Tuesday, July 31, 2012

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.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

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.

Friday, July 27, 2012

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.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

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.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

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.

Sunday, July 22, 2012

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.

Saturday, July 21, 2012

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.

Friday, July 20, 2012

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.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

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.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

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.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

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.

Sunday, July 15, 2012

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.

Saturday, July 14, 2012

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.

Friday, July 13, 2012

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.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

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. 

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

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.

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

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.

Sunday, July 8, 2012

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.

Saturday, July 7, 2012

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.

Friday, July 6, 2012

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.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

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.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

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.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

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.

Monday, July 2, 2012

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.