend.
- The Sweets have hit into 13 double plays in the last 10 games.
- The Sweets are in the middle of the pack as far as batting average and fielding percentage go in the WCL. Their .260 average is fifth and their .963 fielding percentage is also fifth.
- In nine home dates, the Sweets have drawn 11,412 fans for an average of 1,268. That is second in the league behind Bend.
- The Sweets open a mini two-game series against Bellingham on Friday. It will be the first of two two-game series between the two teams. Bellingham will come back for two more games at the end of July. The Sweets will then end their season with a four-game series in Bellingham.
- Walla Walla edged out the Bells last season for the second and final playoff spot in the East Division.

Big eighth inning propels Sweets

The Sweets fell behind 2-0 early on Wednesday but battled back to tie the game in the sixth inning and then broke the tie with four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to earn a 6-2 victory. Shane Zeile broke the tie with a two-run triple and Chance Kopacz and Ryan Cooper each added RBI hits. It was the first win for the Sweets against Bend this season.

Now for some notes from around the ballpark:
- The victory on Wednesday is the first for the Sweets over the Elks in five tries this season. Walla Walla will go for the series victory on Thursday.
- Nick Vilter had a hand in each of the first two runs of the game. He put the Sweets on the board in the fourth with a ground ball double play that scored a run from third. Vilter then tied the game in the sixth with a two-out single up the middle.
- Shane Zeile continued to excel for the Sweets in his second game. He came up with runners on first and second and one out in the eighth and ripped a triple into the right-center gap to break the tie. It was his first hit as a Sweet and his first two RBI.
- Spencer O'Neil had a big day as well for the Sweets. He reached base in all four plate appearances with two hits, a walk and a hit by a pitch. O'Neil scored three runs and has now hit safely in five straight games. He's also reached base safely in 10 straight.
- O'Neil leads the team in RBI with 15 and runs scored with 13.
- Ryan Cooper extended his hitting streak to seven games with a single in the seventh. He then came up in the eighth and tripled down the right field line to drive a run.
- Cooper also made an excellent defensive play in the third inning as he robbed Joey Mathews of a home run with a leaping catch at the wall in left field.
- Kyle Kingsley started for the Sweets and lasted six innings. He allowed two runs on five hits and struck out two. He earned a no decision.
- Doug Ashby tossed a scoreless seventh as he worked out of a second-and-third jam.
- DJ Smith faced the similar situation in the eighth and worked out of the jam after hitting two batters. It was his first appearance since June 12.
- Ben Ruff struck out the side in a scoreless ninth inning.
- The Sweets improved their record to 6-5 at home this season, including non-league games. Against league opponents, the Sweets are 4-4.
- Tyler Roberts will make his fourth start of the summer tonight. He has faced Corvallis twice and Kelowna once. He is 0-2 with a 4.02 ERA in three starts. Roberts has pitched at least five innings in all three of his starts.

Bend stymies Sweets, again

It is becoming apparent that Bend just might have the Sweets' number this year. For the fourth time this season, the Sweets put the tying runs on base in the ninth inning only to come up short against the Elks on Tuesday. Logan Frandsen caught Shane Zeile's fly ball to right-center while he was falling to the ground to close out the 1-0 victory for Bend.

Now some notes from around the ballpark:
- The loss on Tuesday snapped the Sweets' season-long three-game winning streak.
- The Sweets are now 0-4 against the Elks this season.
- Arturo Reyes was dominant in defeat, scattering four hits in a complete game. He struck out seven and walked only two. He didn't allow a hit after the fourth inning.
- It was Reyes's second complete game on the summer but it dropped his record to 2-1.
- Shane Zeile made his debut with the Sweets on Tuesday and he officially fills out the 2012 roster. Zeile started at third and batted fifth.
- He made three outstanding defensive plays behind Reyes and nearly won the game in the bottom of the ninth inning.
- Kyle Kingsley will get the start on Wednesday for the Sweets. He is 1-1 with a 6.89 ERA in three starts to date. He has faced Bend once already this season, allowing three runs on seven hits over 5.1 innings. He did not walk a batter and struck out five.
- He gave up eight runs in four innings against Kelowna in his last start.

Sweets wrap up trip with 8-6 victory

Walla Walla closed out its longest road trip of the year with an 8-6 victor over Kitsap on Monday evening. The Sweets scored three runs in each of the fifth and sixth innings and then worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth to hang on for the victory. They begin a five-game homestand tonight against Bend.

Now some notes from around the ballpark:
- The Sweets went 4-3 on their season-long seven-game road trip. After dropping three-of-four to Kelowna, the Sweets swept Kitsap. Walla Walla took five-of-six from the BlueJackets this year.
- The series sweep is the first this season for the Sweets and it gives them their first winning streak of the season.
- Walla Walla finished with a 4-9 record after playing 13 consecutive WCL games on the road.
- Spencer O'Neil had a big night for the Sweets on Monday, driving in a season-high four runs. He hit a two-run home run to tie the game at 4-4 in the fifth and then made it 8-5 with a two-run single in the sixth.
- O'Neil now leads the Sweets with 15 RBI and three home runs. He's also tied for the team lead with 10 runs scored. He drove in six runs and scored three over the final two games of the series against Kitsap.
- Kris Paulino had the best road trip of any Sweet, hitting .417 (10-for-24). He scored nine runs, drew seven walks and reached base at a .576 clip. He had eight hits and scored eight runs over the final five games of the trip.
- He was also named the Abajian Toyota/Scion Player of the Week.
- Brett Jacobs also had a strong finish to the trip, collecting three hits and driving in two runs on Monday. He also hit his fourth double of the season.
- Nick Vilter hit his first home run of the summer on Monday. He followed O'Neil's two-run home run in the fifth with a solo shot of his own to left field.
- Luke West was outstanding in relief on Monday, tossing four scoreless innings. He allowed just one hit and struck out four to earn his first win of the season. In his last three appearances, he has allowed just one run on six hits over 7.1 innings. He has struck out seven in that span.
- Ben Ruff picked up his first save of the summer on Monday, escaping a jam in the ninth. Paulino snared a Francisco Tellez line drive and turned into a game-ending double play to preserve the win.
- Tuesday's home game against Bend will be the Sweets' first home league game since June 6 when they defeated Kitsap, 4-3.
- The Sweets will play 10 of their next 12 at home before departing on their last long road trip in mid-July.
- Arturo Reyes will start on Tuesday for the Sweets and will be looking for his third win of the summer. It would tie him for the league lead.
- Bend enters the series having lost its last four. The Elks fell to Kitsap on Thursday and then were swept in Kelowna the past two days.
- They are 8-9 and in second place in the West Division. The Elks swept the Sweets in Bend on June 10-12. All three games were decided by four runs or less.

Sweets get big sweep of Kitsap

Sunday was a day for sweeps as the Sweets picked up two victories over Kitsap. Walla Walla took the first game, 3-1, and then earned the sweep with a 12-6 victory in the nightcap. The Sweets will look for the series sweep tonight at 6:35 p.m.

Now some notes from around the ballpark:
- The Sweets won two games yesterday and have won two games in a row for the first time since June 3-5 when they beat Corvallis and Kitsap in back-to-back games.
- With the two wins, the Sweets improved to 6-12 and are seven games behind Bellingham and Kelowna for second place in the East Division standings. Both teams are 12-5.
- The Sweets have now won four-of-five against Kitsap this season. The BlueJackets only victory came in the second game of the team's doubleheader on June 5.
- Game one went to extra innings yesterday and Chance Kopacz provided the big hit, breaking a 1-1 tie in the top of the ninth with a two-run single to left. Kopacz had three similar hits last summer for the Sweets.
- Matt Imhof started for the Sweets and struck out nine over seven innings. He allowed just one run on three hits and walked two.
- After Jordan Ellis hit a leadoff triple in the third, Imhof would not allow another hit the rest of his outing. Simon Anderson took over in the eighth and tossed two hitless innings to earn his first win of the summer.
- In game two, the Sweets used five Kitsap errors to take a 2-0 lead after 3 1/2 innings. Kitsap then scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 3-2 lead.
- Walla Walla responded with three runs of their own as Brett Jacobs, Spencer O'Neil and Kopacz all provided RBIs.
- The Sweets put the game away with six runs in the sixth. Jacobs and O'Neil each had RBIs in the inning and Kopacz delivered a two-run single.
- Joe Arlt got the win in relief, tossing 2.2 scoreless innings. He struck out four and allowed just two hits.
- In the doubleheader, Kopacz drove in five runs.
- Alex Bonczyk and O'Neil each had three hits in the second game. Bonczyk scored three runs from the second spot in the lineup.
- Kris Paulino had hits in each game and scored four runs.
- O'Neil and Bonczyk are tied for the team lead with nine runs scored. O'Neil's 11 RBI are the most on the team.
- Ryan Cooper had a great day on the bases in game two. He had two hits, drove in two runs and stole four three bases. He is a perfect 4-for-4 in the category on the season.
- Kody Young will make his first start of the summer for the Sweets tonight. He was signed on Saturday. He pitched for the Sweets in 2010.
- That season he went 2-2 with a 2.90 ERA in 49.2 innings. He walked 21 and struck out 43.