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.