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.

Sweets washed out, play two today

The Sweets have returned from Canada and find themselves in Bremerton, Wash., to begin a three-game series with Kitsap. The two teams were scheduled to start their series on Saturday but poor field conditions caused the cancellation of the game. Due to that, the teams will play a doubleheader today starting at 4:05 p.m.

Now for some notes from around the ballpark:
- The Sweets welcome back Joe Arlt, Jarrod Turner and Marc Garza on Sunday. The three were unable to make the trip to Kelowna due to passport problems.
- The Sweets have also announced the signing of right-hander Kody Young from Liberty University. Young pitched for the Sweets in 2010 and was scheduled to pitch for them last summer before being shutdown.
- Friday's loss to Kelowna marked the second time this season the Sweets have blown an eighth-inning lead.
They let a 4-2 lead slip away in the eighth inning against Corvallis on Opening Night.
- Alex Bonczyk came through big on Friday, delivering a two-out, two-strike, two-run triple to right field to give the Sweets a 2-1 lead. Brett Jacobs followed with a single to make it 3-1.
- Hunter Virant pitched well in his first start of the summer, allowing just one run on one hit in five innings. He walked seven and struck out four.
- Sunday's doubleheader with Kitsap will be the second time this season the teams will have played a doubleheader. They played two games on June 5 at Borleske Stadium. The Sweets won the first game and lost game two in nine innings.
- Both games today are scheduled for seven innings.
- Matt Imhof will pitch game one of the doubleheader and Zach Brandon will get game two.
- It will be Imhof's second start of the summer, while Brandon will be making his third start against WCL opponents. He allowed two runs over five innings against Kitsap back on June 5.

Sweets toppled again

The Sweets allowed double-digit runs for the fourth consecutive game on Thursday, falling to Kelowna, 14-3. Walla Walla held leads of 2-0 and 3-2 but the Falcons scored the final 12 runs of the game.

Now for some notes from around the ballpark:
- The Sweets have allowed 10 or more runs in each of their last four league games. In that span, the Sweets have allowed 52 runs and gone 1-3.
- In three games against the Falcons, the Sweets have allowed 39 runs on 56 hits. The Falcons are hitting .448 in the series and .340 on the season.
- Walla Walla jumped out to a 2-0 lead on Thursday thanks to a two-run double from J.J. Robinson in the second inning. It was the first two RBI of the season for Robinson.
- Robinson has five hits in the series and has raised his average to .267.
- Kris Paulino reached base safely three times on Thursday and has reached base safely 11 times in just 14 at-bats.
- Nick Vilter picked up an RBI single in the third inning and has collected a hit in all five games he has been with the Sweets.
- After scoring two runs in each of the second and third innings, the Falcons scored four runs in the sixth and six runs in the eighth.
- Hunter Virant will make his first start of the summer tonight against the Falcons. He made a relief appearance on Sunday against the Portland Lobos. Virant was an 11th round pick of the Houston Astros two weeks ago.
- Following tonight's game, the Sweets will head to Kitsap to begin a three-game series with the BlueJackets.

Sweets drop game two, 13-1

In a 180-degree turn from Tuesday night, the Sweets were pounded by the Falcons on Wednesday evening. Kelowna scored five runs in the second inning and then plated seven runs over the middle innings to put the game away. They racked up 21 hits in the ballgame and held the Sweets to just 6 hits.

Now some notes from around the ballpark:
- Wednesday marked the fourth time this season the Sweets have allowed 10 or more runs in a game. They have allowed 38 runs in their last three league games.
- The Sweets were hit by four pitches on Wednesday but were picked off twice on the basepaths and also hit into four double plays.
- Kris Paulino batted leadoff for the first time this season last night. He was hit in each of his first two at-bats, extending his consecutive on-base streak to eight at-bats. He flew out in the fifth to snap the skid.
- Nick Vilter was the only Sweet to register a multi-hit game.
- Luke West was strong out of the bullpen, working out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the seventh inning. He got a line drive double play and a fly ball to center. He then left the bases loaded in the eighth with a strikeout.
- J.J. Robinson worked a walk last night and has now drawn at least one walk in each of his last six games. He has posted a .349 on-base percentage.
- Alex Bonczyk reached base twice last night with a hit and a walk and has reached base safely in all but two games this season. He has a hit in each of his last four games.
- Kalani Brackenridge had one of the Sweets' six hits on Wednesday and his hit safely in each of his last five games.
- Tyler Roberts will make his third WCL start of the summer and his fourth overall. He has faced Corvallis twice and started against the Northwest Honkers.
- He is 0-1 with a 2.53 ERA in 10.2 innings. He gave up two runs on four hits in five innings on Opening Day and then allowed two runs on five hits over 5.2 innings last Thursday. He has walked five and struck out four on the year.
- The Sweets will face Kelowna ace Brandon Marris on Thursday. The right-hander has not allowed a run over 16.1 innings to start the season. He tossed a complete-game, four-hit shutout in his last outing.
- Last season, he threw 81.1 innings and struck out 71 for the Falcons. He faced the Sweets three times last season. He combined to throw five scoreless innings of relief over two days last season at Elks Stadium and then started against the Sweets in late July. He earned the win with four scoreless relief innings at Elks and then suffered a tough-luck loss in Walla Walla. He gave up four runs (one earned) on three hits and struck out nine.

Sweets start trip with offensive outburst

Walla Walla started its second road trip of the season much better than they began the first. The Sweets sent 18 batters to the plate and scored 12 runs in the second inning on their way to 15-12 victory over Kelowna on Tuesday.

Now some notes from around the ballpark:
- The Sweets sent 18 batters to the plate and scored 12 runs in the second inning. Every batter reached in the inning and every batter scored in the inning.
- Brett Jacobs and Alex Bonczyk each drove in three runs in the inning. Chance Kopacz also produced a two-run single.
- Every batter in the lineup scored at least one run and every batter in the lineup had at least one hit. Only two players did not drive in a run.
- Kalani Brackenridge drove in three runs and scored three runs and Kopacz matched him with three runs scored.
- Brett Jacobs had hits in each of his first two at-bats and is now hitting .462 in three league games. He is 6-for-13.
- Kris Paulino reached base safely in all six at-bats last night. He walked four times, picked up two singles and drove in two runs.
- J.J. Robinson and Kopacz each had three hits and Robinson scored his first run of the season.
- Despite giving up eight runs over 6 1/3 innings, Arturo Reyes earned his second win of the season. He struck out just one batter.
- Simon Anderson earned his second save with 2 1/3 innings of relief. He entered with two outs and the bases loaded in the seventh and he got a ground ball to keep the score 12-8.
- In their last three games overall, the Sweets have scored 47 runs.
- Kyle Kingsley will make his third start of the summer on Wednesday night. He is 1-0 with a 3.09 ERA. He has struck out seven and walked just one in 11 2/3 innings. He allowed three runs on seven hits in his last start against Bend on June 11. He struck out five and did not walk a batter.

Sweets pound Lobos, start seven-game road trip

The Sweets just arrived in Kelowna, B.C., and are getting set to start a four-game series with the Kelowna Falcons. Last time out, the Sweets continued their torrid offensive effort with 23 runs on Sunday night against the Portland Lobos. Walla Walla set team records with 23 runs and 17 hits in the 23-2 victory.

Now some news from around the ballpark:

- 

  - The Sweets begin their first and only trip to Kelowna this season on Tuesday night. They will face the Falcons four games, with each game beginning at 6:35 p.m.

   - Walla Walla dropped 2-of-3 at Elks Stadium last summer. The Sweets’ only win came in the series finale as they snapped an eight-game losing streak.

   - The Sweets enter Tuesday’s game having lost six-straight league games.

-- On Sunday, the Sweets set team records for runs scored (23) and hits (17). Jared Jordan also set a team record with six RBI.

-        -  It was Jordan’s final game with the Sweets. He also scored four runs and connected on a fifth-inning grand slam. He was a temp player that had to go home to work.

-          - Kalani Brackenridge also homered on Sunday. It was his first ever home run.

-          - The Sweets welcomed Kris Paulino and Ryan Cooper to the lineup on Sunday. Both arrived on a plane in the afternoon and entered the game in the fifth inning. Each had a pair of hits with Paulino contributing a two-run triple.

-         -  Sweets fans got their first glimpse at Hunter Virant on Sunday. He tossed a scoreless inning in his first appearance of the summer.

-         -  Arturo Reyes will start the series-opener on Tuesday. He has allowed just one run over 13 innings this summer. Reyes tossed six scoreless innings in his last start against Corvallis last week.

   - Tuesday's contest starts a seven-game road trip for the Sweets that also includes a three-game trip to Kitsap starting on Saturday.

Sweets get off schneid, 9-2

Walla Walla broke its seven-game losing streak on Saturday behind a six-run first inning. The Sweets defeated the Portland Lobos, 9-2.

Now for some notes from around the ballpark:
- Saturday's game was the first at home for the Sweets in over a week. They evened their record at 4-4 in home games this season.
- The Sweets are also now 1-1 against non-league opponents with four games remaining.
- The six-run first inning was the biggest inning the Sweets have had this season. They scored the six runs on four hits. Their previous mark was five, set in the seventh inning against Bend.
- The Sweets welcomed three new faces to the ballpark on Saturday and two helped immediately. Matt Imhof (Cal Poly) started and went 4.2 innings, striking out five and issuing just one walk. He allowed two runs on seven hits.
- Nick Vilter also made his debut yesterday and went 2-for-4 with two runs scored in the second spot in the lineup.
- The third new face was left-hander Hunter Virant. He did not pitch yesterday but could make his debut this evening.
- The Sweets will also welcoming two more players today as UC Irvine teammates Kris Paulino and Ryan Cooper arrive in town this afternoon.
- Brett Jacobs returned from summer school yesterday and picked up where he left off at the plate. He had four hits, drove in a run and scored a run in the victory. In his last game before leaving, Jacobs collected three doubles. He is 8-for-13 on the season.
- Chance Kopacz had his best game of the summer on Saturday, collecting three hits, three RBI and three runs scored. He capped the six-run first with a three-run home run, his first of the summer.
- The Sweets bullpen was particularly effective last night as Joe Arlt, J.J. Robinson and Ben Ruff combined to toss 4.1 innings of scoreless relief, allowing just one hit. Arlt struck out four in 2.1 innings and Robinson and Ruff each tossed a scoreless frame. It was the first appearances of the summer for Robinson and Ruff.
- Zach Brandon will make his third start of the summer tonight. He has struck out a team-high 11 batters this summer and walked only two. He is 0-2 with a 5.73 ERA.
- Following tonight's game the Sweets will enjoy an off-day on Monday. They will then begin a seven-game road trip in Kelowna on Tuesday. They play the Falcons four times before finishing the trip with a three-game series in Kitsap.

Road trip ends with 13-0 loss

The Sweets' first road trip of the season did not go as planned. Walla Walla fell 13-0 to Corvallis on Friday and dropped all six games on its first road trip of the summer. The Sweets have dropped seven in a row overall (including NW Honkers loss) and are one loss shy of tying the program mark of eight set during each of the first two years.

Now some news from around the ballpark:
- Saturday is an exciting day for many reasons. The Sweets are back at home for the first time in over a week, its 85 degrees and the roster is finally filling out.
- Walla Walla's first seven home games of the season were played in cold and rain but Saturday's forecast calls for partly cloudy skies with some cooler temperatures at night.
- With the Californian schools finally finishing, the Sweets roster is finally filling out. Matt Imhof (Cal Poly) arrived two days ago and will get the start tonight. Nick Vilter (UC Riverside) and Hunter Virant (Camarillo HS) arrived yesterday.
- Virant was an 11th round pick of the Houston Astros two weeks ago in the MLB Amateur Draft.
- Kris Paulino and Ryan Cooper, both from UC Irvine, will arrive on Sunday morning and give the Sweets their full allotment of players.
- In Friday's game against Corvallis, Jarrod Turner picked up another double, his third of the summer. He has doubled in each of his last two games.
- Jared Jordan also picked up a double and leads the team with four on the season. His temp contract is running out however and this weekend will be his last with the Sweets.
- Jordan and Turner were the only two Sweets to hit over .300 on the road trip as both collected seven hits.
- Tyler Billen had his longest outing since last August against Wenatchee on Friday. He tossed 5.1 innings of relief and allowed just one run. He retired the first 11 batters he faced.
- Alex Stanford, the 2011 WCL MVP, will be back at Borleske Stadium to throw out the first pitch on Saturday night. He set the league record with 66 hits last summer.

Sweets' skid hits five

Corvallis broke a scoreless tie with two runs in the fifth and then answered a seventh-inning Sweets run with three runs of its own in the bottom of the seventh to take a 5-1 victory. The Knights have won the first two games of the series.

Now some notes from around the ballpark:
- The Knights have won both games in this series and four-of-five this season against the Sweets. Tonight's game is the final game between the two teams this season.
- Walla Walla has dropped five-straight games, all on its first road trip of the season.
- At 3-8, the Sweets have lost just one game by four runs or more this season, a 12-3 loss to Corvallis on June 2.
- Jared Jordan and Jarrod Turner each had two hits for the Sweets on Thursday. They both collected a double and Jordan scored the only Sweets run.
- Walla Walla halved the Knights lead in the top of the seventh but left the tying run on base.
- Corvallis scored all five of its runs in two separate innings. They had two runs on four hits in the fifth and three runs on four hits in the seventh. They had just two hits the rest of the night.
- With two doubles last season, the Sweets have now hit 14 on the season. In all, the Sweets have 22 extra-base hits, good for second in the league behind Bellingham's 25.
- The Sweets are tied for the league lead in triples with four and second in home runs with five.
- Walla Walla has struck out 75 times this season, the second most in the WCL.
- Tyler Roberts suffered his first loss on Thursday despite a strong start. He faced the minimum over the first three innings for the second consecutive start against Corvallis but was touched for two runs in the fifth. He struck out three and walked three in 5.2 innings.
- Simon Anderson relieved him and threw the final 2.1 innings. He allowed three runs on five hits. The runs were the first Anderson had allowed since June 17 of last season against Wenatchee.
- Turner is the only Sweet, outside of Brett Jacobs, that is hitting over .300. He sits at .361 with a team-high .477 on-base percentage.
- The Sweets went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position on Thursday and are hitting just .196 with men in scoring position on the season. The number gets worse with two outs as the Sweets are hitting only .140.
- Left-hander Doug Ashby will make his first start of the summer tonight. He was 4-1 as a starter for the Coppell Copperheads of the Texas Collegiate League last summer. He posted a 2.44 ERA in 62.2 innings, striking out 42 and issuing just 17 walks. He was named an All-Star and helped his team to the league championship.

Sweets drop fourth-straight on the road

Four the fourth-straight game the Sweets were there but just could not get over the hump. On Wednesday, Walla Walla and Corvallis were scoreless through six innings before the Knights scored two in the bottom of the seventh thanks to a pair of walks.

Now some notes from around the ballpark:
- The Knights have won three-of-four against the Sweets this season. Corvallis has now won eight of the last nine against the Sweets after dropping two-of-three to begin the 2011 season.
- Walla Walla was limited to just four hits and struck out 10 times on Wednesday.
- Jarrod Turner's eight-game hitting streak and nine-game on-base streak came to a halt with an 0-for-4 performance in the series opener.
- Walla Walla's best chance to score came in the fifth inning when Chance Kopacz led off with a triple to left-center and J.J. Robinson walked. The Sweets were unable to score, though, as Robinson was picked off, Jared Jordan struck out and Kalani Brackenridge grounded out.
- Arturo Reyes turned in another strong start, lasting six innings. He scattered six hits, struck out three and walked one in six scoreless innings. He has allowed just one run and one walk over 13 innings this season.
- The Knights scored their only two runs thanks to a pair of leadoff walks in the seventh inning.
- Wednesday's defeat marked the first time the Sweets had been shutout this season.
-  Ben Ruff picked up a double on Wednesday and now has six extra-base hits this season. He has three doubles, two triples and a home run.
- Garrett Tygerson had his most productive outing of the season out of the bullpen. He tossed two scoreless innings.
- The Sweets' roster continues to take shape as Matt Imhof arrived in Walla Walla on Thursday. A freshman at Cal Poly this spring, Imhof will have a few days to get settled before the Sweets return on Saturday.
- The rest of the team is also expected to be in town for Saturday's game against the Portland Lobos.
- Tyler Roberts will make his second league start of the year and his second start against Corvallis. He allowed two runs on five hits over five innings in a no decision on Opening Night. He retired the first nine batters he faced before giving up two runs in the fourth.
- Corvallis will counter with Max Beatty from Pacific Lutheran. It will be Beatty's first start since last year's championship round. He missed all spring after being diagnosed with testicular cancer during the winter.

Road trip continues in Corvallis

The Sweets made another late rally but found themselves on the short end of a 6-4 score Tuesday night in Bend. The Elks swept the Sweets, winning all three games by three runs or less. Walla Walla spent the night in Bend before making its way to Corvallis on Wednesday morning to start a three-game series with the Knights.

Now some news from around the ballpark:
- The Sweets were swept in a regular-season series for the first time since last July at home against Bellingham.
- Walla Walla has lost three-straight and are in last place in the East Division.
- The Sweets made a late-game rally for the third-straight night against Bend. Trailing 6-1 in the ninth, the Sweets scored three runs and put the tying runs on base. Jarrod Turner produced an RBI single and Spencer O'Neil hit his second home run of the season.
- Turner's ninth-inning single extended his hitting streak to eight games. He worked a walk in the seventh and has reached base safely in all nine games this season.
- O'Neil was just one for his last 21 prior to his home run in the ninth inning. He now leads the team with eight RBI and the league with two home runs.
- Both of O'Neil's home runs have been to the opposite field. Yesterday's cleared the center field fence and his home run against Corvallis on Opening Weekend was to left-center.
- This is the second meeting of the season for the Sweets and the Knights. Corvallis took two-of-three in Walla Walla during the first weekend of the season.
- The Knights won 6-4 on Opening Night and then 12-3 the following day. The Sweets earned a 9-1 victory on Sunday.
- Corvallis is 10-5 all-time against the Sweets in the regular season and 2-0 in the playoffs. Walla Walla is just 1-6 at Goss Stadium, with their only win coming in the penultimate game in the 2010 season.
- Arturo Reyes will make his second start of the season on Wednesday for the Sweets. He tossed a complete game in his only other start against Kitsap. He struck out seven and allowed just one run in earning the victory.
- Arturo's older brother, Jorge, played at Oregon State and won a National Championship with the Beavers in 2007.

Another Sweets rally falls short

For the second-straight day the Sweets put together a seventh-inning rally. And for the second consecutive day it wasn't enough to defeat Bend. On Sunday, the Sweets tied the game 3-3 with two runs in the seventh only to fall 4-3 on a home run in the eighth. On Tuesday, Walla Walla scored five runs in the top of the seventh to pull within one, 7-6, but left the bases loaded and eventually lost, 9-6.

More notes from around the ballpark:
- The Sweets have lost the first two games of their six-game road trip. Walla Walla and Bend finish their series tonight before the Sweets travel to Corvallis for three games with the Knights.
- Jarrod Turner extended his hitting streak to seven games with a hit on Monday. He has also reached base safely in all eight games this season.
- In the Sweets' seventh-inning rally on Monday, 10 batters came to the plate and eight consecutive hitters reached at one point. Kevin Hawk, Jared Jordan and Kalani Brackenridge ripped consecutive RBI singles to make it 7-4, an infield error made it 7-5 and Turner's bases-loaded walk made it 7-6.
- Zach Brandon started for the Sweets and lasted just four innings. He struck out three and walked one. Brandon has struck out 11 in 11 innings this season.
- Batting 8-9 in the order, Jordan and Brackenridge each had two hits on Monday. After picking up RBI singles in the seventh, they started a Sweets' rally in the ninth with back-to-back leadoff singles.
- Tyler Billen made his longest appearance of the summer on Monday. He retired the first six batters he faced before allowing both batters he faced in the eighth to reach.
- Luke West registered another scoreless inning of relief, retiring the final three Elks.
- Turner's .417 batting average is currently fifth in the WCL.
- Walla Walla made four errors on Monday and have now made 15 this season.
- The Sweets will look to avoid being swept in a regular-season series for the first time since last July when they were swept at home by the Bellingham Bells.
- Walla Walla will face right-hander Daniel Chavez from Bend. The Sweets faced him twice last season, going 1-1.

Sweets drop opener in Bend

Walla Walla opened up its six-game road trip with a tough 4-3 loss to Bend on Sunday evening. The Sweets trailed 3-0 after three innings but were able to tie the game with three runs over the course of the sixth and seventh innings. Steven Holcomb delivered the big blow for the Elks as he homered to lead off the eighth and break a 3-3 tie.

Here are some notes from around the ballpark:
- Sunday was the first road game for the Sweets this season. They went 13-14 on the road last year.
- Five of the Sweets' seven games this season have been decided by two runs or less. The last four games have all been decided by one run and the Sweets are 2-2 in those games.
- Jarrod Turner produced another strong game at the plate on Sunday, going 2-for-2 with a pair of walks and a run scored. He picked up the Sweets' first hit of the game in the fifth inning and then singled to start the ninth inning. His leadoff walk in the seventh started a two-run Walla Walla rally. He is hitting .450 with a .577 on-base percentage.
- Turner also has a six-game hitting streak entering Monday's afternoon affair with the Elks.
- In fact, Monday's 12:30 p.m. start will be the earliest game the Sweets have played in two years.
- Kyle Kingsley was strong in his second start of the season on Sunday. He struck out five and did not walk a batter in 5 1/3 innings. He allowed three runs on seven hits and earned a no-decision.
- Alex Bonczyk and Turner have both reached base in all seven WCL games this season.
- Zach Brandon makes his second start of the summer on Monday. The Oregon native gave up two runs on five hits over five innings in his first start against Kitsap. He struck out six and did not walk a batter.

On the road

The Sweets have hit the road for the first time this season. The team bus left Borleske Stadium at 7:00 a.m. and arrived in Bend, Ore., at 12:30 p.m. Game one is tonight at 5:00 p.m. against the Elks at Vince Genna Stadium.

Here are some notes from around the ballpark:
- The Sweets split six games with the Elks last summer, taking two-of-three here in Bend last August. Those two wins were instrumental in the Sweets' postseason run.
- Walla Walla went 13-14 on the road last season.
- Last season, the Sweets had their most successful road trip last August starting in Bend. The Sweets won two against Bend and then two against Cowlitz to go 4-2.
- Walla Walla has been lead by a trio of players that have Walla Walla CC roots. Jarrod Turner leads the team with a .389 average, Marc Garza is hitting .357 and Alex Bonczyk is hitting .320. One other WWCC prodcut, Jared Jordan, has driven in five runs.
- The Sweets have clubbed 16 extra base hits in the first six games of the season.
- Ben Ruff leads the team with four extra base hits and is slugging .667.
- Kyle Kingsley will get the start on the mound for the Sweets. It is second start of the summer. He earned a win in his first start, allowing one run on seven hits over 6 1/3 innings against Corvallis.

Walla Walla continues their six-game trip on Monday with a 12:05 first pitch against the Elks. It will be the Sweets' earliest game of the season. Zach Brandon is the scheduled starter on Tuesday.

Finally some sun!

The sun has finally come back out in Walla Walla today. After nearly two full days of rain, it appears the Sweets and BlueJackets will finish their three-game series under sunny skies. In fact, it has rained in all five games the Sweets have played this season, including yesterday's doubleheader.

The Sweets and BlueJackets split their two seven-inning games last night, the Sweets winning 2-1 and the BlueJackets taking a 3-2 decision.

Here are some notes from around the ballpark:
- Monday's rainout was the first postponed game for the Sweets since their first season back in 2010. They played 64 games last year without a cancellation.
- Due to the rainout, the Sweets and BlueJackets played two seven-inning games, splitting the pair.
- In the first game, Arturo Reyes tossed a complete game to pick up the win. He scattered five hits, struck out seven and did not walk a batter. He set down 13-straight and 16 of the final 17 to end the game.
- Jared Jordan provided all the offense, driving in both runs with a sac flies in the third and fifth innings. He scored Jarrod Turner with both.
- Marc Garza's two-run home run gave the Sweets a 2-1 lead in game two but Kitsap rallied to tie the game in the sixth and then scored the winning run in the top of the ninth on an infield single.
- Zach Brandon struck out six and didn't issue a walk in five-plus innings.
- Also, the Sweets made just one error in the doubleheader. Since making seven in the first two games, the Sweets have made just two in the last three.
- Walla Walla's temp players are all contributing. Turner is hitting .429 and has scored a team-high four runs. He is also sporting a .556 on-base percentage. Despite hitting just .167, Jordan is tied for the team lead with five RBI. In just three games with the Sweets, Garza is hitting .455 and has played a solid first base.
- Going back to some news from yesterday, Spencer O'Neil was named the WCL Co-Player of the Week for his performance against Corvallis. He went 5-for-11 with five RBI in the three-game series.
- Alex Bonczyk continues to show off his speed this year. He had a pair of bunt singles in yesterday's first game and has made several tough plays look easy in the outfield.
- The loss to Kitsap in game two snapped the Sweets' nine-game winning streak against the BlueJackets. It stretched all the way back to July 29 of 2010.
- Tonight is the first theme night of the year at the ballpark. Tonight's theme is 80's Night! All the staff will be dressed up and we will be sure to post some pictures of the staff and fans following the game.

Walla Walla concludes its opening homestand on Thursday against the Northwest Honkers. Game time is 7:05 p.m.

Sweets explode for first win of the year

It had been a tough first two games of the year for the Sweets. Sunday was a bit more exciting. Walla Walla scored in each of the first four innings and went on to defeat Corvallis 9-1 to earn its first victory of the season. The Sweets had 15 hits and collected five more extra-base hits.

Some notes from around the ballpark:

- The Sweets totaled 15 hits on the night and finished the three-game series with 33 hits. They are hitting .314 in the three games and are slugging a league-best .486.

- Walla Walla also committed just one error on the night after making seven in the first two games.

- The Sweets received multi-hit games from six different players on Sunday night. Spencer O'Neil led the way with three hits and four RBI. O'Neil also launched his first home run of the season, a two-run, opposite-field shot to left-center in the eighth.

- Alex Bonczyk had two more hits from the leadoff spot and scored three runs on the evening. He led off the game with a triple to right-center.

- The Sweets also received strong games from several of their temp players. Jared Jordan broke a 1-1 tie with a bases-clearing double in the second and Jarrod Turner and Marc Garza each contributed two hits on the night.

- Sunday's win was just the fifth for the Sweets in 17 all-time meetings with the Knights.

- Kyle Kingsley was the winning pitcher on Sunday, going 6 1/3 innings. He allowed just one run on seven hits and struck out two. Kingsley allowed just one walk.

- He allowed a first inning run but settled down to keep the Knights off the board the rest of the way before leaving in the seventh.

- Doug Ashby and Simon Anderson combined to throw 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief to close the door.

- The Sweets are suppose to open a three-game series with Kitsap tonight (Monday) but there is rain expected in the forecast all night. The tarp is currently on the field now.

- If they play, Arturo Reyes will take the mound for his first start this season. Reyes threw over 80 innings this spring and won six games for Columbia Basin. His brother, Jorge, pitched at Oregon St. and is currently in AAA with the Tucson Padres. 

- Kitsap comes to Walla Walla after sweeping Cowlitz at home to open the season. The BlueJackets won all three games by one run.

- Last year, the Sweets won all six games against Kitsap, jump-starting their second-half comeback with a sweep at Borleske Stadium in mid-July.

Sweets fall to Corvallis, 12-3

It was another tough night for the Sweets on Saturday. Corvallis raced out to a 5-0 lead and built a 12-1 lead before the Sweets tacked on two late runs for the final margin.

There was some good signs in the game for the Sweets as they hit a team record six doubles.

Here are some other notes from the ballpark:
- Walla Walla's six doubles were the most in a single game in team history. The previous high was five.
- Brett Jacobs had three of the six, becoming the first player in Sweets history to complete that feat. He drove in a run and scored a run in his final game with the Sweets until they return from their first road trip of the season in mid-June. He has to head back to Washington St. to finish up two summer courses.
- J.J. Robinson had a productive night in his Sweets debut. Robinson graduated high school on Friday and then got the start behind the plate last night. After striking out in his first at-bat, Robinson hit a pair of doubles. His first double one-hopped the right field fence.
- Ben Ruff also had a productive day at the plate for the Sweets. He picked up a pair of hits including a leadoff triple to right-center in the eighth inning.
- Walla Walla struggled in the field again on Saturday, committing three errors. The Sweets have made seven in the first two games of the year. Corvallis has yet to make an error.
- One positive from last night was that the Sweets were able to use a couple of arms. Joe Arlt started and lasted only 2 2/3 innings. DJ Smith pitched 3 1/3 innings of relief and was followed by Tyler Billen and Luke West. Billen and West were both throwing in live game action for the first time in nearly two months. That should bode well as the two will get more comfortable on the mound.
- With Jacobs heading back to school for the next week and a half, the Sweets have made another 10-day signing today. Marc Garza from Campbellsville has been signed to take over first base duties in the interim. Garza played two seasons at Walla Walla CC before transferring to Campbellsville this past year. He had 10 doubles and drove in 18 runs for the Tigers.

The Sweets and the Knights conclude their three-game series tonight at 7:05 p.m. Kyle Kingsley will get the ball. Fireworks follow tonight's contest.

The Sweets are back

The Sweets are back in town and the 2012 season is underway. It didn't start off the way that Sweets fans would have hoped, a 6-4 loss to Corvallis is how the scoreboard read after the final out on Friday night. For seven innings the Sweets were in the lead though, but one bad pitch spelled defeat for the boys in white as Austin Barr hit a grand slam in the top of the eighth for the Knights.

Opening Night was filled with great moments and Borleske Stadium was filled with a great crowd. Over 2,000 attended the game on what was a gorgeous evening for baseball; that of course until the rains came in the fifth inning. But many stuck around to see the Sweets rally with three runs in the bottom of the fifth without the benefit of a hit. They also saw Corvallis rip their hearts out again with a late rally.

Some of the other notes from around the ballpark on the first day:
- Kalani Brackenridge is back in town and made another spectacular play at second base. He laid out to catch a line drive off the bat of Dane Lund in the seventh inning. He wasn't as lucky in the eighth as a ground ball scooted off his glove to start the Corvallis rally. It was one of four errors the Sweets would make on the night.
- Brett Jacobs finally was able to play in a live game situation. Hurt during the 2011 spring season at Washington State, Jacobs missed all last summer and all this spring getting healthy. He's finally healthy and picked up a hit, two walks and scored a run in his debut last night. His time with the Sweets will short-lived however, as he must return to Washington St. to finish up two summer school classes; a technical writing English class and an introductory management class.
- Returning catcher Kevin Hawk was apparently injured during his first at-bat and played on a bad leg the rest of the game, hobbling in and out of the dugout. The initial prognosis is a lower body injury that he sustained in warmups and he will be held out of tonight's game in order to get some rest.
- Tyler Roberts put together a strong start, allowing two runs over five innings. He set down the first nine batters to start the game but was touched for two runs on four hits in the fourth inning.
- With the departure of Jacobs following tonight's game, the Sweets are now looking to fill the void they could have at first base. Chance Kopacz and Spencer O'Neil have been taking ground balls at first and Jarrod Turner started Friday at first.

The Sweets and the Knights continue their three-game series tonight at 7:05 p.m. Joe Arlt from Walla Walla CC will get the start on the mound for Walla Walla.