Sweets win fifth of last six games with win over Springfield

The Walla Walla Sweets claimed their fifth win in their last six games on Tuesday, July 19, in the opening game of a three-game West Coast League baseball series with the Springfield Drifters at Borleske Stadium.

Walla Walla scored seven times in the first inning and held on for a 10-5 victory.

The Sweets evened their second-half record at 5-5 and are 17-20 overall.

Springfield, managed by former Whitman star Tommy Richards, are 5-8 and 15-25.

Josh Williams plated the initial run of the Sweets first inning with a single; Malcom Williams and Davis Mieliwocki drew back-to-back, bases-loaded walks; and Joey Craig provided the loudest bang of the frame with a grand slam home run to left — his second round-tripper of the season.

The Drifters did not go down quietly. Springfield scored twice in both the third and fifth innings, and closed to within two, 7-5, in the sixth.

Walla Walla put the contest out of reach in the eighth inning. Runs batted in came off the bats of Craig (single), Ben Schulte (sacrifice fly to right field), and Josh Williams (single to center).

Sweets right-handed relief pitcher Quinten O’Connor was credited with the win despite allowing three earned runs in as many innings and five hits.

Matthew Flores picked up the save with two shutout innings. He walked three and struck out two while lowering his earned average to 1.35.

Game two of the series is Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. That game ended too late for the U-B deadline, see union-bulletin.com/sports for the story.