PORT ANGELES, Wash. – The Yakima Valley Pippins have filed an official protest of Tuesday’s game against the Port Angeles Lefties with the West Coast League commissioner’s office. The protest was filed because inclement weather stopped and then prevented the resumption of the contest in Port Angeles, in which the Pippins led 9-0 in the fifth inning, general manager Jeff Garretson said Tuesday night.

The Pippins have filed the protest under WCL rule 2.10.D, which addresses games stopped before they have become official contests (home team leading after 4 ½ innings, or visiting team leading after 5 full innings) and the situations in which they shall be resumed from the point at which play was suspended.

The Pippins filed the protest because the field did not have tarps for key areas of the playing surface, including the pitchers’ mound and home plate, and drying material on hand to treat wet areas and reduce the effects of a rain delay on completing a legal contest.

The Pippins will await a decision from the WCL office.

The Pippins hit the road for their longest road trip of the season, a 6-game trip to Port Angeles and Corvallis, today. Yakima Valley is in the midst of a season-long 4-game losing streak, and will send reigning WCL Pitcher of the Week Joe Magrisi to the mound to try and break the streak. Magrisi leads the WCL with 27 strikeouts, and has a 1-0 record and 1.12 ERA in 16 innings. He will be opposed by Port Angeles right-hander Tyler Tan. First pitch at Civic Field is set for 6:35 PM PT, with pregame coverage with Miles Klotz beginning at 6:20 PM at pippinsbaseball.com/live.

Full Game Notes

PIPPINS SHUT DOWN OFFENSIVELY, SWEPT BY CORVALLIS: The Pippins offense struggled as much as it has all season on Monday in an 11-0 loss to Corvallis, clinching the 3-game road series sweep for the Knights. The Knights had a nice day offensively, teeing off for 5 runs in the fourth off of Pippins starter Mark Woinarowicz to take an early lead, but the story was left-handed starter Chase Watkins, who shut down the Pippins over 6 shutout innings, allowing one bloop single and a pair of walks while fanning 7. The Corvallis bullpen was shutdown as well, as three different arms tossed scoreless frames to seal the victory. Owen Cobb collected the only hit of the day for the Pippins, a single.

FOR THE PIPPINS: Right-hander Joe Magrisi will make his fourth start of the summer for the Pippins tonight to open the series in Port Angeles. Named the West Coast League Moss Adams Pitcher of the Week for the second time this season on Monday, Magrisi holds a 1-0 record and 1.12 ERA through 4 appearances (3 starts), while striking out a league-leading 27 batters in 16 innings of work. In his last start against Kelowna last Wednesday, Magrisi tossed 6 no-hit innings, walking one and striking out 11.

FOR THE LEFTIES: Right-hander Tyler Tan will make his third start of the summer for Port Angeles tonight against the Pippins. The 5-foot-7, 160-pound native of Kent, Washington, is 1-0 on the season so far with a 2.76 ERA through 2 starts, although he has not pitched since June 15 in Ridgefield, when he allowed 3 earned runs over 6 innings of work. In his season debut against Bellingham, he picked up the win with 7 innings of one-run ball. Tan attends Skagit Valley College, a junior college in Mount Vernon, WA, where he is coached by Lefties head coach Darren Westergard.

A LOOK AT THE LEFTIES: After jumping out to a 4-2 start, winning series against Portland and Bellingham, the Lefties have slowed down considerably over the last two weeks. Port Angeles has lost their last four consecutive series, including a home sweep at the hands of Wenatchee last week. The Lefties, who sit 5th in the WCL North Division with a 7-11 record, one game ahead of the Pippins, rank near the top of the league in many offensive categories, including runs scored (115, 3rd) and home runs (13, t-2nd). On the flipside, their pitching staff ranks near the bottom in many categories, including team ERA (5.42, 9th) and walks allowed (79, 4th).

TRYING TO STOP THE BLEEDING: With Monday’s loss, the Pippins have dropped four straight, their second four game losing streak of the season, as well as their longest home losing streak of the season. In addition, the Pippins have lost four consecutive road games, with their last win away from home coming on the season’s second day in Ridgefield. The Pippins’ last four-game losing streak came in 2018, when they were swept on the road by Portland and lost the opening of a 3-game series at home to Kelowna in June.

A LOT OF DUDES: Nick Israel made his debut for the Pippins on Monday with an 0-for-4 performance, in turn becoming the 37th different player to appear in a Pippins uniform so far this season through 18 games. A litany of injures has led to larger-than-expected roster turnover early in the season.

ODDS & ENDS: The Pippins committed 3 errors on Monday, their 7th consecutive game with multiple errors…the Pippins, having lost four straight at home, will now play 9 of their next 12 away from Yakima County Stadium to close out the first half of the WCL season.

YAKIMA, Wash. – The Yakima Valley Pippins managed just one hit over nine innings on Monday, falling in the series finale to Corvallis, 11-0, allowing the Knights to complete a 3-game series sweep at Yakima County Stadium.

From the jump, Corvallis (9-6) left-hander Chase Watkins overpowered the Pippins (8-10) lineup. After surging for 7 runs on 12 hits on Sunday, Watkins carved through the Pippins’ starting nine, allowing just two walks and one bloop single over 6 scoreless innings. That was more than enough for a strong day from the Corvallis offense.

Owen Cobb had the only hit of the day for the Pippins in the fifth inning. He hit a high fly ball to shallow left-center field, but miscommunication between Corvallis shortstop Michael Currialle and left fielder Jake Holcroft allowed the ball to drop. With Knights relievers Trevor Bateson, Nick Caviglia, and Trace Hokkanen all firing scoreless frames, that miscommunication proved to be the difference from a one-hitter and a potential no-hitter.

Pippins pitching was not its usual strong self, either, with Mark Woinarowicz struggling through a four-inning start. After falling behind early in the first inning off of an RBI infield single from Briley Knight, Woinarowicz ended up giving up 6 more runs, including 5 in a hectic fourth inning for Corvallis. They used three singles, two hit-by-pitches, and a double to tack 4 on Woinarowicz, who took his second loss of the year after allowing 7 runs (5 earned) on 9 hits, no walks, and 5 strikeouts.

Jack Gonzales was strong in relief of Woinarowicz, allowing just one unearned run on four hits, a walk, and 3 strikeouts in 4 innings of work. Darius Garcia allowed 3 runs, one of them earned, in the ninth, allowed Corvallis to extend their lead to 11-0.

Offensively, Holcroft was a menace for the Knights, reaching in his first five plate appearances (a double, three singles, and a hit-by-pitch) before Garcia got him to strike out swinging in the ninth. Jake Harvey and Andy Atwood also added multi-hit days for Corvallis, with Atwood collecting a pair of RBI doubles.

The Pippins, having concluded the 7-game homestand at 2-5, hit the road for six games beginning on Tuesday in Port Angeles. Joe Magrisi, the reigning West Coast League Pitcher of the Week, gets the ball in the series opener at Civic Field. First pitch is set for 6:35 PM PT. Pregame coverage with Miles Klotz begins at pippinsbaseball.com/live at 6:20 PM.

YAKIMA, Wash. – For the second time in the first 3 weeks of the 2019 season, Pippins right-hander pitcher Joe Magrisi has been named the West Coast League Moss Adams Pitcher of the Week, as announced by commissioner Rob Neyer. After winning the award in the season’s first week, Magrisi was honored today for his accomplishments in the week of June 17-23.

Magrisi, who leads the WCL in strikeouts with 27, tossed 6 innings of no-hit baseball against Kelowna on June 18, striking out 11 and allowing just one baserunners, a walk. He took a no-decision in the Pippins loss.

He becomes the first two-time WCL Moss Adams Pitcher of the Week recipient for the Pippins in 2019. The San Diego native, who will be a sophomore at Cal State Fullerton in the fall, ranks second in the WCL with a 1.12 ERA through 16 innings pitched.

After dropping the first two games of a 3-game series to the Corvallis Knights, the Pippins look to salvage a game in the series finale tonight at Yakima County Stadium. Mark Woinarowicz will make his second start of the summer for the Pippins, while Corvallis has yet to announce a projected pitcher. First pitch is set for 6:35 PM PT, with pregame coverage beginning with Miles Klotz at 6:20 PM at pippinsbaseball.com/live.

Full Game Notes

PIPPINS PITCHING STRUGGLES IN SERIES LOSS TO CORVALLIS: The Pippins’ offense broke out for the first time in several games against Corvallis on Sunday, but the pitching staff continued its recent struggles as Corvallis toppled the Pippins, 10-7, to clinch the 3-game series with a game to play. With newcomer Tyler Frazier making his first start of the mound, Corvallis pounced early, striking for four runs in the 1st inning and 3 more in the 3rd and 4th innings. While the Pippins had the game tied at 6 after 3 innings due to a pair of 3-run frames, the offense slowed down from there, grabbing just one more run in the sixth inning. A.J. Wood took the loss in relief, allowing 3 runs in 3 innings as Corvallis used contributions from up and down the lineup to stretch the lead to 3, with Briley Knight’s 4 RBIs and Jake Holcroft’s 4 hits leading the way.

FOR THE PIPPINS: Right-hander Mark Woinarowicz will make his second start of the summer tonight against Corvallis. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound right-hander from Cal State East Bay posted a quality start in his first start of the summer last week against Kelowna, going 7 innings and allowing one earned run while striking out a pair. On the season, the Yorba Linda, California native is 3-1 with a 1.53 ERA. Those 3 wins are tied for the most in the West Coast League with Joseph Brandon of Victoria, and the 1.53 ERA ranks 6th league-wide. Additionally, Woinarowicz had pitched 17.2 innings, 7th-most in the league.

FOR THE KNIGHTS: Corvallis has not announced a projected starter for Monday’s series finale.

THE HITS ARE COMING: The Pippins tied a season-high with 12 hits on Sunday, their third game in the last four in which they collected double-digit hits. Five different players for Yakima Valley had multi-hit games on Sunday, while all but two starters collected hits on the day. The Pippins have improved their team batting average to .249, which ranks 9th in the West Coast League.

POHLMANN POSTS ZEROES: One of the more unheralded standouts of the season so far for the Pippins has been Ty Pohlmann, the team’s most-used reliever, who tossed a scoreless ninth inning on Sunday, his fourth scoreless appearance out of six in the regular season. It was the fourth time this year that Pohlmann has pitched in the ninth inning (the most out of any Pippins pitcher); he has also pitched the eighth inning 4 times. Despite just 3 strikeouts in 9.2 innings, Pohlmann has the lowest ERA of any Pippins reliever with a 1.86 mark (minimum 3 appearances), and opponents are hitting just .219 off of the tall right-hander from UNLV.

PARKER PACES THE OFFENSE: Pippins infielder Tanner Parker continued his recent hot stretch with another multi-hit game on Sunday, going 2-for-5 with an RBI. The two hits extended Parker’s hitting streak to 12 games, the last 6 of which have come from the leadoff spot in the batting order. Over that stretch, Parker has collected 8 extra-base hits (6 doubles and 2 home runs). His .381 batting average ranks 6th in the West Coast League, and 3rd-best amongst players from the WCL’s North Division.

ODDS & ENDS: The Pippins have lost 8 of their last 10 games after a 6-1 start…the Pippins committed a season-high 5 errors on Sunday, their sixth consecutive game with multiple errors…the Pippins are tied for 2nd-to-last in the WCL with Wenatchee in fielding percentage at .946, ahead of only Portland (.943)…the Pippins were 1-for-2 on stolen base attempts on Sunday; their 9 stolen bases are the fewest in the WCL, and the only team in single digits in stolen bases…their 14 SB attempts are also fewest in the WCL.

YAKIMA, Wash. –  The Yakima Valley Pippins were victims of a strong offensive performance by the Corvallis Knights on Sunday, falling by a final score of 10-7 at Yakima County Stadium to drop the 3-game series.

Corvallis (7-6) pounced on Pippins (8-9) starter Tyler Frazier early, scoring four runs in the first inning on three hard singles and a two-run homer by Trace Tammaro. Despite the Pippins tacking on 3 runs in both the second and third innings, Corvallis hit Frazier for more in the third to to knock him out after just 2.1 innings, allowing 6 runs (5 earned) on 6 hits.

Just like in Friday’s series opener, the Pippins offense had early signs of life. Off of Corvallis southpaw Tevita Gerber, Luke Schwartz hit a 2-out, 2 RBI single in the second inning to cap off a three-run frame, and three different Pippins added RBI singles in the third. After that, however, the Pippins would manage just three more hits and one more run the rest of the way, an offensive blackout similar to Friday.

Gerber, who picked up the win, finished after allowing 7 runs (5 earned) on 9 hits, 3 walks, and 6 strikeouts over 5.2 innings of work. The Corvallis offense backed him up in the sixth inning when Briley Knight roped a 2-0, one-out fastball from Pippins reliever A.J. Wood through the right side to extend their lead to 9-6. Wood, who allowed 3 earned runs in 3 innings of relief, took his first loss of the summer.

The Pippins added one in the sixth when Tanner Parker hit an RBI single, but the Knight’s bullpen duo of Colton Meyer and Kevin West shut down Yakima Valley late. West, who struggled on Friday, was rock-solid on Saturday, needing just 15 pitches over 2.1 innings to secure his first save of the summer.

Knight led the way offensively for Corvallis with 4 RBIs in a 2-for-3 day, giving him 6 for the series. Jake Holcroft, Corvallis’ leadoff hitter, was 4-for-5, and Matthew Gretler went 2-for-5 with 2 RBIs. For the Pippins, Parker went 2-for-5, while Henry Gargus, Tyler Rando, Greg Fuchs, and Owen Cobb all also added multi-hit games.

The series concludes on Monday with a 6:35 PM PT first pitch, as the Pippins look to salvage one from the reigning league champions. Mark Woinarowicz will make his second start of the summer for the Pippins, opposing a to-be-announced starter for Corvallis. Pregame coverage with Miles Klotz begins at 6:20 PM.

After dropping the series opener to the Corvallis Knights on Sunday, their second consecutive loss, the Yakima Valley Pippins are back in action tonight at the Orchard as they try to even the series with the Knights. First pitch is set for 6:05 PM PT, with right-hander Tyler Frazier scheduled to make his first start of the summer for the Pippins. He will be opposed by Corvallis southpaw Tevita Gerber, making his third start of the summer. Pregame coverage with Miles Klotz begins at 5:50 PM at pippinsbaseball.com/live.

Full Game Notes

PIPPINS DROP SERIES OPENER TO CORVALLIS: The Pippins collected three of their five hits and all four of their runs on Saturday night in the second inning, and it was not enough in a 7-4, series-opening loss to Corvallis. The Knights took an early 2-0 lead in the second inning, but a big 4-run bottom half for the Pippins, capped off by a two-run single by newcomer Noah Andrews, in his first game as a Pippin, gave Yakima Valley a 4-2 lead. Despite Ryan Jameson’s 8 strikeouts over 4 innings, the Pippins were nota ble to hold on, as Corvallis chipped away throughout, with 1 or 2 runs in four of the final seven innings, while the Pippins managed just one hit after four in the first two innings. Timothy Josten was stellar for the Knights, fanning 9 and not allowing an earned run, and the Pippins stranded 7 runners in 3 innings against the Corvallis bullpen.

FOR THE PIPPINS: Right-hander Tyler Frazier is set to make his first start of the summer tonight against Corvallis. The 6-foot-1, 150-pound righty from Oregon made his season debut for the Pippins in relief on Thursday against Victoria, throwing 21 pitches in the 6th inning. After entering with the bases loaded and nobody out, Frazier allowed all 3 runners to score, but did not allow an earned run of his own in the frame, surrendering two hits and a walk, while striking out one. As a freshman at Oregon this past spring, Frazier had an 0-2 record and 6.91 ERA in 27.1 innings of work. He made 11 appearances on the year, which included six starts.

FOR THE KNIGHTS: Left-hander Tevita Gerber will make his third start of the summer for Corvallis tonight against the Pippins. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound southpaw native to Salt Lake City, Utah, has a 1-1 record on the year for the Knights with a 2.45 ERA. He won his last start last Sunday against Cowlitz, allowing one earned run over 6.1 innings on 4 hits and a walk, while striking out four. On the season, he has struck out 7 and walked 4 in 11 innings of work. At Dixie State in the spring, Gerber had a 6.56 ERA, splitting time between the rotation and the bullpen.

WHERE ARE THE EXTRA BASES?: Despite another poor performance on the mound from Pippins pitching on Saturday, they did not allow the Knights to collect an extra-base hit, holding Corvallis to 13 singles on the night. It was yet another performance by the Pippins pitching staff in which they limited extra-base hits. On Thursday, 15 of Victoria’s 17 hits were singles. On the flipside, Pippins hitters have largely struggled to collect extra-base hits so far this season. The Pippins’ 20 doubles are tied for last in the WCL (Kelowna), their 1 triple is tied for 2nd-to-last, and their 5 home runs are tied for 7th. As a team, the Pippins’ .312 slugging percentage is 3rd-worst in the WCL, just ahead of Cowlitz (.290) and Portland (.264), two teams with losing records on the year.

PARKER PACES THE OFFENSE: Pippins infielder Tanner Parker continued his early-season hot stretch with another multi-hit game on Saturday, going 2-for-5 with a double. The two hits extended Parker’s hitting streak to 11 games, the last 5 of which have come from the leadoff spot in the batting order. Over that stretch, Parker has collected 8 extra-base hits (6 doubles and 2 home runs). His .379 batting average ranks 6th in the West Coast League, and 3rd-best amongst players from the WCL’s North Division.

ODDS & ENDS: After Josh Hahn’s 8th-inning strikeout on Saturday, Pippins pinch-hitters are now 0-for-9 on the year…the Pippins committed a season-high four errors, their fifth consecutive game with multiple fielding miscues.

YAKIMA, Wash. – The Yakima Valley Pippins picked up an early lead over the Corvallis Knights on Saturday night, but could not hold on, falling 7-4 at Yakima County Stadium to drop the series opener to the 3-time reigning West Coast League champions.

The Knights (7-6) actually grabbed the first lead of the ballgame in the top of the second inning. With 2 outs and 2 strikes on Corvallis’ nine-hole hitter, Michael Dixon, Pippins (8-8) starter Ryan Jameson threw a fastball, which Dixon smacked through the right side for a 2-run, opposite-field single that gave the Knights the lead. The Pippins answered right back with a big bottom half of the inning, however, when Luke Schwartz, Tanner Parker, and Noah Andrews all delivered RBI singles. Andrews, in his Pippins debut, had a 2-run hit to give the Pippins the lead.

From there, however, Corvallis left-hander Timothy Josten and 3 Knights relievers were too much for the Pippins, who mustered just one hit in the following seven innings. Josten sliced through a mostly right-handed Pippins lineup, striking out a season-high 7 while allowing just the four runs (all unearned) on 4 hits and a walk to earn his second win of the season.

Jameson, making his first start of the summer, fought around trouble in both the third and fourth innings to put together a respectable outing. In four innings, with a pitch count nearing 85, he struck out 8 batters and walked 2, while allowing 2 earned runs on six hits. His breaking ball was particularly effective as an out pitch. Because he left with the Pippins leading but before completing five innings, Jameson took a no-decision.

Dylan Barkley came on in relief, his first time coming out of the bullpen in 2019, and quickly surrendered the lead, with the Knights tacking on a run in the fifth, and then two in the sixth off of RBI singles from Jake Holcroft and Andy Atwood. Barkley, who allowed another run in the 8th inning, took the loss after allowing 4 runs (3 earned) on 7 hits and 2 strikeouts in his four innings of relief.

The Pippins threatened against the Corvallis bullpen in the late innings, but never were able to strike for runs. A single and a walk put two on in the 6th against reliever Kevin West, but he struck out Ty DeLancey to end the threat. In the 7th, without a base hit, the Pippins loaded the bases (dropped third strike and two walks) but did not score. An error and a walk put two on with two outs in the eighth, but the Pippins again stranded a pair.

Alex Williams came on in relief for the Knights to earn a four-out save, his first of the summer, and struck out two in the process. Ayden Adams tossed a 1-2-3 ninth for the Pippins, throwing all 7 of his pitches for strikes.

Tanner Parker led the way for the Pippins with another multi-hit game, going 2-for-5 and adding his 6th double and a pair of RBIs, extending his hitting streak to 11 games. Luke Schwartz had an RBI single for Yakima Valley, and Andrews drove in a pair in his Pippins debut.

Atwood led the way on offense for Corvallis with 3 hits, while Holcroft added two hits, and RBI, and two stolen bases. Briley Knight and Matthew Gretler also had two-hit games for Corvallis.

The series resumes on Sunday with a 6:05 PM first pitch at Yakima County Stadium. The Pippins will send righty Tyler Frazier to the mound for his first start, while Corvallis counters with left-hander Tevita Gerber. Pregame coverage with Miles Klotz at pippinsbaseball.com/live begins at 5:50 PM.

Following an off day on Friday, the Pippins are back in action at the Orchard tonight at 7:05 PM to continue their 7-game homestand and open up a three-game series with 3-time reigning league champion Corvallis. Fireworks will take place after tonight’s opener. Right-hander Ryan Jameson makes his first start of the summer for the Pippins, while the Knights will send southpaw Timothy Josten to the mound for his third start. Pregame coverage with Miles Klotz starts at pippinsbaseball.com/live at 6:50 PM.

Full Game Notes

PIPPINS FALL BEHIND EARLY, DROP FINALE TO VICTORIA: In the resumption of a three-game series that began a week prior, the Victoria HarbourCats jumped out to an early 5-0 lead and never looked back to clinch the series at Yakima County Stadium on Thursday with a 13-4 win. The HarbourCats struck for 7 runs in 3 innings off of Pippins starter Darius Garcia, and despite 12 hits from the offense, the Pippins lost big for the second time in a week. Victoria batted around in the first, and later added 6 more runs off of a Pippins bullpen that used five different arms. Seven different hitters for Victoria recorded multi-hit games. The Pippins were led offensively by a nice day from Henry Gargus, who homered once and narrowly missed a second homer off of the wall in a 3-hit day, and James Bell, who went 2-for-3 and had his first multi-hit game in a Piippins uniform.

FOR THE PIPPINS: Right-hander Ryan Jameson will make his first start of the summer tonight against Corvallis. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound righty from Cal Poly made his Pippins debut in relief on Tuesday against Kelowna and took a tough-luck loss in one inning of work, allowing an unearned run on 2 hits and a walk, while recording all three outs by way of the strikeout. The Hollister, California native appeared in 13 games in relief for the Mustangs as a freshman in the spring, posting a 4.43 ERA over 20.1 innings of work.

FOR THE KNIGHTS: Left-hander Timothy Josten is set to make his third start of the summer today for Corvallis. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound southpaw from Cal State Fullerton won his last start on June 14 against Cowlitz at home, tossing 6 scoreless innings with 6 strikeouts. On the season, he is 1-1 with a 3.27 ERA, striking out 7 batters and walking 3 in 11 innings of work. A rising junior at Cal State Fullerton in the fall, the Santa Clarita, California native pitched to a 4.14 ERA in 67.1 innings of work this past spring.

A LOOK AT THE KNIGHTS: After a slow start to the year, the three-time reigning league champion Knights are starting to round into form as their roster fills out. The Knights enter the weekend series at .500 (6-6), but have won six of their last nine games after being swept on the road by Walla Walla to start the year. The Knights picked up a road series win at Victoria before opening at home by sweeping Cowlitz. Most recently, they dropped two out of three at home to WCL North Division-leading Bellingham. Corvallis is hitting .277 as a team, 2nd-best in the WCL (Victoria), while their 4.15 team ERA ranks 6th.

HOMETOWN BOY HEATS UP: After a slow start to the year, Yakima’s own Henry Gargus has seen his bat heat up over the last 9 games. In those 9 games, he has collected a hit in each game, the second-longest hitting streak on the Pippins this season (Tanner Parker, 10). Over that stretch, Gargus is hitting .343 (11-for-32), which has raised his batting average from .133 to .279. On Thursday, he added his first two extra-base hits of the summer with a first-inning solo homer and a 7th-inning double off of the wall.

THE HITS ARE COMING: The Pippins collected 12 hits on Thursday, tying a season-high in that category. It was their second straight game collecting 10 or more hits, and their third game in the last 4 with at least 8 hits. The Pippins are now hitting .248 as a team, which ranks 9th in the West Coast League.

ODDS & ENDS: The Pippins homered in consecutive games for the 2nd time this season, and the first since doing since on June 5 and June 6 in Ridgefield…the Pippins used a season-high six pitchers on Thursday; the previous high was 5, against Victoria on June 13.

YAKIMA, Wash. – The Victoria HarbourCats struck early and often on Thursday, opening up with a 5-run first inning and never looking back in a 13-4 win over the home Yakima Valley Pippins in Yakima on Thursday night, concluding a series that had begun a week before with a win.

The first-place HarbourCats (10-5) pounced on Pippins (8-7) starter Darius Garcia in the first inning. Victoria batted around, collecting 7 hits and 5 runs, to set the tone for an offensive onslaught throughout the game. Garcia lasted just 3 innings, allowing 7 runs (4 earned) on 11 hits, while striking out 3. But the Pippins offense never got the necessary run support to overcome the big early deficit.

The Pippins offense had one of its better days of the season, all things considered, but left 9 runners on base and failed to convert on several opportunities. Yakima native Henry Gargus continued his recent hot stretch and had the nicest offensive day for the Pippins. He hit a solo homer in the first inning, and his double in the 7th off of the wall barely missed being a second home run. He also singled in the 7th for a 3-hit day.

The Pippins grabbed two runs in the fifth inning off of a bases loaded hit-by-pitch and a double play with no outs hit by James Bell, but mustered up just one run beyond that. Starter DJ Peters allowed 3 runs in 4-plus innings for Victoria on 8 hits and a strikeout. Reliever Zac Horne, who pitched 1-plus inning and walked 3 batters but allowed no runs earned the win. Garcia took the loss for the Pippins.

The Pippins bullpen had its fair share of struggles as well. Bo Henderson pitched a strong first two innings before struggles hit in his third inning of work, and he allowed 3 runs total. Tyler Frazier and Jack Gonzales also allowed runs in their respective innings. Victoria had 7 different hitters record multi-hit games, and all but two record RBIs.

Gargus led the way on offense for the Pippins with his 3 hits. Ty DeLancey had his first multi-hit game as a Pippin after a 2-for-4 night, and James Bell also added two hits. Tanner Parker had a ninth inning single that extended his hitting streak to a team-high 10 games.

The Pippins, now 2-2 on the current homestand, have Friday off before returning to action on Saturday night against Corvallis. First pitch for the series opener is set for 7:05 PM. Ryan Jameson is expected to start for the Pippins. Pregame coverage will begin with Miles Klotz at pippinsbaseball.com/live at 6:50 PM.

After completing a series win over the Kelowna Falcons with a strong offensive performance to win 9-4 on Wednesday night at the Orchard, the Pippins continue their homestand on Thursday with a matchup against the Victoria HarbourCats. After the two teams split a two-game series last week in Yakima, Victoria returns for one game to close out the home set in Yakima between the two teams in the 2019 regular season. Left-hander Darius Garcia is set to make his second start of the summer for the Pippins, and will be opposed by Victoria righty DJ Peters. First pitch is set for 6:35 PM PT, with pregame coverage beginning with Miles Klotz at pippinsbaseball.com/live at 6:20 PM.

Full Game Notes

PIPPINS USE BALANCED OFFENSE TO TAKE SERIES FROM KELOWNA: After failing to score in a Tuesday shutout loss to the Kelowna Falcons, the Pippins offense broke out with 9 runs on Wednesday to take a 9-4 win, and the series, from Kelowna. After falling behind early after 2 innings, the Pippins offense struck with a bases-loaded hit by pitch and a balk to tie the game in the 4th inning. In the 6th inning, having again fallen behind, the Pippins struck for 5 runs on 6 hits while batting around for the first time in 2019, capped off by Tanner Parker’s bases-clearing double. Parker also added a 2-run homer in the 8th inning to cap off the big win. A.J. Wood earned his first win of the summer for the Pippins with 3 innings of scoreless relief. The Pippins scored runs off of four different pitchers for Kelowna to take the series.

FOR THE PIPPINS: Left-hander Darius Garcia is set to make his second start of the summer for the Pippins, and his first at home, tonight against the HarbourCats. The 5-foot-8, 175-pound southpaw from UC Irvine made his first start for the Pippins on Saturday in Bellingham, and took a tough-luck loss. He allowed two runs, only one of which was earned, in 5-plus innings of work, striking out three batters and walking a pair. He allowed four hits in the outing. On the year, he is 0-1 with a 1.80 ERA.

FOR THE HARBOURCATS: Right-hander DJ Peters will make his second start of the summer tonight for Victoria. In his first start back on June 5 in Wenatchee, the Mesa, Arizona, native allowed 2 runs, only one of which was earned, over 4 innings while striking out 4 and walking 3 on 3 hits. The righty out of Scottsdale (Ariz.) Community College made 12 starts for Scottsdale in the spring, posting a 5-5 record and 4.39 ERA over 55.1 innings of work.

PARKER PACES THE OFFENSE: Tanner Parker, the Pippins’ everyday second baseman, continued his hot stretch on Wednesday with another 2-for-5 performance. Hitting leadoff for the third consecutive game, Parker extended his streak of multi-hit games to eight, and his hit streak to nine games. With a 5th-inning double and an 8th-inning two run homer, it was the first game in the streak in which Parker collected multiple extra-base hits. After collecting just 2 hits in his first five games, Parker is hitting .486 (18-for-37) over his current 9-game hitting streak. His .388 batting average is good for 8th in the West Coast League, and his 12 RBIs are tied for 2nd in the league.

HOMETOWN BOY HEATS UP: After a slow start to the year, Yakima’s own Henry Gargus has seen his bat heat up over the last 8 games. In those 8 games, he has collected a hit in each game, the second-longest hitting streak on the Pippins this season (Tanner Parker, 9). Over that stretch, Gargus is hitting .285 (8-for-28), which has raised his batting average from .133 to .231.

WOOD STABILIZES THE BACK END: After starting the season on a short-term contract, Central Washington’s A.J. Wood has been one of the best relievers in the Pippins’ bullpen all season long. With 3 scoreless innings of one-hit relief on Wednesday, Wood picked up his first win, and saw his ERA drop to 0.87 in 4 appearances. After making a start in his first appearance of the year, Wood has come out of the bullpen the previous three times, and has yet to allow a run in those 3 appearances.

ODDS & ENDS: With Tanner Parker’s 8th inning home run, the Pippins hit homers in consecutive games for the first time since doing so in Ridgefield on June 5 and June 6…the Pippins have yet to lose back-to-back home games so far this season.

YAKIMA, Wash. – The Yakima Valley Pippins used a balanced offensive attack to topple the Kelowna Falcons, 9-4, and take the series at Yakima County Stadium on Wednesday night. The Pippins scored multiple runs in three separate innings off of four different pitchers in the win.

Kelowna (3-9) jumped out to an early lead against Pippins (8-6) starter Mark Finkelnburg in the second innings, when they used an RBI single from Tylor Nixon to take the lead, and then extended it on an error by Pippins third baseman Owen Cobb. The Pippins needed some time to get the offense rolling, but finally got to Kelowna starter Marcus Cain in the fourth inning.

Using two walks and two hit by pitches, the Pippins loaded the bases and then cut the deficit to one run before Cain was pulled for left-hander Ian Turner. Turner proceeded to balk in the tying run. While the Falcons would take the lead back in the 5th off of another balk, Turner surrendered the lead back in the 6th.

The Pippins batted around for the first time this season in the sixth inning, starting with a double from James Bell, his first hit in a Pippins uniform. A few batters later, Ty DeLancey, in his first game as a Pippin, hit an infield single that drove in the tying run, and Christian Padilla followed with an RBI single. Two batters later, with the bases loaded, red-hot Tanner Parker hit a bases-clearing double to right-center field to break the game open.

Finkelnburg was relieved by A.J. Wood in the fifth inning and took his 3rd consecutive no-decision, in perhaps his best start of the summer. He allowed 3 runs, 2 of them earned, on 6 hits, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts in 4.2 innings. Cain took a no-decision for the Falcons after allowing 2 earned runs on 1 hit, 4 walks, and 2 punch-outs in 3.2 frames.

The Pippins tacked on two more in the 8th inning when Parker launched a two-run homer to right field off of Kelowna reliever Zach Jacobs. Parker has now hit safely in 9 straight games, and extended his multi-hit game streak to eight. Kelowna would add one more unearned run in the ninth off of Pippins reliever Jahred Butler.

Turner took the loss for Kelowna after allowing 2 runs in 1.1 innings, while Wood, who tossed 3 scoreless frames out of the bullpen, earned his first win of the WCL regular season.

The Pippins will welcome in first-place Victoria to Yakima County Stadium on Thursday to conclude a three-game series that began last week at home. Left-hander Darius Garcia will make his second start of the summer for the Pippins against a to-be-announced starter for Victoria. First pitch is set for 6:35 PM PT, with pregame coverage with Miles Klotz beginning at 6:20 PM at pippinsbaseball.com/live.

After dropping game two of a 3-game, midweek series to Kelowna last night at the Orchard, the Pippins continue their 7-game homestand with the third game of the series against the Falcons. Looking for the series win, the Pippins will send left-hander Mark Finkelnburg to the mound for his third start of the summer. He will be opposed by southpaw Marcus Cain for Kelowna, making his summer debut. First pitch is set for 6:35 PM PT, and pregame coverage with Miles Klotz will begin at 6:20 PM at pippinsbaseball.com/live.

Full Game Notes

PIPPINS FALL TO KELOWNA DESPITE MAGRISI’S STELLAR START: The Pippins got great pitching on the mound on Tuesday, but fell to Kelowna, 3-0, to even the midweek series at one game apiece. Joe Magrisi was fantastic in his third start of the summer, striking out 11 and facing one batter over the minimum (a walk) in 6 no-hit innings against the Falcons. The bullpen allowed 3 runs over three innings, with right-hander Ryan Jameson taking the loss, but only one of the three relief arms (left-hander Josh Hahn) allowed an earned run, and they struck out 4 batters to 2 walks. Righty Gage Wall started for the Falcons, shutting down the Pippins in 4-plus scoreless innings. He was followed by left-hander Nick Nygard, who earned the win with 5 innings of shutout relief, striking out 6 batters.

FOR THE PIPPINS: Left-hander Mark Finkelnburg will make his third start of the summer today for the Pippins. The left-hander out of Loyola Marymount last started on Thursday against Victoria, not allowing an earned run but only last 3.1 innings before he was relieved. In two starts this season, Finkelnburg has not recorded a decision, but has a 2.57 ERA and 6 strikeouts in 7 innings. A native of Portland, Oregon, Finkelnburg will be a redshirt senior at Loyola Marymount in the fall.

FOR THE FALCONS: Left-hander Marcus Cain is set to make his season debut for the Falcons as the starter tonight against the Pippins. A native of Mead, Washington, he will transfer to Gonzaga in the fall after two seasons at Spokane Falls Community College, where he was coached by Pippins assistant coach Justin Jacobs. A 6-foot-2, 175-pound southpaw, Cain posted a 4.16 ERA in 12 starts for the Bigfoot in the spring. As a freshman for Spokane Falls, Cain had a 2.36 ERA, striking out 45 batters in 57 innings of work.

PARKER PACES THE OFFENSE: Tanner Parker, the Pippins’ everyday second baseman, continued his early season hot stretch on Tuesday with another 2-for-5 performance. Hitting leadoff for the second consecutive, Parker extended his streak of multi-hit games to seven, with singles in both the second and fifth innings. After collecting just 2 hits in his first five games, Parker is hitting .500 (16-for-32) over his current 8-game hitting streak. His .386 batting average is good for 8th in the West Coast League.

LOTS OF QUALITY AT THE FRONT END: The Pippins have had strong starting pitching all season, with a team ERA of 2.32 from their starting pitchers this season. On the year, the Pippins have gotten 3 quality starts from their starting pitchers, with two of them coming in each of the last two games. Joe Magrisi went 6 innings, allowing 0 earned runs last night, while Mark Woinarowicz went a season-high (for a Pippins starter) 7 innings on Monday, allowing just 1 earned run. The only other quality start this year came from Dylan Barkley on Opening Day in Ridgefield.

MOWIN’ THEM OVER: Thanks in large part to Magrisi’s 11 strikeouts, the Pippins tied a team record with 15 strikeouts by the pitching staff on Tuesday. The previous time that Yakima Valley set down as many batters via the strikeout came on August 6, 2014, against Cowlitz, in a 7-6 Pippins victory.

ODDS & ENDS: Joe Magrisi became the first Pippins starter to strike out double-digit batters since Chase Farrell set a team record with 12 punchouts last July against Port Angeles…the Pippins tied a season-high by drawing 8 walks on Tuesday…the Pippins also set a season high by leaving 14 runners on base.

YAKIMA, Wash. – Joe Magrisi threw 6 innings of no-hit baseball as the Pippins’ starter on Tuesday, but the Kelowna Falcons rallied off of the Yakima Valley bullpen to claim a 3-0 win and even up the 3-game midweek series on Tuesday at Yakima County Stadium.

The Pippins (7-6) got one of their best starts of the year on the mound from right-hander Joe Magrisi, who was dominant from start to finish in his six innings of work. Magrisi allowed just one baserunner – a four pitch leadoff walk to Dan Pruitt in the second inning – while striking out 11 of the 19 batters he faced. He left with a no decision, however, as the Pippins were shut out for the first time all season.

Kelowna (3-8) got a good start on the mound from right-hander Gage Wall, making his second start of the season. Wall exited after allowing the first two batters of the fifth inning to single, but got off the hook and exited with no runs in 4-plus innings. He walked four batters and struck out two. Nick Nygard came in and finished off the job for the Falcons, tossing 5 shutout innings of relief and stranding the two inherited runners he had in the 5th inning. Nygard walked 4 batters, struck out 6, and earned his first win of the year.

The game was still scoreless after 6 innings before the Falcons scratched and clawed for three runs off of the Pippins’ bullpen – one each in the 7th, 8th, and 9th innings. In the 7th inning, pinch-hitter Tyler Williams hit a ball towards third that was knocked down by the bare hand of Pippins’ third baseman Spencer Bramwell, allowing a run to score. Matt Voelzke’s bloop single added another run in the 8th off of Jack Gonzales, and Tylor Nixon hit a pinch-hit sacrifice fly in the ninth inning to make it 3-0.

The Pippins threatened a bit in the ninth inning by putting runners on the corners with one out, but James Bell, in his first game with the team, grounded into a game-ending double play, 6-4-3. Reliever Ryan Jameson, in his Pippins debut, allowed one unearned run and was tagged with the loss.

Offensively, Tanner Parker led the way for the Pippins with 2 hits, his seventh consecutive multi-hit game. Greg Fuchs also walked 4 times, setting a season-high for any Pippins batter in 2019. No Kelowna player had more than one hit on offense.

The series concludes on Wednesday with a 6:35 PM first pitch at Yakima County Stadium. Left-hander Mark Finkelnburg will make his third start of the summer for the Pippins. He is set to be opposed by Kelowna lefty Marcus Cain, making his first appearance of the summer for Kelowna. Pregame coverage at pippinsbaseball.com/live begins with Miles Klotz at 6:20 PM.

Following a 6-4 win over Kelowna on Monday, in which the Pippins snapped their 4-game losing streak, Yakima Valley is back in action tonight against the Falcons, looking for the series win. Joe Magrisi makes his third start of the summer on the mound for the Pippins against a to-be-announced starter for Kelowna. First pitch is set for 6:35 PM PT, with pregame coverage on pippinsbaseball.com/live beginning at 6:20 PM with Miles Klotz.

Full Game Notes

PIPPINS SNAP LOSING STREAK WITH WIN OVER KELOWNA: The Pippins returned home on Monday and opened up their 7-game homestand with a 6-4 win over the Kelowna Falcons, snapping out of a season-long four game losing streak. Kelowna took an early 2-0 lead with runs in the second and third innings off of Pippins right-hander Mark Woinarowicz, but the Pippins quickly responded with a 5-run fourth inning, capped off by a three-run homer from Tanner Parker, the first homer hit by a Pippins player at the Orchard in 2019. Woinarowicz finished with a quality start, allowing 1 earned run in 7 innings, and Nick Brown closed things out for the Pippins by allowing one run over two innings to earn the save.

FOR THE PIPPINS: Right-hander Joe Magrisi is set to make his third start of the summer tonight against Kelowna. Magrisi, a rising sophomore at Cal State Fullerton, made his last start on Wednesday against Victoria, striking out 6 over 4 innings, while allowing 2 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks. On the season, the 6-foot-2, 210-pound right-hander is 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA and a league-leading 16 strikeouts in 10 innings of work. He was named the WCL’s Pitcher of the Week after the first week of the season, when he allowed 1 hit over 6 innings in two appearances, striking out 10.

FOR THE FALCONS: The Falcons have not announced a starting pitcher for tonight’s game.

PARKER PACES THE OFFENSE: Tanner Parker, the Pippins’ everyday second baseman, continued his early season hot stretch on Monday with a 2-for-5 performance. Hitting leadoff for the first time in his Pippins career, Parker extended his streak of multi-hit games to six, while also hitting his first homer of the season, a go-ahead, 3-run blast in the fourth inning. After collecting just 2 hits in his first five games, Parker is hitting .518 (14-for-27) over his current 7-game hitting streak. His .385 batting average is good for 9th in the West Coast League.

HOME RUNS BACK ON THE MENU: Tanner Parker’s 3-run, go-ahead homer in the 4th inning on Monday not only gave the Pippins the lead and was the first homer of the year by a Pippin at the Orchard, but it broke an 11-day long long stretch since the last homer by a Pippin at any venue. Since Owen Cobb’s solo shot in the 8th inning at Ridgefield on June 6, the Pippins did not a homer in the following 8 games before Parker broke that stretch with his shot. The Pippins’ three homers on the season are the 4th-fewest in the WCL.

WOINAROWICZ JUST WINS: Mark Woinarowicz picked up his third win of the summer in his first start of the year on Monday against Kelowna, improving his record on the season to 3-1. With the win, he becomes the first pitcher in the West Coast League this summer to record three victories, and takes sole possession of first place in the league in victories. Woinarowicz has earned the decision in all 4 of his appearances so far this season. Among pitchers in the WCL with at least 4 appearances, he is the only one who has earned the decision in each of his outings this year.

ODDS & ENDS: The Pippins set a season-high for runs in an inning in 2019 by scoring five runs in the fourth inning on Monday…before last night, the Pippins had not scored a run in the fourth inning all season…Mark Woinarowicz posted the first quality start by a Pippins pitcher since June 4 with his 7 innings last night, allowing 1 earned run…the Pippins were outhit last night, 10-8, winning for the second time in 2019 when the opponent collects more hits…Owen Cobb had 3 hits on Monday for the 3rd time in 2019.

YAKIMA, Wash. – A return home was all the Yakima Valley Pippins needed to get back on the winning track. The Pippins used a quality start from Mark Woinarowicz and a 5-run fourth inning to snap out of their four-game losing streak with a 6-4 win over the Kelowna Falcons on Monday night at Yakima County Stadium.

The game did not get off to the best start for the Pippins (7-5), as Kelowna (2-8) grabbed an early lead in the second inning off of a sacrifice fly from Brayden Merritt, then added on in the second when Matt Voelzke singled home a run. Things started to click in the fourth inning, however, when the Pippins brought home five runs.

Henry Gargus led off the inning with a single, and was followed by a walk from Daniel Cipriano. Two batters later, Owen Cobb ripped a double to deep left-center field that tied the game at two. A pop-up and a hit-by-pitch later, and Tanner Parker deposited a baseball over the right field wall, a 3-run shot that was the first homer at Yakima County Stadium by a Pippin this season, to give Yakima Valley a 5-2 lead.

From there, Woinarowicz cruised, allowing just one more unearned run in the seventh. He finished his 7-inning start – the first of his collegiate career – allowing 3 runs, just one of them earned, on 7 hits, one walk, and 2 strikeouts. In the process, he earned a quality start, just the second of the year for the Pippins, and the first since Opening Day in Ridgefield. Nick Brown came on in relief to earn the save with 2 innings of work; he allowed a run to score and the tying run to reach base in the 9th, but shut the down with an infield popout.

Jonathan Clark started and took the loss for Kelowna, allowing 5 earned runs in 5 innings on 6 hits, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Tyler Wincig followed with two shutout innings of relief, while Matt Voelzke allowed an unearned run in the 8th inning.

Offensively, the Pippins were led by Parker (2-for-5, his sixth consecutive multi-hit game) and Cobb (3-for-4, 2 RBI). Tyler Williams and Austen Butler led the way for Kelowna, both going 2-for-4, with Butler driving in a run.

The series continues on Tuesday as the Pippins will look for the series win. Joe Magrisi gets the ball for the Pippins, with first pitch set for 6:35 PM. Kelowna has not announced a projected starter. Pregame coverage on pippinsbaseball.com/live will begin with Miles Klotz at 6:20 PM.

BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Bellingham Bells completed a three game, weekend series sweep of the Yakima Valley Pippins on Sunday with a 19-2 win at Joe Martin Field, in an early start on Father’s Day. The 17-run loss tied the worst loss in Pippins franchise history.

The game got off to a slow start on offense for the Pippins (6-5), who struggled to get anything going against Bellingham (8-4) starter Diego Barrerra, who left after 1.2 innings with an injury, and reliever Tate Dearing, who pitched 4.1 innings in relief. The Bells struck for an early lead off of Pippins left-handed starter Dylan Barkley in the first off of an error when Barkley misplayed a bunt.

From there, the teams traded zeroes in the scoresheet until the Bells opened the floodgates with an 8-run fifth inning. Barkley started the inning, but after allowing four of the first five batters he saw to reach on base hits, he was relieved for Bo Henderson, making his Pippins debut. Barkley’s night came to an end after allowing 5 runs (4 earned) on 9 hits, no walks, and 2 strikeouts over 4.1 innings.

Henderson finished the fifth and pitched the sixth (in which Bellingham scored 3 more runs), allowing 7 earned runs on 5 hits and 4 walks, with no strikeouts. From that point, the Bells held onto their commanding lead. They added 7 more runs in the bottom of the 8th off of Pippins outfielder Riley Gill, who entered in the game to pitch. The 8th inning was capped by a two-run, opposite-field homer by Bells relief pitcher Will Armbruester.

The Pippins did avoid being shut out for the first time in 2019 by adding 2 runs in the top of the eighth inning. Owen Cobb and Luke Schwartz both hit RBI singles to cut into the Bellingham lead. Tanner Parker led the way offensively again for the Pippins, adding 3 hits, his fifth consecutive multi-hit game. Spencer Bramwell also had a pair of base hits for the Pippins.

Now on a season-long four-game losing streak, the Pippins return to Yakima on Monday to start an 8-day, 7-game homestand at the Orchard. The first team to visit on the homestand will be the Kelowna Falcons, with first pitch of game one of a three-game series set for Monday night at 6:35 PM. Mark Woinarowicz will start for the Pippins against a to-be-named starter for the Falcons. Pregame coverage with Miles Klotz begins at pippinsbaseball.com/live at 6;20 PM.

After dropping their third consecutive game, and the series, on Saturday in Bellingham with a 3-1 loss, the Pippins look to bounce back into the win column on Father’s Day with a 1:05 PM first pitch at Joe Martin Field. Left-hander Dylan Barkley is set to make his third start of the summer for Yakima Valley, opposed by Bellingham southpaw Diego Barrerra. Pregame radio coverage with Miles Klotz begins at 12:50 PM at pippinsbaseball.com/live.

Full Game Notes

PIPPINS DROP SERIES IN BELLINGHAM, LOSE THIRD STRAIGHT: The Pippins failed to get anything generated offensively on Saturday night against Bellingham and fell, 3-1, for their season-high third consecutive loss. Darius Garcia got the start in his Pippins debut and was impressive, allowing just 2 runs (1 earned) over 5-plus innings, and the bullpen duo of A.J. Wood and Ty Pohlmann did their job, but the Pippins managed just four hits over the first eight innings against Bellingham righties Nick Proctor and Matt Geoffrion. In the ninth, against left-hander Bryce Moyle, the Pippins struck for one run, but Spencer Bramwell, who drove in the run, was thrown out trying to advance to third on a wild pitch, ending the game and clinching the series for the Bells.

FOR THE PIPPINS: Left-hander Dylan Barkley is set to make his third start of the summer to close out the series in Bellingham. The Pippins’ opening day starter in Ridgefield, Barkley last started a week ago at home against Wenatchee, allowing one unearned run over 5.1 innings of work. He struck out 5 batters in that start, and, for the second consecutive outing, did not walk a batter. Barkley has not allowed a walk over 11.1 innings this summer, and has a 1.58 ERA through two starts.

FOR THE BELLS: Left-hander Diego Barrerra is set to make his season debut for the Bells as the starter on Sunday. A 6-foot, 155-pound southpaw native to Chino Hills, California, Barrerra played his freshman season at Washington in 2019. In 7 games for the Huskies, including a pair of starts, Barrerra did not record a decision but had a 6.08 ERA over 13.1 innings. He struck out 14 batters and walked 9, while opponents hit .260 off of him.

PARKER PACES THE OFFENSE: While the offense has been slow to take off for the Pippins in 2019, infielder Tanner Parker has settled in quickly at second base. After a 2-for-4 performance on Saturday, Parker extended his hitting streak to five games, and his streak of multi-hit games to four. Over his last 5 games, Parker is hitting .529 (9-for-16) with 3 doubles, 4 RBIs, and 1 walk to 1 strikeout. He has raised his batting average more than .200 points in that span, from .133 to .345.

BULLPEN BUCKLES DOWN: The Pippins’ bullpen had another strong night on Saturday, as A.J. Wood came in and tossed a scoreless inning, and Ty Pohlmann followed with 2 innings of one-run ball. The Pippins bullpen, even after allowing 5 runs on Friday, still has a WCL-low 2.57 ERA on the season. The starting pitching has topped that, too, with a 2.24 mark. In addition, even after one inherited runner scored on Saturday, the bullpen has allowed just 23% of inherited runners (3-for-13) to score on the season.

CLOSE GAMES BECOMING COMMON: The Pippins lost another close game on Saturday, falling 3-1. It was their third consecutive loss by 2 or fewer runs. All four losses this season have come by either 1 or 2 runs. Saturday was also the fifth consecutive game, win or loss, decided by 2 runs or fewer. Overall, the Pippins have had just 2 games out of their first 10 decided by more than 3 runs (an 8-3 win over Wenatchee on June 8, and a 10-3 win at Ridgefield on June 5).

ODDS & ENDS: The Pippins used two pinch-hitters on Saturday, the first time this season they have used more than one in a game…Pippins pinch-hitters were 0-for-2 on Saturday, and are now 0-for-6 on the season, with 3 strikeouts…the Pippins committed multiple errors for the third consecutive game, dropping their fielding percentage to .958, 5th-worst in the WCL.

BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Yakima Valley Pippins mustered up just one run on seven hits on Saturday in Bellingham en route to dropping a 3-1 decision to lose the road series with a game to play. The Bells overtook the Pippins for first place in the WCL North Division with the loss.

For eight innings, the Pippins (6-4) could get almost nothing going offensively. They had just four hits before a rally in the ninth, and did not draw a walk all night. In the ninth inning, the Pippins fought for a run off of Bellingham (7-4) closer Bryce Moyle, who allowed singles to Tanner Parker, Spencer Bramwell, and Henry Gargus, but finished the game off by a strikeout and catching Bramwell trying to take third base on a wild pitch.

Both sides pitched well on Saturday, with the Pippins getting a good start out of season debutant Darius Garcia. The left-hander from UC Irvine went 5-plus innings, allowing 2 runs (1 earned), on four hits, two walks, and 3 strikeouts. He exited after allowing the leadoff man in the sixth to reach, and A.J. Wood relieved him, allowing the runner to score unearned. Garcia, however, took a hard-luck loss for his performance.

The pitching was stellar for Bellingham, led by starter Nick Proctor, who tossed five shutout innings, allowing just 3 hits and striking out five. Matt Geoffrion, in his season debut, followed with three scoreless innings of relief, allowing just one hit. The pair were backed up by some light early offense for the Bells.

Bellingham got a run in the second inning off of an RBI groundout from Danny Martin after loading the bases with no outs, and later got a second run in the 6th inning on a Troy Viola sacrifice fly. They added a key insurance run in the 8th off of a Jack Machtolf RBI single.

The series concludes on Sunday as the Pippins look to salvage a game from the weekend set. First pitch on Father’s Day is set for 1:05 PM PT. The Pippins will send left-hander Dylan Barkley to the mound for his third start of the season, while the Bells have not announced a projected starter.

YAKIMA, Wash. – The Yakima Valley Pippins pitching staff put together another strong performance on Wednesday as the Pippins opened up a 2-game series with the Victoria HarbourCats with a 4-2 win at Yakima County Stadium.

Joe Magrisi, last week’s WCL Pitcher of the Week, did not get off to his sharpest start for the Pippins (6-1), allowing Victoria (3-4) to take an early lead off of an opposite field, RBI double by Victoria infielder Emilio Nogales. He also issues his first walk of the season that inning. The Pippins offense, however, picked up Magrisi in the bottom half.

Against Victoria right-hander Aaron Celestino, the Pippins pounced for three first-inning runs, capped off by a soft two-run single into center field by Tanner Parker, who drove in his first two runs of the summer. Henry Gargus, the Yakima native, also added an RBI single.

The Pippins added another run in the second inning off of an RBI sacrifice fly from Tyler Pittman. It was the first sacrifice fly of the year for the Pippins, and scored Korrey Siracusa. From there, the Pippins pitching cruised. Celestino worked three more innings, but took the loss, allowing the 4 earned runs on 8 hits and 3 strikeouts.

Magrisi was tagged for an RBI single in the fourth inning, and did not work into the fifth with his pitch count nearing 80, but still allowed just 2 runs over 4 innings, striking out 6 and walking 2. The star of the show, however, was winning pitcher Mark Woinarowicz, who came in relief in the fifth inning and only allowed one hit over his five innings of relief. He earned the win, his second of the season, for his performance, as Magrisi did not complete the 5 innings necessary for a victory.

Woinarowicz threw 57 pitches, 42 for strikes, over his five innings, not walking a batter and striking out two. Hunter Hennigh threw three innings of scoreless relief for the HarbourCats after Celestino.

The two teams wrap up their short, two-game series on Thursday night at 6:35 PM at the Orchard. Left-hander Mark Finkelnburg is set to make his second start of the year for the Pippins, while Victoria will counter with southpaw Dillon Larsen, an Ellensburg native.

Fresh off of a home-opening weekend series sweep against the Wenatchee AppleSox, the Pippins continue their 5-game home-stand against WCL North Division opponents by opening up a short, 2 game series against the Victoria HarbourCats. First pitch is set for 6:35 PM at the Orchard, with Joe Magrisi scheduled to start for the Pippins opposite Victoria’s Aaron Celestino. Pregame coverage with Miles Klotz, both audio and video, begins at 6:20 PM at pippinsbaseball.com/live.

Full Game Notes

PIPPINS SWEEP APPLESOX WITH SUNDAY VICTORY: The Pippins completed their first sweep of the 2019 season on Sunday with a 4-2 win over the Wenatchee AppleSox, despite being outhit, 8 to 5. Dylan Barkley, in his second start of the summer, took a no-decision after allowing 1 unearned run over 5.1 innings of work. The Pippins, after falling behind 2-1 in the 6th inning, benefited from a throwing error from Wenatchee’s Grant Gorrell that allowed 2 runs to score in a 3-run bottom of the 6th, giving the Pippins a late lead. Jack Gonzales, in his first appearance of 2019, tossed 2 scoreless innings to get the save.

FOR THE PIPPINS: Right-hander Joe Magrisi, the reining West Coast League Pitcher of the Week, makes his second start of the season today against the HarbourCats. Magrisi started on Friday against Wenatchee, allowing just 1 hit and no walks over 5 shutout innings while striking out 7 to earn his first win of the season. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound sophomore from Cal State Fullerton also has one save this year, which he earned on Opening Day last week in Ridgefield by striking out the side on 10 pitches.

FOR THE HARBOURCATS: Right-hander Aaron Celestino makes his second start of the season today for Victoria. The 6-foot, 200-pound native of Houston, Texas, started last Wednesday at Wenatchee, earning the win after posting a quality start. He allowed 1 earned run over 6 innings, allowing 4 hits, no walks, and striking out 5. Celestino is a  rising junior at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas.

A LOOK AT VICTORIA: The HarbourCats are off to a 3-3 start to the season, opening the season with a road series win at Wenatchee before dropping 2 of 3 to 3-time reigning league champion Corvallis at home last weekend. Despite the middling record, Victoria ranks tied for 4th in the WCL in runs scored, and is 4th in the league with a 3.23 team ERA. Tulane catcher Frankie Niemann leads Victoria offensively, with a .480 batting average through six games, including 2 doubles and 4 RBIs. Canada native Cade Smith has been the team’s top starter, posting a 3.60 ERA and 11 strikeouts over 10 innings in his first two starts.

A FAST-STARTING FRANCHISE: With a win today, the Pippins would improve to 6-1, which would be the second best start in franchise history. While each of the past two years prior to 2018, the Pippins have fallen below .500 early, the franchise has historically gotten off to fast starts. The 2016 team starte 6-0 in WCL games, and eventually reached 7-1, while the 2015 team also started 5-1.

BARKLEY’S WALK-FREE NATURE: Dylan Barkley added another good start to his early season resume on Sunday, most impressively increasing his stretch of walk-free baseball to 11.1 innings by again not walking a batter over 5.1 frames against Wenatchee. Of all WCL pitchers who have made at least 2 starts this summer, Barkley is one of two (Matthew Henckel, Bellingham) without a free pass issued, and is the only one who has enough innings pitched to qualify for the league leaderboard. As a team, the Pippins have walked 14 batters, fewer than any other team in the WCL. Victoria ranks second with 16 walks allowed.

ODDS & ENDS: The Pippins struck out offensively a season-low 5 times on Sunday, the third consecutive game that they set a new season low for offensive strikeouts…Owen Cobb ranks 5th in the league in batting average, with a .476 mark; he is the youngest player in the top five…the Pippins are 4-for-4 on stolen bases this season, one of two WCL teams that has not been caught (Bellingham); Victoria is 2nd in the league in steals, with 15, but has been caught a league-high 11 times, for a 57.7% success rate…the Pippins came back to win after falling behind on Sunday; they are now 4-0 when scoring second in 2019.

YAKIMA, Wash. – Yakima Valley Pippins right-handed pitcher Joe Magrisi has been named the West Coast League Pitcher of the Week for the Week of June 4-9, WCL Commissioner Rob Neyer and the league office announced Monday. Magrisi is the first Pippins pitcher honored with the award since Hunter French was the weekly selection on June 11, 2018.

The 6-foot-2, 210-pound native of San Diego, California, appeared in two games for the Pippins this past week as the team posted a 5-1 record. He earned the save on Opening Day against the Ridgefield Raptors on the road, striking out the side in the bottom of the ninth inning on 10 pitches. On Friday, Magrisi started the Pippins’ home opener against the Wenatchee AppleSox and earned his first victory of the season, allowing 1 hit over five shutout innings, striking out 7 and not walking a batter.

A rising sophomore at Cal State Fullerton in the fall, Magrisi sits tied for second in the WCL with his 10 strikeouts, and is tied for the league lead with a perfect 0.00 ERA.

YAKIMA, Wash. – Dylan Barkley threw 5.1 innings of 1-run ball, and the Yakima Valley Pippins used a 3-run sixth inning to complete a 3-game, home-opening weekend series sweep of the Wenatchee AppleSox with a 4-2 win at Yakima County Stadium on Sunday evening.

Barkley, making his 2nd start of the summer for the Pippins (5-1), fell behind early in the 2nd inning when a Hunter Montgomery double and Blake Klassen single put runners on the corners for Wenatchee (1-5). A batter later, catcher Justin Lutz airmailed a thrown down to second base, allowing Montgomery to score, and giving Wenatchee an early lead. The unearned run would be the only blemish on Barkley’s record; he completed 5.1 innings on 4 hits, no walks (for the second straight start), and struck out 5.

The Pippins answered back with a run in the third inning off of an Owen Cobb RBI double, scoring Tanner Parker, who had doubled a batter earlier. Wenatchee regained the lead with a run in the sixth inning off of Pippins reliever Scott Youngbrandt, but the Pippins responded with a three-run bottom of the sixth inning. After Henry Gargus drew a bases loaded walk to tie it at 2, Lutz hit a bouncing ground ball towards second, which was thrown away by Wenatchee second baseman Grant Gorrell, scoring two. The Pippins never trailed from that point.

Youngbrandt earned his first win of the summer in relief, while the newest Pippin, left-hander Jack Gonzales, earned the save with two scoreless innings to close out the win, striking out a pair. Cobb led the way on offense for the Pippins with 2 hits, while Tyler Pittman had a 2-hit day, including a double. Parker had the only other of Yakima Valley’s 5 hits.

Starter Keegan Romig took the loss for Wenatchee, allowing 4 runs (3 earned) over 5-plus innings on 3 hits, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts. He did not record an out in the sixth inning, allowing all four men he saw to reach base. Klassen was 3-for-4 with an RBI for the AppleSox.

The Pippins, atop the West Coast League’s North Division at 5-1, have two off days on Monday and Tuesday before returning to action on Wednesday at home to start a two-game series with the Victoria HarbourCats. First pitch on Wednesday is set for 6:35 PM PT, with A.J. Wood expected to start for the Pippins. Pre-game audio and video coverage with Miles Klotz will begin at 6:20 PM.

YAKIMA, Wash. – Cameron Liss was strong in his Pippins debut out the bullpen, and the Pippins rode a pair of 4-run innings to an 8-3 win over Wenatchee on Saturday night at Yakima County Stadium, clinching their second consecutive series win.

Liss, who joined the team Saturday morning, came out of the bullpen for the Pippins (4-1) in the 4th inning with a two men on and two outs. After a fly out to end the inning, Liss avoided much trouble over his next 4 innings of relief, allowing just 4 baserunners (2 hits and 2 walks) while striking out four. He earned the win by virtue of starter Mark Finkelnburg not completing the five requisite innings.

The Pippins gave Finkelnburg, also making his Pippins debut, a 4-run cushion in the first inning after Ryan Altenberger hit a solo shot to give Wenatchee (1-4) an early 1-0 lead. Owen Cobb singled home Christian Padilla after a walk and a Zach Lew single, and then Lew scored on a wild pitch. With two men in scoring position, Tyler Pittman singled through the right side to add 2 more runs to the Pippins’ tally. While Wenatchee threatened on several occasions, the Pippins never trailed again.

Finkelnburg started strong besides the home run, but ran into some trouble in the fourth inning and was relieved with two outs. He allowed 3 runs, two of them earned, on 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4 over his 3.2 innings. Nick Brown closed out the Pippins win with a scoreless 9th inning, including a strikeout.

The Pippins added four more runs in the 6th inning against AppleSox reliever Cameron Sommer, although only one run was earned. The Pippins hit six singles in that inning, in which all nine men came to the plate, and benefited from throwing errors from the pitcher and from center fielder Johnny Graham.

Trent Sellers started on the mound for Wenatchee and allowed the 4 first-inning runs over 4 innings on 3 hits, 3 walks, and 4 strikeouts. Wenatchee used four other relievers, all of whom left with unscathed lines.

Lew led the way offensively for the Pippins with 3 hits, including an 8th-inning double. Cipriano also added two hits. Every batter in the Pippins lineup had at least one base hit. No Wenatchee batter had multiple hits.

The series concludes on Sunday as the Pippins go for their first series sweep of 2019, with first pitch of Game 3 set for 6:05 PM PT. The Pippins will send left-hander Dylan Barkley to the mound for his second start of the year, while Wenatchee will counter with right-hander Keegan Romig.

YAKIMA, Wash. – Joe Magrisi tossed 5 dominant innings, and the Yakima Valley Pippins used a 2-run 5th inning to lead the way to a 4-1 victory over the Wenatchee AppleSox on Opening Night at Yakima County Stadium on Friday.

Magrisi, making his first start of the summer, was not fazed by the large home crowd on Opening Night. He allowed just 1 hit over 5 scoreless innings for the Pippins (3-1), while striking out 7 and not walking a  batter. He threw 48 of his 74 pitches for strikes, a 64.8% mark.

The Pippins jumped on Wenatchee (1-3) starter Gavin Gorrell early, when newcomer Christian Padilla singled into right field in his first Pippins at-bat. A batter later, Zach Lew drove him home with a single up the middle to give the Pippins a 1-0 lead. They would not trail at any point during the contest.

The Pippins added two more runs in the fifth inning off of Gorrell, which started with a Padilla double to right-center field, and was followed by a Zach Lew fielder’s choice and Daniel Cipriano RBI single. Three batters later, Owen Cobb drove in Lew to make it a 3-0 Pippins lead. Cobb collected 3 hits to up his early season batting average to .538.

Ty Pohlmann pitched 3.1 strong innings of relief after Magrisi exited in the 6th inning. Pohlmann allowed 1 run on a sacrifice fly from Tyler Detloff of the AppleSox in the 6th inning, but did not allow any further damage. After walking a batter in the 9th inning, Pohlmann was replaced by Ayden Adams, making his Pippins debut. Adams got a groundout and a strikeout to earn the save.

Padilla, Lew, Cipriano, and Cobb collected all 9 of the Pippins’ hits, with Cobb leading the way with his three base knocks (all singles). No Wenatchee batter collected multiple hits, but Brett Gillis tripled and scored as part of a 1-for-3 day.

The series continues on Saturday with game 2 set for a 6:35 PM PT start time. Cameron Liss is set to make his Pippins debut as the starting pitcher, while Trent Sellers will oppose him for Wenatchee. Live coverage begins at pippinsbaseball.com/live at 6:20 PM.

The Pippins, fresh off of a road series win to open the season in Ridgefield, Washington, return home for the home opener against the Wenatchee AppleSox tonight to open up a 5-game homestand. First pitch is set for 7:05 PM PT, with Pippins right-hander Joe Magrisi scheduled to make his first start of the summer, opposing Wenatchee left-hander Gavin Gorrell. Live coverage, both audio and video, begins with Miles Klotz at 6:50 PM PT on pippinsbaseball.com/live

Full Game Notes

PIPPINS BATS GO QUIET IN LOSS TO RAPTORS: The Pippins were unable to complete the sweep in Ridgefield on Thursday, managing just five hits and 2 runs in a 3-2 loss to the Raptors. The Ridgefield pitching staff was sharp, starting with starter Zach Barnes, who struck out 8 and did not walk a batter over 6 innings of 1-run ball. Pippins pitching held their own throughout most the game, with starter A.J. Wood allowing 1 run in 4.1 innings, but a two-run, go-ahead homer from Cameron Repetti in the 8th inning off of Mark Woinarowicz put Ridgefield ahead. Repetti earned the win despite serving up a solo homer to Owen Cobb in the top of the 8th that originally put the Pippins ahead.

HOME OPENER HISTORY: Friday will mark the 6th home opener in the history of the Pippins, 5 years and 1 day past the date of their first game in franchise history, which was, coincidentally, also against Wenatchee at County Stadium. All-time, the Pippins are 3-2 in home openers, with the two losses coming in each of the last two years, to Walla Walla and Victoria, respectively. Both home opener losses came by one run apiece.

FOR THE PIPPINS: Right-hander Joe Magrisi will make his first start of the season on Friday against Wenatchee. Magrisi was sharp in a relief appearance on Opening Night in Ridgefield, striking out the side in the bottom of the 9th on 10 pitches. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound native of San Diego has a three-pitch mix, with a low-90s fastball, curveball, and changeup. As a freshman at Cal State Fullerton this spring, Magrisi appeared in 11 games, making 3 midweek starts, and struck out 22 batters over 21.1 innings of work.

FOR THE APPLESOX: Left-hander Gavin Gorrell will make his first start of the season for the AppleSox. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound southpaw from North Bend, Washington, has yet to appear in a game for the AppleSox this season. After pitching as a freshman at Northern Colorado in 2018, where he posted a 9.15 ERA in 8 games, Gorrell sat out this past season at Boise State, which is restarting its baseball program next spring. His cousin, Grant, is an infielder for the AppleSox who will be a freshman at Boise State next spring.

A LOOK AT WENATCHEE: The AppleSox are 1-2 on the season after dropping the last two games of a season-opening series against Victoria at home. Wenatchee needed 4 runs in the last two innings on Tuesday against Victoria reliever Ryan Watson to pick up a 7-4 opening day win, but fell behind early in the final two games and never recovered. Victoria jumped out to 5-0 and 4-0 leadings after two innings and sent the AppleSox into holes they never dug out of. Washington State’s Trent Sellers, who is primarily a pitcher, has led the way offensively for the AppleSox, with 4 hits in 7 at-bats so far.

STRIKEOUT HAPPY: After 3 games, the Pippins have proven to be a strikeout-happy team, both on offense and on the mound. After setting a new single-season team record in pitching strikeouts last year, the Pippins are off to a strong start in that category again, sitting third in the WCL with 29 strikeouts over 3 games, about 9.6 per game. On the other hand, the Pippins lead the league in strikeouts on offense, fanning 39 times in 3 games, an average of 13 times per game. Last season, the Pippins struck out 396 times, which was 4th-fewest in the WCL.

ODDS & ENDS: Pippins pitching has walked just 6 batters this season, tied for the fewest in the WCL (Victoria)…the Pippins are one of two teams in the WCL that have had multiple players hit a HR (Ridgefield).

RIDGEFIELD, Wash. – Cameron Repetti’s 8th inning, 2-run, go-ahead home run led the Ridgefield Raptors to their first win in franchise history, 3-2, over the Yakima Valley Pippins on Thursday night at the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex.

After serving up a go-ahead homer to the Pippins’ Owen Cobb in the top of the 8th inning that broke a 1-1 deadlock, Repetti, who started the game as Ridgefield’s third baseman and later moved to the mound, took a Mark Woinarowicz pitch deep to center with two outs that gave Ridgefield (1-2) the lead. Repetti then came on to close out the win, which he earned, in the top of the ninth.

The Pippins (2-1) struggled to string together much offensively all night after taking an early lead. In the second inning, Riley Gill hit a soft single just past first baseman Carter Benbrook into shallow right field that scored Scott Youngbrandt to give the Pippins an early advantage. The Raptors answered with an RBI double from Michael Hicks in the 4th, and the pitcher’s duel moved quickly from that point forward.

A.J. Wood got the start for Yakima Valley and worked 4.1 strong innings, allowing just one earned run on four hits and one walk while striking out six. Woinarowicz was nearly flawless in relief before serving up the go-ahead homer, working out of multiple jams with runners in scoring position over his 3.2 innings of work. He took his first loss of the season, allowing the 2 runs on 3 hits, no walks and four strikeouts.

Ridgefield was strong on the mound all night, striking out double-digit Pippins batters for the third consecutive night. Zach Barnes got the start and took a tough-luck no-decision despite a quality start – 6 innings of 1-run ball, striking out 8 without allowing a walk on four hits. Peter Allegro bridged the gap to Repetti, tossing a scoreless 7th inning.

Youngbrandt had the only multi-hit game of the night for the Pippins, and scored the team’s other run besides Cobb. Ridgefield had just seven hits of their own, with Jonny Weaver leading the way with a 2-hit night. Michael Yourg also added a double for the Raptors.

The Pippins, unable to complete the sweep, still finish off a road series win to open the 2019 season. They return home Friday to open up a 3-game weekend series with the Wenatchee AppleSox. First pitch Friday is set for 7:05 PM PT, with Joe Magrisi pitching for the Pippins, opposing Wenatchee left-hander Gavin Gorrell. The game will be broadcast live, both audio and video, on pippinsbaseball.com/live, with coverage beginning 15 minutes prior to first pitch.

RIDGEFIELD, Wash. – The Yakima Valley Pippins exploded for 9 runs in the last 3 innings on Wednesday night in Ridgefield to cruise to a 10-3, series clinching win over the Ridgefield Raptors at the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex.

It was not easy for the Pippins (2-0), who were trailing all the way until a breakout 7th inning. The Raptors (0-2) jumped out to an early lead in the 2nd inning after back-to-back home runs by Steve Ramirez and Carter Benbrook off of Pippins starter Scott Youngbrandt. They would not score again from that point.

Raptors starter Joey Martin pitched well, but could not go deep into the game due to a high pitch count stemming from 6 walks. When he left in the fifth inning, he had allowed 1 run on just 1 hit, but walked the 6 batters and struck out 7, throwing more than 100 pitches. Eli Schubert came into the game from the bullpen, and the Pippins finally struck offensively from there.

In the 7th inning, Zach Lew got the scoring started by driving in Tyler Pittman with an RBI double to cut the Ridgefield lead to 1. One pitch later, Daniel Cipriano sent a breaking ball over the left field fence and into the home bullpen to put the Pippins ahead 4-3, a lead they would not relinquish.

Yakima Valley added another run in the 8th inning, and then pushed 4 more across in the ninth on Raptors reliever Wesley Harper, who saw his defense commit two errors behind him, and only two runs were earned. Youngbrandt completed four innings, allowing 3 runs (2 earned), but did not earn the win.

Nick Brown, who entered in relief in the 5th inning, pitching 3.2 innings of hitless relief to pick up his first victory of the season. Brown struck out 2 and walked 4 while not allowing a run, and kept the Pippins in the game after entering with a 3-1 deficit. Ty Pohlmann closed things out with 1.1 innings of scoreless relief to seal the victory.

Offensively, Cipriano and Lew led the way for the Pippins with 3 hits apiece, along with Owen Cobb, who added 3 hits the same day he was drafted by the San Diego Padres. Benbrook also added a double to his 3rd inning homer, becoming the only Raptor with a multi-hit game on the day.

The two teams close out the opening series on Thursday, with first pitch set for 6:35 PM MT in Ridgefield. Neither team has announced a projected starting pitcher.

After spoiling the inaugural game in history of the Ridgefield Raptors last night on the road, the Pippins look for their first series victory of the year when they battle the Raptors again in game 2 of a 3 game series. Scott Youngbrandt will start for the Pippins tonight, with first pitch set for 6:35 PM PT. Coverage begins with Miles Klotz on pippinsbaseball.com/live at 6:20 PM.

Full Game Notes

PIPPINS SPOIL RAPTORS INAUGURAL GAME: The Pippins rolled into the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex and spoiled the inaugural game in Ridgefield Raptors history on Tuesday, pulling out with a 4-3 win. Dylan Barkley was strong for the Pippins on the bump, tossing a quality start after allowing 3 runs (2 earned) over 6-plus innings. A 3-run 5th inning capped off by a Zach Lew RBI double pushed the Pippins ahead, and Daniel Cipriano’s go-ahead double down the line in the 8th put Yakima Valley ahead for good. Joe Magrisi was up to 94 MPH with his fastball in a 1-2-3 ninth inning, striking out the side and saving the first game of the year.

NOT-SO-FREE PASSES: The Pippins pitching staff – Barkley, Magrisi, and reliever Mark Woinarowicz, did not issue a walk on Opening Night, making it the first time since August 7th, 2018 against the Corvallis Knights that Pippins pitchers did not surrender a free pass. The trio of Yakima Valley arms also combined for 12 strikeouts (Barkley, 6; Magrisi, 3; Woinarowicz, 3). The 12 strikeouts was the most for Pippins pitching since they struck out 12 on July 31st, 2018 against Victoria.

FOR THE PIPPINS: Right-hander Scott Youngbrandt makes his first start of the season for the Pippins on Wednesday. The Tinley Park, IL, native pitched in 3 games for Saint Louis University this past spring, pitching just 2.2 innings, but posting a 1-1 record and 13.50 ERA. Youngbrandt pitched one scoreless inning in Sunday’s exhibition game against the Seattle Studs, striking out one. A two-way player, he has also appeared in games in right field and as the Pippins’ designated hitter so far this year.

FOR THE RAPTORS: Ridgefield has not announced a projected starting pitcher for tonight’s game.

LOOKING FOR 2-0: The Pippins will look to start the season 2-0 today, something they have not accomplished since sweeping Wenatchee to open up the 2016 season. That series was one of two season-opening sweeps in team history, with the other coming in 2015 against Klamath Falls.

BULLPEN LOCKS IN: The Pippins never led by more than 2 runs on Tuesday, but the bullpen duo of Woinarowicz and Magrisi kept things in check. The duo faced 10 batters out of the bullpen, allowing just 1 single. Other than the single, only one other ball left the infield – a 7th inning flyout by Jonny Weaver. The pair struck out 6 of 9 batters retired, and threw a combined 27 of their 39 pitches for strikes (69.2%).

RIDGEFIELD, Wash. – The Yakima Valley Pippins got their 2019 season off on the right note on Tuesday night, topping the Ridgefield Raptors on the road, 4-3, in the first game in Raptors franchise history.

The Pippins (1-0) fell behind early, when Raptors shortstop Jonny Weaver singled into right field to score Grayson Sterling. That lead would hold until the top of the 5th, when the Pippins broke out for 3 runs against Raptors (0-1) starting pitcher Michael Spellacy.

Riley Gill beat out an infield single with one out, and then Korrey Siracusa walked. After Tommy Davis reached on an error, the Pippins used a Tyler Pittman groundout and Zach Lew RBI double to tag 3 on Spellacy. The right-hander would end the night allowing the 3 runs on 6 hits, 2 walks, and 8 strikeouts over 6 innings.

For the Pippins, left-handed starter Dylan Barkley was solid through his 6-plus innings, although he surrendered a game-tying home run to Raptors designated hitter Dominic Enbody in the 6th inning. Barkley finished with a final line of 6 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), no walks, and 6 strikeouts. He was relieved by Mark Woinarowicz in the 7th inning, who pitched two scoreless innings of relief, allowing 1 hit.

The Pippins took the lead for good in the top of the 8th against Raptors reliever Spencer Andersen. Tyler Pittman worked a 12-pitch at-bat and reached on an infield single, and later scored on an RBI double from Daniel Cipriano, that landed just fair down the right field line and gave the Pippins a 4-3 lead.

Joe Magrisi came on in the bottom of the ninth and struck out the side on 10 pitches to earn his first save of the season. Woinarowicz earned his first win, while Andersen took the loss for the Raptors.

Pittman led the offensive charge for the Pippins, going 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Lew also added 2 hits and an RBI. For the Raptors, only Sterling (2-for-4) had multi-hit games.

The series continues on Wednesday when the Pippins and Raptors meet for game 2 at the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex. First pitch is set for 6:35 PM PT. Scott Youngbrandt is expected to pitch for the Pippins.

YAMIKA, Wash. – After one day of the 2019 MLB Draft, the Yakima Valley Pippins had two players, one former and one current, selected on the draft’s first day. 2019 Pippins outfielder Corbin Carroll was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks with the 16th overall selection, while 2016 Pippins right-handed pitcher Ryan Garcia was selected 50th overall by the Texas Rangers.

Carroll, a 5-foot-10, 160-pound, left-handed hitting outfielder from Seattle, will join the Pippins this summer if he chooses not to sign with Arizona. A UCLA signee, Carroll has a decorated résumé, having played for Team USA at the U18 level, winning gold at the Pan-American Championships in Panama last November. Carroll also was the MVP of the Perfect Game All-American Classic Game last summer in San Diego, where he went 1-for-1 with a triple and two walks.

Garcia, a right-handed pitcher from UCLA, pitched for the Pippins in 2016, prior to his freshman year with the Bruins. He was an honorable mention All-West Coast League selection, pitching key innings as he helped the Pippins return to the playoffs. In 16 appearances, including 4 starts, that summer, Garcia had a 4-5 record, 2.16 ERA, and struck out 45 batters in 41.2 innings of work.

YAKIMA, Wash. – The Yakima Valley Pippins used timely late hitting and a strong team pitching performance to capture a 9-4 win over the Seattle Studs in exhibition action at Yakima County Stadium on Sunday night.

The Pippins, opening up the season with an exhibition before the West Coast League season begins on Tuesday, fell behind early when starter Hunter French surrendered a walk and back-to-back base hits in the first inning, with Studs first baseman Ryan Budnick driving home a run to give Seattle an early lead. French settled down from there, and did not allow another run in his three-inning start.

The Pippins tagged on two runs in the bottom of the 2nd, capped by a Korrey Siracusa double, to take their first lead of the year, but quickly relinquished that in the 4th inning when a Tanner Parker throwing error allowed the Studs to tie the game at 2. From there, the Pippins were in control.

A.J. Wood, Scott Youngbrandt, and Ty Pohlmann each threw well out of the bullpen, with Wood’s 3 innings, in which he allowed just 1 unearned run on 1 hit while striking out 2, earning him the first win of the Pippins’ 2019 season. The trio combined for four strikeouts and one walk over 5 innings of work out of the bullpen.

Offensively, the Pippins exploded for a 5-run 6th inning, in which 10 men came to the plate and the team batted around. The inning was capped by Owen Cobb‘s booming RBI double to right-center field, and followed with bloop RBI base hits from Daniel Cipriano and Henry Gargus. The Pippins tacked on two more in the 7th inning as well off of Seattle reliever Tegan Aden, who took the loss after allowing 7 runs (6 earned) in 1.2 innings of work.

Left-hander Brycen Allen started for the Studs, surrendering 2 runs on 4 hits and 2 strikeouts without a walk over 3 innings of work. The Studs pounced on Pippins reliever Mark Woinarowicz for 2 runs in the top of the ninth, but he closed the door with a strikeout to leave it at 9-4.

The Pippins have Monday off, before hitting the road Tuesday to open up the 2019 West Coast League season in Ridgefield against the WCL’s newest team, the expansion Ridgefield Raptors. First pitch at the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex is set for 6:35 PM PT, with left-hander Dylan Barkley expected to start for Yakima Valley. The game will be broadcast live on pippinsbaseball.com/live, with pre-game coverage beginning 15 minutes prior to first pitch.

YAKIMA, Wash. – Montana State Billings’ Daniel Cipriano, the 2019 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year, highlights the newest group of position players added to the 2019 Yakima Valley Pippins roster, head coach Marcus McKimmy announced Tuesday.

A transfer from Moorpark College in California, Cipriano made an immediate impact for the Yellowjackets in his first year on campus, capturing the GNAC Triple Crown after leading the league in batting average (.405), home runs (18), and RBIs (52). He also set a school record by reaching base in 41 consecutive games between February and May.

The 6-foot-3, 245-pound right-handed hitting Cipriano is a native of Agoura Hills, California, northwest of Los Angeles. An infielder, he was also named the GNAC Newcomer of the Year, and was a unanimous 1st team All-GNAC selection.

Joining Cipriano on the Pippins’ roster of position players this summer is catcher Spencer Bramwell, and infielders Owen Cobb and Connor Gurnik.

Bramwell, a 5-foot-11, 210-pound right-handed hitter, joins James Bell and Korrey Siracusa as catchers for the Pippins this summer. After playing sparingly as a freshman, he has had a breakout sophomore season as the Maverick’s everyday catcher. Entering play of Colorado Mesa’s NCAA D2 Super Regional against Angelo State this upcoming weekend, Bramwell, a native of San Clemente, California, leads the team with a .383 batting average to go with 11 doubles, 7 homers, and 44 RBIs.

Cobb, a 6-foot-2, 180-pound right-handed hitter, will join the Pippins this summer before he begins his freshman year at Stanford this fall, where he will be teammates with fellow 2019 Pippin Henry Gargus. Cobb attends Garfield High School in Seattle, where he was named a second-team All-USA Washington as a junior in 2018.

Gurnik, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound right-handed hitter, will play his second season in the West Coast League this summer, and his first with the Pippins. A redshirt freshman at Cal Poly, the Naperville, Illinois native has seen consistent playing time on the infield after taking a redshirt year in 2018. Gurnik played for the Kelowna Falcons during the summer of 2017, appearing in 21 games.

The Yakima Valley Pippins have partnered with the Montreal tech start-up Chatler to create a real-time ordering and delivery service for ballpark concession favorites for the 2019 West Coast League season. Fans will be able to use Facebook Messenger to place and pay for orders that will be delivered directly to their seats.

Chatler has utilized chatbot technology, allowing fans to order food right from their seat in the ballpark, pay via secure credit card transaction through the app, and track – step-by-step – the delivery of their order right to the time it arrives to their seats. The bot will close out the transaction when the food is delivered, and even allow the customer to tip the server that delivers the food. For customers familiar with technology like Door Dash and Uber Eats, it is similar in nature – and convenience – but within a ballpark setting. The difference is that customers won’t have to download a unique app, nor create an account to order food – they can simply search for “Chatler” in Facebook Messenger to begin the process. Chatler representatives selected the Facebook Messenger platform because of it’s compatibility with chatbot technology and because, according to TechCrunch, more than 1 billion people in the world use Facebook Messenger, so it is a platform that consumers already know how to use.

“Our goal is to provide a memorable customer service experience night in and night out,” said team president Zachary Fraser. “The ability to order ballpark staples from your seat – no need to wait for a server to take your order – and have it delivered provides a premium experience throughout additional neighborhoods in our ballparks.”

The Chatler app and runner team will not replace servers in the ballpark to premium seat locations. It is intended instead to supplement and to extend the locations throughout the stadium that delivery service can be provided. For the 2019 season, in order to ensure that the program can work as intended and improve customer experience rather than harm it, the menu will be limited to the top 6-8 selling items – hot dogs, peanuts, soda, water, a few beer items, and select candy treats. Premium seat locations will still have waiter service with the full menus available – including full beer and wine selections and expanded meal choices.

“We are always seeking out ways to help people have more fun at the stadium,” said Pippins director of hospitality Andy Jones, who is overseeing setup of the ballpark food and beverage. “If we can eliminate a wait for a quick beer, and allow you to still watch the game with your friends and family, we’ve helped you have more fun!

“Don’t worry – when you are ready to wander, we still have great ice cream, local treats, and craft beers to keep the good times going.”

The genesis for Chatler came from the frustration of waiting nearly a full period for concessions – and missing the action on the ice – at a Montreal Canadiens game. The founders of Chatler started to discuss and brainstorm ways that they could develop a different solution, and the result was the app.

“We’re excited and delighted to launch with the Pippins this summer,”, said Chatler’s president Sebastien Audet. “We had one goal in mind when building Chatler: eliminate concession lines. Attending a baseball game is a social experience. It’s all about spending quality time with friends and family. Searching for a concession and standing in a line takes away that precious time. Enjoy the game, order from your seat without downloading another mobile app.”

Information on how to use Chatler will be available on the team website the last week of May – prior to Opening Day, with menus and pricing – and the app will be tested at the pre-season exhibition game scheduled June 1, 2019 vs. the Seattle Studs (BUY TICKETS TO THE EXHIBITION GAME). Additionally, Chatler representatives will have how-to cards to pass along at the gate on Opening Day (BUY TICKETS TO OPENING DAY).

Kids and baseball go together.

From the pure joy of watching a home run sail beyond the outfield wall, to the rush to eat the ice cream before it melts, its hard to watch a kid be at a ballpark and see the happiness that experience creates.

Les Schwab Tire Centers – a Pacific Northwest-based leader in tires, brakes, wheels, shocks, and alignment services – basically the company that keeps the Pacific Northwest moving on our beautiful roads – loves to see families and kids having fun. The company has a history of giving back to the Yakima Valley, having recently wrapped up a three-year agreement with the Pippins that generated more than $20,000 in donations to area non-profits through “Chuck-A-Ball”. The nature of the relationship between the tire leader and the team will continue on a platform of community service through the “Tickets 4 Kids” presented by Les Schwab.

“Tickets 4 Kids” – launched by the Pippins in 2015 – allows companies to make financial contributions to the Pippins to purchase tickets to games, to donate to non-profits in the Yakima Valley that provide resources and services to under-served children. The Pippins match the financial contribution to double the volume of tickets that can be provided.

“We are proud to call Les Schwab partners,” says Pippins president Zachary Fraser. “The managers and employees believe in giving back to the communities where they live and work – and that aligns perfectly with our team culture.

“Our Tickets 4 Kids program is a great fit – the Yakima Valley Pippins are excited to partner with our friends at Les Schwab to make this possible for the upcoming season.”

For companies interested in contributing to the available ticket inventory – and helping Les Schwab and the Pippins reach even further in their efforts to connect the community – please click here.

For non-profit organizations that would like to apply for a T4K donation, please click here and fill out the application. The tickets are distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis.

#RollPipps #LesSchwab #Tickets4Kids

YAKIMA, Wash. – Two two-way players, Saint Louis University’s Scott Youngbrandt and UCLA signee Josh Hahn, are the newest additions to the Yakima Valley Pippins roster, head coach Marcus McKimmy announced Wednesday.

Hahn, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound left-handed pitcher and hitter, will attend UCLA next fall following the conclusion of his high school career at Huntington Beach (Calif.) High School. Playing for one of the top high school teams in southern California, Hahn was a second-team All-State selection as a two-way player his junior season. As a sophomore, in his first year on varsity, he was named the Sunset League Rookie of the Year.

Youngbrandt, a 6-foot, 185-pound freshman from Tinley Park, Illinois, has spent most of his freshman season for the Billikens as a hitter. Youngbrandt has played three different positions for Saint Louis this year, and has recently moved into the leadoff spot in the batting order.

“I have a teammate (at Saint Louis) who played in Victoria, and told me about the West Coast League,” Youngbrandt said. “He said one thing that will be a lot different will be the atmosphere, averaging 1,000 to 1,500 people a night.”

Youngbrandt attended Victor J. Andrew High School in the Chicago area, where he was twice named All-Conference. He was selected Conference Pitcher of the Year as a junior, as well as All-State. D1Baseball.com ranked him the fourth-best freshman in the Atlantic 10 Conference entering the season.

“Coming in as a freshman, you learn a ton of stuff from older players and coaches that you work on implementing into your game,” Youngbrandt noted. “I’ll be trying to implement those things I’ve learned, on both sides of the ball.”

YAKIMA, Wash. — The Pippins will start their sixth summer of baseball at Yakima County Stadium a couple days earlier than anticipated with the addition of an exhibition game on Sunday, June 2.

Billed as “Sunday Funday with the Pippins,” the game against the Seattle Studs serves more than one purpose for the organization, general manager Jeff Garretson said.

“The event servers as a good training situation for all stadium employees who will be serving fans during the summer, and gives them a chance to work together and learn our systems before Opening Night,” Garretson said. “With many new employees every summer, it’s a real benefit.

“And, obviously, the coaching staff can see our new players in a game situation instead of just practices before we start the regular season at Ridgefield,” Garretson added.

The Sunday game will start at 6:05 p.m., with gates opening at 5:15 p.m.

The event will include discount prices throughout the venue, including $1 parking, $3 admission for all seating levels, $2 hot dogs and regular sodas, $3 hamburgers and French fries, and $3.50 cheeseburgers.

“It’s the first Sunday in June, and we thought it’d be a great day for a family night at the ballpark that lets fans mingle with players in a more laid-back atmosphere,” Garretson said.

The Pippins’ official home opener, presented by Legends Casino and Hotel, is slated for Friday, June 7, against the Wenatchee AppleSox. Gates open at 6 p.m., with first pitch scheduled at 7:05 p.m. The first 1,000 fans will receive a Legends Casino water bottle that will be refillable all season long with $2 fountain drinks. Postgame fireworks will cap the evening.

Tickets for this game and all regular-season home games are available at PippinsTickets.com, by calling 509-575-4487, or in person at the team’s downtown store at 12 S. Second St. in the Larson Building.

YAKIMA, Wash. – Future Boise State Bronco Christian Padilla and current Pittsburg State Gorilla Tyler Pittman are the newest additions to the 2019 Yakima Valley Pippins outfield, head coach Marcus McKimmy announced Wednesday.

Padilla, a 5-foot-11, 170-pound right-handed hitter, is currently a sophomore at Spokane Falls (Wash.) Community College. He has signed a letter of intent to attend Boise State University starting this fall, where he will be a member of the Broncos’ upstart baseball program, which will take the field in 2020 for the first time since it was disbanded in 1980.

“I’ve heard good things about the Pippins, about Coach McKimmy,” Padilla said. “I know it’s a good league, with lots of good talent. I’m looking forward to seeing better competition and to learn a couple things.”

As a freshman at Spokane Falls last season, Padilla was named 2nd team All-NWAC East Region after hitting .278 with 8 home runs and 31 RBIs and stealing 20 bases. The native of Eagle, Idaho played summer collegiate baseball for the Expedition League’s Badlands Big Sticks last summer, hitting .264 with 5 home runs for the league’s runners-up.

Pittman, a 5-foot-8, 175-pound junior from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, is in his first season at Division II Pittsburg State University in Kansas. He has been a fixture in the lineup this season for the Gorillas, appearing in 23 of 33 games.

The right-handed hitting Pittman transferred to Pittsburg State after two seasons in the junior college ranks in Kansas City. He hit .332 with 6 home runs as a sophomore at Kansas City Kansas Community College, following up an All-Conference freshman year in which he hit .386 with 11 doubles, 7 triples, 3 home runs, and 36 RBIs.

YAKIMA, Wash. – Five fireworks nights, several promotional giveaways and a few new twists are in store for Yakima Valley Pippins fans at The Orchard this summer.

As in past years, the Pippins will stage five postgame fireworks displays throughout the 32-game regular season, which begins at Yakima County Stadium on Friday, June 7, and continuing through Sunday, Aug. 11.

Opening Night, presented by Legends Casino and Hotel, will feature souvenir water bottle giveaways to the first 1,000 fans. In addition, fans will be able to refill the water bottles with their favorite soft drink at a discount price all summer long, general manager Jeff Garretson said.

That’s just one example of added value the Pippins will provide this summer.

“Our focus during the offseason has been how to provide additional value to fans who come out all season long as well as those fans who only come out once or twice a year,” Garretson said. “We feel that we’ve been able to find a good balance that helps keep prices down as much as possible.”

Other fireworks nights include Celebrate America Night on Wednesday, July 3, presented by Banner Bank, with souvenir red, white and blue Pippins caps for the first 1,000 fans; Celebrate Summer Night on Saturday, June 22, presented by Toyota of Yakima; and Military Appreciation Night on Friday, July 12, presented by Caliber Home Loans.

Fan Appreciation Night on Sunday, Aug. 11, presented by the Valley Mall, is the final fireworks night of the regular season. The first 1,000 fans will receive a Astronaut Scott T. Pippin bobblehead, in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing in July 1969.

Games on fireworks nights will start at 7:05 p.m.; games Monday through Saturday will start at 6:35 p.m.; and Sunday games will start at 6:05 p.m.

Other giveaway nights include Tieton Cider Works Night (sunglasses) on June 13; Yakima Chief Hops Night (drink koozies) on July 10; Perry Tech Trades Night on July 18 (personal cellphone fans).

The Mariner Moose returns to The Orchard for Valley Night on Saturday, July 13, presented by Prosser Memorial Health’s Grandview Clinic.

A big change is coming on all Sundays, except Fan Appreciation Night. Kids 12 and younger will be admitted free with a paying adult, sponsored by Heritage Bank. Kids also can run around the bases after the game.

Midweek value nights also return this year. $2 Tuesdays not only will include $2 hot dogs, $2 regular fountain drinks, $2 small popcorn and $2 ice cream scoops from Baskin Robbins, but also $3.50 pretzels and nachos, and $1 off burgers and brats all game long.

Most Wednesdays will be Family Value Nights, with $2 off tickets in all seating sections. Fans also can purchase Family Night Out passes, which include 4 reserved seats, 4 hot dogs, 4 regular sodas, 4 bags of chips and a parking pass for $60 on those nights.

The Pippins are changing up Thirsty Thursdays, presented by Yakima Craft Brewing Co. and Stephens Media Group. Twelve-ounce draft beers will cost just $2 before and at the start of the game — but there’s a twist, Garretson said.

If the opponents score, beer prices will rise $1 for each run scored, Garretson said, up to standard pricing. But if the Pippins pitching staff throws a shutout, prices will remain at $2 until last call.

Additional food and beverage specials and a value menu will be announced soon, Garretson added.

Single-game tickets for all 32 home games are on sale at Hunky Shaw’s Team Shop at 12 S. Second St. in the Larson Building in downtown Yakima. Tickets also can be purchased by calling 509-575-4487 or at www.PippinsTickets.com.

There is a $1.50 transaction fee per ticket when buying online. However, through May 31, each ticket purchased online and printed at home will include a $1.50 credit at stadium concession stands, effectively negating the ticketing fee, Garretson said.

YAKIMA, Wash. – With just over two months before the Yakima Valley Pippins start their sixth season at Yakima County Stadium, the team is also seeking host families to house players while in Yakima.

“One of the questions we’re often asked is where do players stay during the summer,” Pippins general manager Jeff Garretson said. “With players coming from all around the country, we also get that question a lot from parents.”

Host families have been a critical part of the organization’s success from Day 1, Garretson said. “Without our great hosts, we wouldn’t be able to operate. It’s as simple as that.”

Families interested in hosting a player can apply here.

Garretson estimates about 30 beds will be needed for this summer.

Although host families “adopt” their players for less than three months, many of them keep active ties with players long after they’ve left Yakima.

Host families provide free room and board during the West Coast League season, a family environment to help players adjust to a new community away from their own families, and, in some cases, transportation to and from the ballpark. Typically, players arrive in late May and stay through mid-August.

In return, host families receive a Stadium View season ticket for each member of the immediate household, a full-season parking pass, 20 percent off team merchandise during the season, on-field recognition during Fan Appreciation Night, and more.

“We expect our players to represent their colleges and their families well while in Yakima, and host families have contributed to their growth, too,” Garretson said. “Now that we have our first major-leaguer in (Detroit’s) Reed Garrett, we’ll see more in the future who have been Pippins — perhaps even some who will be playing this year.”

YAKIMA, Wash. – A pair of left-handed pitchers, Dixie State’s Jack Gonzales and Portland’s Cole Wilkinson, are the newest members of the 2019 Yakima Valley Pippins. The duo are the first two southpaws added to the roster this year.

A returner from last year’s squad, Gonzales had a strong summer in 2018 in which he posted a 3.04 ERA in 47.1 innings, largely out of the Pippins’ bullpen. Gonzales struck out 39 batters, while opponents hit just .268. He made the final start of the regular season in Corvallis, holding the eventual league champions to just two runs in seven innings.

Gonzales, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound native of San Diego, is working as a starting pitcher in his sophomore season at Dixie State University, in the Trailblazers’ penultimate season in Division II, before they move up to Division I for the 2021 season. His 3.52 ERA for Dixie State as a freshman in 2018 led the team.

Wilkinson, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound freshman from Eugene, Oregon, is currently in his freshman season at Portland. A graduate of Eugene’s Churchill High School, he was named the Oregon Class 5A Pitcher of the Year as a senior in 2018. Additionally, Wilkinson was tabbed first team All-State.

Wilkinson has worked almost exclusively out of the bullpen so far this spring for the Pilots. In eight appearances (with one start), he has pitched 11.2 innings and has struck out 11 batters.

YAKIMA, Wash. –One of the most decorated high school baseball players in the country, Seattle native Corbin Carroll has signed to play for the Yakima Valley Pippins this summer before beginning his freshman season at UCLA in the fall, the team announced Thursday.

Carroll, a 5-foot-10, 160-pound outfielder, has put together a high-level résumé for a high school baseball player. Last summer, he was named MVP of the Perfect Game All-American Classic at Petco Park in San Diego after going 1-for-1 with a triple and two walks.

Baseball America ranks Carroll the seventh-best available prospect for the 2019 MLB Draft, while MLB Pipeline tabs him as the 14th-best — two of a handful of signals that Carroll could be a high draft pick in MLB’s June amateur draft.

Recently, Carroll was named to Perfect Game’s Northwest Region High School Dream Team for the 2019 season, where he was listed with friend and fellow future Pippin Henry Gargus of Yakima’s Davis High School.

“A big reason why I chose the Pippins was to play (with Gargus),” said Carroll, who is a senior at Lakeside High School. “Really looking forward to the summer … I’m really looking to get better, get at-bats, be fresh and be ready to compete for a spot in that UCLA lineup.”

A fast and athletic left-handed hitter, Carroll has also played at the U18 level for Team USA. At the Pan-American Championships in Panama last November, he starred as Team USA won its fifth straight gold medal, hitting .500 with three home runs in eight games. He also led all players in the tournament with nine stolen bases, and homered in the gold medal game.

“I can’t say enough about that USA experience,” Carroll said. “It’s something I’d wanted to do since I was 13, 14 years old. Not making teams in the past really motivated me, so finally making the team this year felt like a great accomplishment for me, because it really showed my hard work paying off.”

Ryan Garcia, who played for the Yakima Valley Pippins in 2017, on Monday was named Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week.

The UCLA junior right-hander from Sierra Madre, Calif., surrendered just one hit and retired 21 of the final 22 batters he faced as the Bruins completed a three-game sweep over Arizona last weekend with a 3-1 victory.

Though he didn’t get the win in the game, Garcia pitched a career-high 7 1/3 innings and struck out eight — just one off his career best — and allowed one hit.

Garcia has a 1.20 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 15 innings this spring.

Oregon sophomore right-hander Cullen Kafka (Pippins 2017, 2018) is 2-2 with 29 strikeouts in 31 1/3 innings for the Ducks this spring. His strongest outing so far was a 7-inning stint at Hawaii on March 8, when he struck out five and scattered six hits in a 3-1 victory.

Gonzaga freshman Mason Wells (Pippins 2018) absorbed a tough 4-2 loss at Pepperdine last week in an eight-inning performance — his longest this season — for his first career decision with the Bulldogs. He scattered four hits in the 92-pitch performance Overall, Wells has struck out 14 and walked 11 in 21 innings, while allowing nine earned runs and 12 hits.

YAKIMA, Wash. – Reed Garrett is still making history for the Yakima Valley Pippins.

Garrett, a Virginia Military Institute right-hander in 2014,threw the first pitch in Pippins history — a strike — on June 6, 2014. He pitched seven innings that night and picked up the win in the franchise-opening victory against the Wenatchee AppleSox in front of 3,209 fans at Yakima County Stadium.

Five years later, Garrett is the first Pippin to reach the major leagues, with the Detroit Tigers as a Rule 5 draft selection. He secured a spot in the Tigers bullpen when manager Ron Gardenhire finalized Detroit’s 25-man active roster Monday.

“From a baseball standpoint, Reed’s stuff passes the eye test,” Pippins manager Marcus McKimmy said. “He was our best guy (to start the Pippins’ first-ever game), and he would have been our best guy had he stayed with us all summer.

“But the thing that sticks with me was that he was a genuinely incredible human. He came from a great school, he was a mature adult with a great head on his shoulders, intelligent, a leader by example,” McKimmy continued. “So, for us and the fans who got to see him pitch that first start, they got a glimpse of a really, really quality baseball player and an incredible young man.”

Garrett made two starts in a Pippins uniform and picked up two wins. After earning the victory on opening night in Yakima, he pitched five days later in Corvallis against the Knights, again tossing seven innings and earning the win while striking out six and allowing just two earned runs.

Garrett was drafted in the 16^thround by the Texas Rangers in 2014, just one day after his Opening Night start, and spent the first five seasons of his professional career in that organization. He agreed to terms with the Rangers after his second Pippins start, and began his pro career a week later at short-season Spokane in the Northwest League.

In December, he was the fifth overall pick by Detroit in the 2018 Rule 5 Draft.

Under the guidelines of the Rule 5 Draft, Garrett must remain on the 25-man Major League roster for the entire 2019 season, and must remain active (not on the injured list) for at least 90 days. If he does not remain on the Major League roster, he must be offered back to the Rangers organization for $50,000, half of what the Tigers paid to acquire his rights. After a strong spring training, Garrett worked his way into the Tigers’ bullpen plans for 2019, and potentially beyond.

“For a middle-round draft pick, the odds are a little more stacked against you, but for a guy with Reed’s makeup, his character and his personality and his stuff, ultimately, you knew that he had a chance,” McKimmy said. “And for minor league baseball, that’s all any of these guys really want and ask for. For Reed, he’s a great example of a guy who wasn’t highly invested in, but he bet on himself and had the make-up and character and ability to get there, to go through the trials and grind of minor league baseball.”

A starter for the Pippins and in college at VMI, Garrett primarily remained a starter for the first three years of his pro career. After a full-time move to the bullpen in 2017 at Double-A Frisco, Texas, everything took off – both literally and figuratively.

Garrett’s strikeout rate, which hovered between six and seven strikeouts per nine innings as a starter, jumped to over a batter per inning the past two seasons. His previously low-90s fastball now sits in the mid-90s and has touched 99, to go with a power breaking ball, a newly implemented split-finger fastball, and a change-up. He split 2018 between Frisco and Triple-A Round Rock, Texas, and posted a combined 2.04 ERA while striking out 61 batters in 61.2 innings.

Garrett figures to be a key piece out of the bullpen for a Tigers pitching staff that includes WCL alums Matthew Boyd (Corvallis) and Blaine Hardy (Bend/Wenatchee). In spring training for Detroit, he posted an ERA of 6.10 in ten appearances, striking out 11 batters in 10.1 innings of work.

The Tigers open their 2019 regular season Thursday in Toronto against the Blue Jays. Detroit visits the Seattle Mariners July 25-28.

YAKIMA, Wash. – Three freshmen from perennial Division I power Cal State Fullerton – infielder Zach Lew, right-handed pitcher Joe Magrisi, and catcher Korrey Siracusa – are the newest additions to the 2019 Yakima Valley Pippins, head coach Marcus McKimmy announced Tuesday.

The trio comes to Yakima County Stadium from a program that has made 27 straight NCAA regional appearances, and two of the past four College World Series.

Lew, a 5-foot-9, 165-pound, right-handed-hitting infielder, is in his first year at Fullerton after prepping at southern California baseball powerhouse Orange (Calif.) Lutheran High School. Playing in one of the best high school baseball conferences in the country, Lew was a second-team All-League selection as a senior in 2018.

“Lew can play all three infield positions (3B, 2B, and SS) really well,” McKimmy said. “He is already finding his way into the lineup as a true freshman. When people ask me about Zach, I just tell them he’s as tough as they come and helps his team win.”

Magrisi, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound right-handed pitcher, is also in his first year at Fullerton as a hard-throwing bullpen piece. The San Diego, California, native was ranked the 10th-best freshman in the Big West Conference by Baseball America entering the 2019 season.

“Joe has swing-and-miss stuff,” McKimmy said. “He projects as a rotation guy for us, but can pitch effectively in all roles. Sneaky velocity and a plus slider jump off the page.”

At Torrey Pines High School in San Diego, Magrisi went 12–0 with a 0.75 ERA and 130 strikeouts in 93 innings as a senior, while only walking 12 batters. For his efforts, he was named Prep Baseball Report State Pitcher of the Year, League Pitcher of the Year, and San Diego CIF Player of the Year. Additionally, Magrisi broke 21-year Major League veteran and 3-time All-Star David Wells’ San Diego high school record for consecutive scoreless innings when he pitched 54.2 straight frames unblemished.

“He is throwing out of the bullpen at Fullerton now, so he will be fresh and motivated to impress when he arrives in Yakima in June,” said McKimmy.

Siracusa, a 5-foot-8, 180-pound, right-handed-hitting catcher, is a native of Honolulu, Hawaii, where he attended Mililani High School. Siracusa was a first-team All-State selection as a senior in 2018, as well as an All-League pick. He helped lead Mililani to its first conference title since 1997, when the school won the league in 2018.

“Siracusa is behind an older, more experienced starter in former Pippins All-Star Daniel Cope,” said McKimmy. “He’s more than likely going to redshirt and be one of our best guys behind the plate when he puts on the Pippin green.”

YAKIMA, Wash. – Two freshmen for the Oregon Ducks baseball team, catcher/outfielder James Bell and right-handed pitcher Tyler Frazier, are the newest members of the Yakima Valley Pippins, head coach Marcus McKimmy announced Wednesday.

Bell, a 6-foot, 203-pound right-handed hitter, is in his first year in Eugene after a standout career at Clovis North High School in Fresno, California. Bell was a first-team All-State selection as a senior in 2018, and was also named Tri-River Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year after hitting .374 with six doubles, four home runs, and 22 RBIs.

“Bell is a big bat who will be a middle of the order type in Yakima,” said McKimmy. “He’s behind some older guys and more experienced guys at Oregon, but will be extremely motivated this summer to be an impact guy.”

“I’m looking to take positive steps in my catching, and get a lot of good quality at-bats in,” Bell said. “I would like to hit the ball around like I know I can, and see as many high-level college arms as I can.”

Bell is already a veteran of the summer collegiate baseball circuit, having spent the 2018 summer playing for the Medford Rogues of the Great West League. He hit .333 for the Rogues with five doubles, one home run, and 11 RBIs.

“The whole experience prepared me pretty well (for college ball),” Bell said. “Seeing actual college arms, facing live pitching, traveling, bus rides, it really prepares you for other stuff that goes on behind the scenes.”

Frazier is a 6-foot-1, 143-pound right-hander pitcher who will come to Yakima from Oregon by way of Corona, California. He prepped at Santiago High School, where he posted a 7–4 record and 2.08 ERA as a senior in 2018.

“Tyler throws a ton of strikes,” noted McKimmy. “He’s a mid- to upper-80s arm that we hope will be a 90 guy when he gets to Yakima. Anybody that is coached and mentored by (Oregon pitching coach) Jason Dietrich will be a solid and well-prepared competitor.”

Frazier was ranked by Perfect Game as the 25th-best pitcher in California in the class of 2018 after a high school career that included three first-team All-League selections. At Santiago, he was teammates with Brice Turang, who was the 18th overall draft pick in the 2018 MLB Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers.

“Having teammates is always great for that initial transition to the league,” said McKimmy. “A pitcher-catcher duo is even more valuable, as they will have no adjustment period with Tyler throwing to James.”

YAKIMA, Wash. – Davis High School senior Henry Gargus, and Oregon State freshman Greg Fuchs are joining the Pippins for the 2019 season, head coach Marcus McKimmy announced Monday.

“We start building this roster in the fall,” McKimmy said. “Henry and Greg — we’ve had them committed since the fall. They’re incredible lefty bats, and I’m excited to bring them in here to County Stadium, which has always played well to left-handed power bats.”

Gargus, a 6-foot, 205-pound first baseman and outfielder who is headed to Stanford in the fall, is entering his senior season at A.C. Davis High School this spring. The Yakima native is ranked by Baseball Americaas the 136^th-best prospect for the upcoming 2019 MLB Draft.

“Henry is one of the highly touted high school players in the country, not just in the Northwest,” said McKimmy. “The fact that he lives just mere miles from us in Yakima, that’s just a benefit, and an incredible one at that.”

Gargus was named a 2018 Perfect Game All-American and participated in the All-American Classic at Petco Park in San Diego last summer. An all-state selection as a junior at Davis, he also won the home run derby at the 2018 Area Code Games in Long Beach, Calif. On Friday, Gargus was named to Perfect Game’s Northwest Region High School Dream Team for the 2019 season.

“There’s pride on both sides,” McKimmy said of having a high-level Yakima native stay home for the summer and play in front of family and friends. “Even more important, Henry is an outstanding character, an outstanding individual. His makeup is off the charts.”

“Every teacher, mentor, coach, just have rave reviews,” McKimmy continued. “These types of guys don’t come around in a clubhouse all the time.”

Fuchs (pronounced FYOOKS) is a 6-foot, 192-pound outfielder and catcher from Mercer Island, Wash. He is currently playing his freshman season for the reigning NCAA Division I national champion Beavers.

“Greg is versatile,” McKimmy noted. “He was a catcher, first baseman, and outfielder in high school, but will primarily play outfield and DH at Oregon State. We see some value in him potentially starting behind the plate for us at times, just to get another bat in the lineup while also playing the corner outfield as well.

“Anytime that you’ve got a guy that you can put behind the dish in a pinch at the college level and then in the outfield has immense value to your ballclub.”

Fuchs made an immediate impact for the Beavers on Opening Day, hitting a pinch-hit, walk-off, 2-RBI single in his first collegiate at-bat to beat New Mexico in Surprise, Ariz. He was named to the Seattle TimesAll-Area team as a senior at Mercer Island High School after hitting .486 with three home runs and 25 RBIs, and earned league MVP honors.

“Oregon State has done such an incredible job of recruiting young talent, really developing those guys into national title competitors,” McKimmy noted. “Greg had an immediate impact early on as a non-starter, and that shows you the trust they had in their bench, their young guys, their recruits, and the ability to have depth.”

In what has now become an annual tradition, baseball fans from Yakima escape the dreariness of winter in the Valley for a burst of sunshine, cold drinks, and baseball in Arizona. We join our friends with the Seattle Mariners and enjoy the rite of passage that is Spring Training.

For the 2019 edition of the trip, the details are as follows:

• Depart Sunday, March 10, return Thursday, March 14
• Trip to include 5 days/4 nights/3 games (2 in Peoria, 1 on the road)
• Includes: round-trip airfare from Pasco-Phoenix | Ground Transportation (to and from the airport to hotels and hotels to ballparks) | Hotel accommodations | game tickets to (3) spring training games (including an all-you-can-eat ballpark buffet from a party deck in Peoria) | special behind-the-scenes look at the 2019 M’s and the facilities
• Cost: $1,495/pp (double-occupancy)

Past trips have included meeting Mariners greats, visits with the management team, and a chance to see live bullpens from All-Star pitchers inside the practice facility. In addition to the great behind-the-scenes, the company has been fantastic – it is a great way to end winter and prepare for the warmth of summer.

“We can’t wait to get down there this year,” said PBV president Zachary Fraser. “Each year we see something unique, different – and you can’t beat the weather!”

To schedule or for additional emails, contact the Pippins travel partner Paul Schneidmiller at Worldwide Travel Service via phone (509-525-8040) or via email at [email protected].

To see the full details, click here

YAKIMA, Wash. — A day after announcing their 2019 WCL schedule, the Yakima Valley Pippins are serving up a new season ticket option for fans: the ‘Best Available’ ticket.

This new season ticket provides entry into all 32 Pippins home games in 2019, but doesn’t come with a specific seat. Instead, fans will be able to choose their seat from what is available a week before the game date.

It will give the fan the most flexibility for the price, general manager Jeff Garretson said.

“The upside is that a fan can pick the best seats — from the Dugout Bar at field level right next to first base, to reserved seats behind home plate, to any other section, based on preference,” Garretson said. “And you can’t beat the price for that wide range of seat flexibility.”

The “Best Available” season ticket costs $312, which averages to just $9.75 per game, well below the average $12 price for a Stadium Select reserved seat.

But there is a catch: To get the best seat available, fans must be proactive and reserve that seat no earlier than seven days ahead of time. Fans can also select their seats at the box office on game night, but choice is limited to what’s available at that time.

Like all season tickets, the “Best Available” ticket comes with Ticket Exchange, which allows the buyer to exchange the ticket for a missed game for a new ticket for another game, Garretson said. Ticket Exchange is a perk for season ticket holders only.

The “Best Available” season ticket, and all other season ticket and mini-plan options, are on sale now at the Pippins downtown office, 12 S. Second St. in the historic Larson Building, by calling 509-575-4487, or at the team’s holiday kiosk in the Valley Mall in Union Gap starting Nov. 17.

YAKIMA, Wash. – The Yakima Valley Pippins will open their 2019 West Coast League campaign against the newest addition to the league, the Ridgefield Raptors, with a three-game series that begins Tuesday, June 4.

The Pippins, starting their sixth year in the wood-bat collegiate summer league, will open their 32-game home schedule at Yakima County Stadium on Friday, June 7, against the Wenatchee AppleSox. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m.

Ridgefield was announced as the 12^th team in the WCL this summer. The Raptors, owned by the same group that owns and operates the Cowlitz Black Bears, will join the WCL South, which will give both divisions six teams each.

The North Division includes Yakima Valley, Wenatchee, Bellingham, Port Angeles, Kelowna and Victoria. Joining Cowlitz and Ridgefield in the South are Walla Walla, Portland, Bend and Corvallis.

The Pippins will have 27 home league games and five nonleague opponents. The nonleague dates and opponents will be announced later.

The Pippins schedule can be viewed here.

The league’s regular season concludes on Sunday, Aug. 11, with playoffs starting two days later. The Pippins will host their sister team, the Walla Walla Sweets, on the final home weekend of the season.

Per league scheduling guidelines, the Pippins will not travel to Walla Walla or Bend this season. Likewise, Yakima Valley will not host Portland or Cowlitz this summer.

Pippins home games will begin at 6:35 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, except for special event nights such as fireworks nights. Sunday games will begin at 6:05 p.m. The Pippins promotional schedule will be announced early next year.

Season tickets for the 2019 season are available for purchase at Hunky Shaw’s Team Shop, 12 S. Second St., in the historic Larson Building in downtown Yakima, by calling 509-575-4487, or online at PippinsTickets.com. The Pippins’ holiday kiosk in the Valley Mall in Union Gap will open Nov. 17.

Tickets for Opening Night, presented by Legends Casino and Hotel, will go on sale in December, with special pricing available only that month.

YAKIMA, Wash. – Yakima Valley Pippins outfielder Kyle Dean and starting pitcher Cullen Kafka have been named to the West Coast League’s first team, the league announced today.

Earning second-team honors are catcher Victor Cerny and starting pitcher Chase Farrell. Infielder/catcher Tyler Lasch, infielders Cody Jefferis, Nick DiCarlo and Jake Moberg, outfielder Sam Mitchell and pitchers Hunter French and Mason Wells each picked up honorable mentions.

Dean, who will be a junior at Cal State Monterey Bay this fall, led the WCL with a .374 batting average in 37 games with the Pippins after joining the squad in mid-June. He finished with 52 hits, including eight doubles, four triples and two home runs. He also had 24 RBI, 19 walks and was hit by a pitch four times.

Kafka, a 6-foot-4 right-hander from the University of Oregon, had a 2.37 ERA in nine WCL appearances this year, and compiled the third-best ERA in the league. He struck out 50 and walked 10 in 45.2 innnings en route to a 3-3 record.

Farrell, a 6-foot-2 right-hander from UCLA, compiled a 3.46 ERA in 52 innings that spread across 10 apperances, including eight starts. He finished with a 2-2 record, striking out 57 and walking 11 while giving up 41 hits.

Cerny, a sophomore at Cal St. Northridge, hit .254 with a home run and 13 RBI for the Pippins in 37 games, and saw considerable time behind the plate due to injuries to other members of the team’s catching corps.

The Pippins’ sixth West Coast League season will begin in early June 2019.

The complete All-WCL teams:

2018 WCL MVP
Trent Tinglestad (Louisiana-Monroe) of Kelowna

2018 WCL Pitchers of the Year
Curtis Bafus (VCU) of Wenatchee; Landen Bourassa (San Francisco) of Corvallis

2018 WCL Top Prospect
Matt McClain (UCLA) of Bellingham

All-WCL First Team

C – Cole Hamilton (Linn Benton CC, soph), Corvallis Knights
1B – Connor McCord (Western Oregon, junior), Wenatchee AppleSox
2B – Gio Diaz (St. Mary’s, soph), Portland Pickles
3B – Taylor Wright (Maryland, senior), Kelowna Falcons
SS – Ernie Yake (Gonzaga, soph), Bellingham Bells
OF – Trent Tinglestad (Louisiana-Monroe, junior), Kelowna Falcons
OF – Kyle Dean (Cal State Monterey Bay, junior), Yakima Valley Pippins
OF – Cody Hawken (Portland, senior), Corvallis Knights
UTL – Collin Runge (Portland, senior), Bend Elks
SP – Landen Bourassa (San Francisco, senior), Corvallis Knights
SP – Curtis Bafus (VCU, senior), Wenatchee AppleSox
SP – Bryce Moyle (Washington State, soph), Walla Walla Sweets
SP – Nick Nastrini (UCLA, frosh), Bellingham Bells
SP – Cullen Kafka (Oregon, soph), Yakima Valley Pippins
RP – Cal Hehnke (Nebraska-Omaha, senior), Kelowna Falcons
RP – Theron Kay (Cal State Northridge, senior), Bellingham Bells

All-WCL Second Team

C – Noah Cardenas (UCLA, frosh), Portland Pickles
C – Victor Cerny (Cal State Northridge, soph), Yakima Valley Pippins
1B – Nick Nyquist (Gonzaga, senior), Walla Walla Sweets
1B – Dan Pruitt (Seminole State College, soph), Kelowna Falcons
2B – Jason Dicochea (Santa Clara, junior), Port Angeles Lefties
3B – Zach Needham (Lewis-Clark State College, junior), Bellingham Bells
SS – Beau Philip (Oregon State, junior), Corvallis Knights
OF – Chandler Anderson (Utah, senior), Corvallis Knights
OF – Johnny Sage (Purdue, junior), Wenatchee AppleSox
OF – Ryan Kim (Portland, junior), Cowlitz Black Bears
UTL – Carson Breshears (Gonzaga, senior), Portland Pickles
SP – Zach Heaton (Dallas Baptist, frosh), Cowlitz Black Bears
SP – Brad McVay (Portland, soph), Portland Pickles
SP – Trevor Brigden (Okanagan College, senior), Kelowna Falcons
SP – Chase Farrell (UCLA, soph), Yakima Valley Pippins
SP – Hunter Boyd (College of Idaho, senior), Wenatchee AppleSox
RP – Justin Armbruester (Pacific Lutheran, soph), Bellingham Bells
RP – Taylor Davis (Gonzaga, senior), Bellingham Bells

All-WCL Honorable Mention
Bellingham: Matt McLain (UCLA), Connor Mack (Cal), Guthrie Morrison (Gonzaga), Jordan Stoner (Tennessee-Martin), Matt James (Yakima Valley College), Grant Holman (Cal), Nick Hull (Grand Canyon), Wesley Moore (Cal State Northridge), Davis Baillie (Washington State), Ben Leeper (Oklahoma State), Carson Olson (Cal).

Bend: Tristan Alvarez (Fresno Pacific), Alex Pallios (Chico State), Ty Holmstrom (Union College), Sam Muskat (Montana State Billings), Ace Embree (NW Nazarene).

Corvallis: Trace Tammaro (Portland), Chad Stevens (Portland), Austin Feist (St. Martin’s), Zak Taylor (Oregon State), Connor Knutson (Portland), Connor Redmond (Cal Poly), Cameron Haskell (Arizona), Eli Morse (Portland).

Cowlitz: Andres Sosa (Dallas Baptist), Dutton Elske (Portland), Austin Bell (Dallas Baptist), Ryan Kaser (Lower Columbia College), Mitch Lines (Lower Columbia College), Seth Rayburn (Tennessee-Martin), Marty Maves (Benedictine), Isaac Mullins (Washington State). Christian Peters (Portland).

Kelowna: Matt Voelzke (George Fox), Jake Fischer (Okanagan College), Lucas Soper (Univ. of British Columbia), Jared Akin (Concordia), James Brooks (Central Washington).

Port Angeles: Trevor Rosenberg (San Diego), Evan Pace (Southeastern Louisiana), Dalton Harum (Virginia Tech), Tyler Oldenberg (Seattle), Tristan Busse (Western Texas).

Portland: Jace McKinney (Portland), Daniel Lopez (Portland), Mike Perez (UCLA), Joey Cooper (Cal State Northridge), Davis Delorefice (Orange Coast College), Jack Murphy (St. Mary’s), Zander Clarke (UC San Diego), Joel Casillas (Cal State Northridge), Michael Newstrom (Washington State), Connor Pellerin (Tulane), Brad Bonnenfant (Portland), Daniel Copeland (Gonzaga), Adam Davenport (UW), Michael Frias (UC Irvine), Alex Roth (Western Oregon), Leo Nierenberg (UW).

Victoria: Dustin Demeter (Hawaii), Jeddediah Fagg (Georgia Southern), Mike Malinchak (Pepperdine), Nick Plaia (Cal Baptist), Ryan Ober (Oregon State), Garret Goodall (Embry-Riddle), Landon Anderson (Cal State Fullerton), Lawson Humphries (Georgia Southern), Tyler Yoshihara (Pomona-Pitzer).

Walla Walla: Jordan Hovey (Creighton), Cesar Lopez (Cal Poly Pomona), Haydn King (UNLV), Zach Penrod (NW Nazarene), Darius Vines (Arizona State).

Wenatchee: Joey Magro (Biola), Jake Taylor (Seattle), Mason Marenco (Gonzaga), Cory Meyer (Boise State), Jacob Prater (Seattle), Michael Spellacy (Gonzaga), Jeremy Yelland (Hawaii).

Yakima Valley: Tyler Lasch (Cal State Fullerton), Cody Jefferis (San Diego), Sam Mitchell (Montana State Billings), Nick DiCarlo (Cal Poly), Jake Moberg (UCLA), Hunter French (Central Washington), Mason Wells (Gonzaga).

YAKIMA, Wash. — The Yakima Valley Pippins ranked 37th nationally in per-game attendance average, according to Baseball Digest.

This summer, the Pippins averaged 1,355 fans during their 27 West Coast League games at Yakima County Stadium, a 5 percent increase in league-game attendance compared with the 2017 season. Total attendance for all 32 home games, including five nonleague games, was 42,247.

The Pippins have ranked in Baseball Digest’s Top 50 each of their first five years. In 2017, the Pippins were tied for 40th on the list with the Walla Walla Sweets; in 2016, the Pippins ranked 38th.

“We’re in a great sports town, a great baseball town, and our fans enjoy summer nights at the ballpark watching collegiate players who are working hard to get to the next level,” general manager Jeff Garretson said.

Victoria, Portland, Bellingham, Port Angeles, Corvallis and Walla Walla join Yakima in the Top 50 listings this year.

YAKIMA, Wash. — Outfielder Kyle Dean has been crowned the West Coast League batting champion after leading all batters with a .374 average over the 54-game WCL season.

Dean, who joined the Pippins en route to their trip to Kelowna, B.C. on June 22, played in 37 games. He finished with 52 hits in 139 at-bats, including eight doubles, four triples and two home runs. Dean, who attended Brigham Young University this past spring and is transferring to Cal State Monterey Bay this fall, also had 24 RBI, 19 walks and four hit-by-pitches.

Dean’s best plate appearance was a 4-for-5 effort against Corvallis on July 10 in Yakima, in which he doubled and drove in a run. Two days earlier, Dean had an individual-best 3 RBI game at Port Angeles, and drove in multiple runs in six league games.

In nonleague play, Dean had a 4-for-5, 7-RBI game against the Gresham GreyWolves on July 26 that included a grand slam.

Powered by a three run rally in the eighth inning, the Pippins ended their 2018 season on a high note with a 5-3 win over the Corvallis Knights on Wednesday.

Jack Gonzales got the start for the Pippins and Corvallis jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second. With the bases loaded and just one out, Ben McKay hit a sacrifice fly. Gonzales escaped the inning, allowing just the one run.

In the third, a two run single off the bat of Austin Feist extended the lead to 3-0. That was all that the Knights would be able to get off of Gonzales.

Coming off of getting shutout on Tuesday, the Pippins offense struggled early. Their first scoring opportunity came in the fourth when they stranded runners at the corners.

The offense broke through in the fifth with just one hit. Two of the first three batters reached on walks and with one out Cody Jefferis drove in a run with a groundout. Another run would come in on a wild pitch to pull the Pippins within a run.

While the Pippins clawed their way back, Gonzales was lights out as he only allowed one baserunner to reach second after the third. Gonzales would go seven innings, allowing just three runs, two earned on seven hits.

In the eighth, the Pippins took their first lead of the series. An error and two singles set up a bases loaded no out opportunity. After a strikeout and a fielder’s choice, the Pippins were about to squander a golden opportunity. Bryce Wooldridge stepped up to the plate and hit a low line drive to short. Chad Stevens dove to try and catch it before the bounce but the second base umpire ruled that the ball hit the ground. Everyone was safe and a run came to score, tying the game. Cole Jones followed with a two run single back up the middle to put the Pippins out in front 5-3.

Connor White took the mound in the ninth, looking for his fifth save. With two outs, the Knights put runners on the corners. After a lengthy battle with Chandler Anderson, White was able to get a ball on the ground back up the middle. Jefferis ranged over and threw out Anderson by a step to seal the win in the final game of the season for the Pippins.

With the win, the Pippins finish the season with a 27-27 record, missing the playoffs by one game.

Despite a sparkling start from Chase Farrell, the Pippins offense couldn’t back him up as the Pippins saw their postseason hopes dashed in a 2-0 loss to the Knights on Tuesday.

Farrell and Knights starter Connor Redmond were dueling early, matching zeros in the first and second innings.

With two outs in the third, Corvallis went to Aaron Shoup out of the bullpen. Victor Cerny and Elijah Greene hit back to back singles before Shoup got out of the inning.

Farrell continued to dominate early and with some help from a caught stealing and a double play, faced the minimum through the first four innings. In the fifth, Cody Hawken hit a two out double but was stranded at second.

The Pippins offense continued to struggle against the Corvallis bullpen. In the fourth, Jake Moberg and Nick DiCarlo reached base with two outs but on a wild pitch, DiCarlo was caught trying to take second.

In the sixth, the Pippins had runners at first and second with two outs but Kyle Dean was picked off at first by catcher Zak Taylor after taking too big of a secondary lead.

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the seventh when Austin Feist didn’t miss a rare mistake from Farrell and launched a solo home run over the left field wall.

Farrell came back out for the bottom of the eighth but was pulled after a leadoff single. Connor White came in and two batters later Cole Hamilton drove in a big insurance run with a single.

The Pippins put together one final rally in the top of the ninth, putting runners at first and second with two outs but Cam Campbell lined out to second to end the game.

With the loss, the Pippins postseason hopes were ended. They have one final game to end the 2018 season on Wednesday against the Knights. First pitch at 7:05.

The Pippins fell behind early and couldn’t rally back, falling 9-5 to the Corvallis Knights on Monday.

Kaleb Strawn made the start for the Pippins, his first start of the season in the last series of the season. He walked two of the first four batters he faced before Cody Hawken got the Knights on the board with an RBI single. After another walk, Trace Tammaro doubled in two more runs to extend the lead to 3-0. Strawn would strand runners at the corners to end the inning.

In the third, the Pippins got some help from the Corvallis defense. Cody Jefferis lead off with a groundball to third that went under the glove of Zak Taylor. After a Nick DiCarlo double, Jake Moberg delivered a two run single to pull the Pippins within a run.

Corvallis would get one of the runs back in the bottom half of the inning. After back to back strikeouts to open up the inning, Strawn allowed a single and a hit by pitch to set up an RBI double from Brendan Beck.

The Pippins continued to fight back in the fourth. With two on and one out, Bryce Wooldridge drove in a run with a single to bring the Pippins back to within a run. Corvallis starter Jacob Frike would be pulled with two outs in the fourth, giving way to Jordan McDaniel.

Strawn would be knocked out of the game in the bottom of the fourth after an error and an infield single began the inning. Tanner Inouye was summoned out of the bullpen and allowed just one run on an RBI groundout before escaping the inning to keep the Pippins within two runs at 5-3.

McDaniel cruised through three and a third innings of scoreless ball in relief to hold the 5-3 lead with some help from two double plays.

In the seventh, Corvallis began to pull away. With Inouye still on the mound, the Knights put together three straight base hits to bring in two runs. Another run would score later in the inning on an RBI double from Tammaro to bring the lead to 8-3.

Cole Pofek supplied the last Pippins rally, going deep to right field for a two run home run in the eighth to cut the deficit to 8-5.

With Moberg on the mound in the bottom of the eighth, Taylor crushed a 2-2 pitch over the wall in left field. A 1-2-3 top of the ninth sealed a 9-5 Pippins loss in the opener of the series.

The last two games against the Knights are crucial for the Pippins. They need to win both games to make the playoffs. Game two of the series is on Tuesday. First pitch at 6:30.

Hunter French threw seven strong innings and the offense backed him with four home runs as the Pippins ended their four game losing streak with a 9-3 win over the Sweets.

In the top of the first inning, Nick DiCarlo would set the tone for the offense by cranking a solo home run over the scoreboard in left to put the Pippins on the board.

The Pippins continued to jump on Sweets starter Brayde Hirai in the second. With two runners on and one out, Cam Campbell launched a three run home run to left field. Later in the inning, another run scored on a wild pitch to give French an early 5-0 lead.

Over the first three innings, French steamrolled through the Sweets lineup. He faced just one over the minimum while recording nine outs on 27 pitches.

In the top of the fifth, the Pippins continued to add on when Bryce Wooldridge knocked in Elijah Greene from second who had lead off the inning with a double.

The Sweets would push across their first run against French in the fifth inning. After a leadoff walk, Quentin LaFontaine drove him in with a double. French would retire the next three batters and limit the damage to just one run.

In the sixth, the Pippins continued to flex their muscles and busted the game open. With one on and one out, Tyler Lasch launched a two run home run over the right field wall. Two batters later, Chris Arpan destroyed an 0-1 pitch to left field that may still be in the air. After the sixth, the Pippins lead 9-1.

Walla Walla would grab another run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly before the Pippins went to the bullpen in the eighth. French would go seven innings, allowing just two runs on five hits while striking out six.

The Sweets pushed across their last run off of Connor White in the eighth on an RBI single from Jordan Hovey. Jake Moberg would take the mound for the ninth and retired the side in order with some help from a double play to seal a 9-3 Pippins win.

With the victory, the Pippins ended their four game skid and grabbed some momentum heading into Corvallis. Game one of the final series of the season is on Monday. First pitch at 6:30.

The Pippins couldn’t dig themselves out of an early hole as they dropped their fourth straight game in a 7-3 loss to the Sweets on Saturday.

Mason Wells was coming off one of his best starts of the season, going seven plus innings of three run ball against the Black Bears, but the Sweets were able to get to him early.

With two outs and a runner at second in the first inning, Jordan Hovey checked in with an RBI single to put the Sweets on the board.

In the second, the Sweets sent eight men to the plate, driving in three runs. With two outs, Patrick Caulfield, Cesar Lopez and Nick Nyquist hit back to back to back RBI singles to extend the lead to 4-0.

Offensively, the Pippins had a couple two out opportunities early. With two outs and the bases empty in the first, Kyle Dean ripped a triple off the center field wall but he would be stranded. In the second inning, Chris Arpan worked his way to third after a one out single but would also be stranded.

The Pippins got on the board in the third inning on an RBI groundout off the bat of Cody Jefferis. Runners would be stranded on the corners to end the inning.

After a scoreless third by Wells the Pippins would go to the bullpen, marking just the second time that Wells has gone less than four innings in a regular start all season.

The Sweets would push another run across in the fourth off Jack Gonzales and Tanner Inouye would allow two more runs in the fifth on a two run double from Josh Prazina.

Drew Hurst came out of the bullpen in the sixth for the Pippins and kept the Sweets scoreless over three frames, not allowing a hit.

Hurst’s performance was not enough as the Pippins offense was stymied by starter Tyson Quolas and a combination of four relievers. Quolas struck out seven over five frames and the Sweets combined to strike out twelve Pippins batters.

In the seventh, the Pippins mounted their last rally, scoring two runs on a Jake Moberg RBI single and a wild pitch. That was all the Pippins could muster the rest of the way as they were shut out in the final two innings.

The Pippins have dropped the first two games of this series and have now lost four straight games. They will look to avoid the sweep and get back in the win column in the final game of the series on Sunday. First pitch at 7:05.

Despite another strong start from Cullen Kafka, the Pippins lost their third straight heartbreaker on Friday, this time a 4-3 walkoff loss to the Walla Walla Sweets.

Both starting pitchers began the day with an ERA hovering around 2 and the game lived up to its pitcher’s duel billing.

The Sweets struck first in the second. On the first pitch he saw leading off the bottom of the second, Ben Fariss hit a line drive solo home run over the left field wall. Kafka would recover to retire the next three batters.

In the top of the third, the Pippins offense answered. After a leadoff double by Nick DiCarlo, Cody Jefferis drove him in with a single to knot up the score. That would be the only run that the Pippins would get off of Bryce Moyle who would go five innings before the Sweets turned to their bullpen.

The long ball would strike again in the bottom of the fourth when leadoff hitter Nick Nyquist cranked a 2-0 pitch over the center field wall, giving the Sweets a 2-1 lead.

The score would hold until the sixth when the Pippins got to reliever Luke Short. After Jake Moberg lead off the inning with a single and moved to second on a wild pitch, Cole Jones drove him in with a single.

In the seventh, the Sweets would get their last run off of Kafka. Ryan Johnston hit a leadoff double and a batter later, Matt Elser knocked him in with a single. The Pippins went to the bullpen in the eighth, with Kafka going seven innings of three run ball with seven strikeouts.

The Pippins continued to rally in the eighth, loading the bases with no outs. DiCarlo then ripped a single to right field, driving in a run to once again tie the score. That would be all the Pippins could get as Ben Farris would come in and shut the door.

With the score still tied at three in the bottom of the ninth, the Sweets loaded the bases with two outs against Bryce Wooldridge. On a 0-1 pitch, Patrick Caulfield lined a single into right field for the game ending knock, sending the Pippins to their third straight loss.

The Pippins will look to end their three game skid in the second game of the series on Saturday. First pitch at 6:35.

In a back and forth game, the HarbourCats put together another ninth inning rally to sink the Pippins in the final game of the series on Thursday.

In the second inning, the Pippins took an early 1-0 lead on an RBI single off the bat of Cody Jefferis but it could have been more as Cam Campbell was caught in between second and third on the single and would be tagged out to end the inning.

Chase Farrell got the start for the Pippins and worked in and out of trouble early on. He stranded a runner on in each of the first three innings, two of which were in scoring position.

The HarbourCats got on the board in the fourth. After a walk and a single to lead off the inning, Caleb Ricketts grounded into a double play, bringing in a run and pulling Victoria even.

The Pippins answered right back in the bottom half of the inning. With runners on the corners and one out, Campbell dropped down a squeeze bunt to bring in the run from third. In the fifth inning, Campbell brought in another run with a bases loaded walk to extend the lead to 3-1. While picking up the lead, the Pippins couldn’t get the big hit to break the game open. Over the first five innings, the Pippins left nine men on base including leaving the bases loaded in the fourth and fifth.

Despite not having his normal pinpoint control, Farrell worked into the sixth inning before the HarbourCats were able to put up a rally. A walk and two singles loaded the bases with no outs and set up an RBI single from Jaxxon Fagg. An RBI groundout later in the inning would tie the game at three. Farrell would be relieved by Tanner Inouye who allowed the final run of the inning on a wild pitch.

The score would stay 4-3 until the eighth when the Pippins were able to get to the Victoria bullpen. With one out, two walks and a single loaded the bases with just one out. Still searching for the big hit, Kyle Dean delivered with a two run single back up the middle to give the Pippins a 5-4 lead. Two runners would be stranded in the inning and missing an opportunity to tack on to the lead would prove costly in the ninth.

Drew Hurst came out of the bullpen for the ninth inning and had trouble throwing strikes. Hurst walked two of the first three batters with another reaching on an error to load the bases with no outs. Jed Fagg followed with a two run double to put the HarbourCats back out in front. Hurst would get out of the inning but the damage was done.

The Pippins offense put runners on first and second with two outs in the bottom of the ninth but couldn’t push across a run, dropping the final game of the series to Victoria.

The Pippins will look to right the ship when they open up a three game road series against the Sweets on Friday. First pitch at 6:35.

One night after rallying from seven down, the Pippins blew a two run lead in the ninth to drop the middle game of the series to the HarbourCats 8-4.

Victoria jumped to an early lead in the first when Dustin Miller doubled in Nick Plaia for a 1-0 advantage.

Jack Gonzales got the start for the Pippins and had learned through Instagram earlier in the day that he would be starting. He hadn’t made a start since early July. After struggling with his control early, Gonzales settled down by getting a double play to end the top of the first. From there he was lights out, posting zeros in the second, third and fourth innings.

In the fifth, the HarbourCats were able to scratch across another run as Miller came up in the clutch with a two out RBI single to extend the lead to 2-0.

After being held scoreless through the first four innings by Gunner Friend, the Pippins offense broke through in the fifth with Tyler Lasch knocking in two runs with a single to tie the score.

After a scoreless sixth, the Pippins would take their first lead of the night in the seventh. After Gonzales put the finishing touches on seven innings of two run ball in the top half of the inning, having not thrown more than 4.2 innings in any appearance this season, the Pippins put runners on second and third with nobody out in the bottom half. After a groundout and a shallow flyout, it was Kyle Dean who came up big with a two run single back up the middle to stake the Pippins to a 4-2 lead.

Connor White came in to throw a scoreless eighth but a missed opportunity for the offense in the bottom half of the inning turned the tide. The Pippins put runners at the corners with no outs and were poised to add an insurance run or two. Robert Ball would then ground out to third with a drawn in infield but Elijah Greene would be caught off the third base bag trying to gauge if he could score on the throw. The double play halted the Pippins rally and gave the HarbourCats momentum heading to the ninth.

White came back out for the save and immediately ran into trouble. The first three men reached on two singles and a hit by pitch when Harrison Spohn tried to set down a bunt. After a strikeout and a sacrifice fly brought the HarbourCats within one, White got to 1-2 on Miller and was a strike away from ending the game. On the next pitch, Miller doubled into the right field gap which scored two and put the HarbourCats out in front 5-4. Victoria would score three more runs to build an 8-4 cushion.

Tyler Yoshihara threw a scoreless ninth for the HarbourCats to send the Pippins to an 8-4 loss, snapping their two game winning streak.

The Pippins still have a chance to take the series in the finale Thursday on Fan Appreciation Night. First pitch at 7:05.

Trailing by seven runs after the third inning, the Pippins came all the way back to beat the HarbourCats 10-9 on a ninth inning walkoff.

With two outs and two on in the top of the first inning, Dustin Demeter hit a hotshot groundball that Cam Campbell couldn’t handle at first base. The play would bring in two runs as Victoria took the lead.

The Pippins answered right back in the bottom half of the inning with Kyle Dean and Jake Moberg checking in with two out RBI knocks to tie the score at two.

Everything unraveled in the second inning for Pippins starter Hunter French who didn’t get much help from his defense. With one out, Hayden Jaco doubled and Tanner Haney followed with a groundball to third. Moberg’s throw was on target, but Campbell lost the ball in the sun which allowed Jaco to score from second. Six of the next seven batters reached with a double, triple and three singles adding up to six runs for the HarbourCats as they took an 8-2 lead.

In the third, Victoria played add on with more help from the Pippins defense. Nick Plaia reached on an error, then stole second and third and came home on a throwing error from catcher Tyler Lasch.

French would be removed after the third inning and the Pippins looked dead in the water, down 9-2 by the end of the third.

In the fourth, the Pippins began to claw their way back when Cole Jones hit his first homer of the season, a two run shot right field to bring the Pippins within five.

In the fifth, the Pippins pushed across four more runs with RBI’s from Jones, Cody Jefferis and Tyler Hollow to bring the Pippins within a run.

While the offense continued to chip away, Kaleb Strawn was dominant in relief of French. Picking up in the fourth inning, Strawn threw 4.1 innings of scoreless ball, striking out a season high 8 batters while allowing just two hits.

Cole Pofek pulled the Pippins even with a two out, two run double to knot the score at nine.

After a scoreless top of the ninth thrown by Tanner Inouye, the Pippins offense had one more big inning up their sleeve. Jones and Jefferis lead off the inning with singles and were moved over on a sacrifice bunt by Hollow. That set up Lasch who drove the first pitch he saw up the middle and past the drawn in infield for the game winning single. It was the Pippins second walkoff win of the season.

The Pippins can take the series on Wednesday in game two of the series. First pitch at 6:35.

After blowing a four run lead in the 8th inning, Nick DiCarlo picked the Pippins up with a go ahead two run triple in the eleventh inning to beat the Cowlitz Black Bears 7-5 on Sunday.

The Pippins grabbed an early lead in the first inning when Jake Moberg drove in Cody Jefferis from second with a two out single. Moberg would later be stranded at second. Cowlitz starter Jordan Martinson would settle down and start to rack up strikeouts. Over his five innings, Martinson picked up 8 K’s.

Mason Wells got the start for the Pippins and rolled through the first three innings, allowing just one baserunner on a hit by pitch while striking out four. In the fourth inning, Cowlitz got their first hit and run on one swing of the bat when Blake Burton launched an 0-1 pitch over the left field wall for a solo home run.

In the fifth, the Pippins answered right back, loading the bases with no outs. Jefferis followed with a sacrifice fly. The inning could have been bigger but on another fly out by Kyle Dean, DiCarlo was caught off at first before the runner could score from third, ending the inning.

In the sixth and seventh innings, the Pippins played add on, grabbing three more runs on a Elijah Greene double, a Jefferis triple and a Dean single.

Heading to the bottom of the eighth, the Pippins had built a comfortable 5-1 lead. Wells came back out for the eighth, having not allowed a run since the fourth inning homer. The first two batters reached, scoring a run and prompting a the Pippins to bring in Drew Hurst out of the bullpen. Hurst would allow a single and an RBI double before being removed for Jack Gonzales. After a walk, Gonzales retired the next two batters before spiking a pitch in the dirt. Victor Cerny had trouble finding the ball which had careened over to the Pippins dugout. The wild pitch scored two runs and tied the game at 5. Connor White would be summoned to record the final out of the inning.

Both teams would be held scoreless in the ninth and tenth innings before the Pippins were finally able to break through in the eleventh. With two outs and the bases clear, Cerny and Cole Jones both walked to extend the inning. DiCarlo then stepped up to the plate to play the hero. On an 0-1 pitch, DiCarlo ripped a ball to the centerfield wall for a two run triple.

Bryce Wooldridge came on to pitch the bottom of the eleventh, and shut down the Black Bears to finish off a 7-5 Pippins win.

The Pippins will have a day off on Monday before starting their final home series of the season against the Victoria HarbourCats. First pitch on Tuesday at 6:35.

LONGVIEW, Wash. – A ninth-inning rally with the tying run at third fell short, and the Yakima Valley Pippins stranded 14 baserunners as the Cowlitz Black Bears held on for a 3-2 West Coast League win Saturday at Story Field.

The loss dropped the first-place Pippins to 12-5 in the second half in the WCL’s North Division, but didn’t hurt YV’s 1 ½-game lead over Bellingham, which fell 6-4 to Portland. Kelowna, currently third in the North and three games behind the Pippins, dropped its fourth straight game, 6-1 to Corvallis.

In the ninth, Nick DiCarlo led off with a double, and later advanced to third on a wild pitch. Tyler Lasch followed with an infield pop up that dropped between three Black Bears for an infield single. After a strikeout, Cody Jefferis’ fielder’s choice grounder back to the pitcher plated DiCarlo to pull the Pippins within one. Pinch-hitter Chris Arpan’s high hopper to short was booted, but Cowlitz closer Issac Mullins got a groundout to end the game for his sixth save in seven opportunities.

The Pippins, who finished with eight hits, had ample opportunities to score but didn’t get on the scoreboard until Bryce Wooldridge scored on a bases-loaded wild pitch with no outs in the sixth.

Wooldridge, who led the Pippins with a 3-for-4 effort, singled to start the inning, and Cole Pofek (2-for-3) followed with a walk. A walk to Robert Ball preceded Wooldridge’s score, but the Pippins couldn’t get the tying run across the plate as a line-out to shortstop, a strikeout and an infield fly out ended the inning.

Cowlitz got all the runs it needed in the first on a two-out, three-run home run by Andrew Walling – his first hit as a Black Bear. The Pippins would have been out of the inning without any damage, but a one-out error started the rally, and a two-out double set up Walling’s blast.

Walling finished 3-for-3, and Tanner Parker was 3-for-4.

YV’s Cullen Kafka fell to 3-3 with the loss. The right-hander struck out six and walked three in 5 1/3 innings, while scattering eight hits. All three runs charged to Kafka were unearned.

Tanner Inouye struck out three and walked one in 2 2/3 innings of relief.

Yakima Valley left the bases loaded in the second inning, and stranded two runners in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth inning, as well as the ninth.

The Pippins offense came out hot early and the bullpen was able to quiet a late Cowlitz rally to send the Pippins to a 7-5 win over the Black Bears on Friday.

After a scoreless first, the Pippins broke out with four runs in the second. A walk, hit by pitch and a bunt base hit loaded the bases with no outs. Chris Arpan stepped up to the plate and ripped a double to left field, driving in two runs. Two batters later, Cole Jones drove in another run with a groundout. With two outs and Arpan still on base, Nick DiCarlo kept a ball just fair down the right field line for a double to score another run and extend the lead to 4-0.

The Pippins continued to play add on off of Black Bears starter Matt Gannon in the third with Cody Jefferis driving in two runs on a double. In the fourth, Cowlitz went to Joe Solomon and the Pippins grabbed another run on an RBI single from Kyle Dean.

The Pippins offense was shut down after the fourth inning run by a combination of Solomon and Cody Turner. Through the final five innings, the Pippins only had three base runners.

Chase Farrell got the start for the Pippins and rolled through the first four innings, allowing just four base runners.

Cowlitz started to chip away at the lead in the fifth. With two outs, Austin Bell launched a three run home run over the center field wall to pull the Black Bears within four. After a scoreless sixth, Cowlitz mounted another rally against Farrell in the seventh.

Dalton Mitchell lead off the inning with a single and Jonathan Hodo was hit by a pitch. After a fielder’s choice, a run would come in to score when Ryan Kim stole second to draw a throw from Victor Cerny. Mitchell was able to score from third when Cerny threw to second. Later in the inning, Blake Burton drove in a run to cut the deficit to just two runs.

Jack Gonzales came out of the bullpen in the eighth and immediately ran into trouble. Three of the first four batters reached base to load the bases with just one out. A deep fly ball to left off the bat of Kim would be the turning point in the game. Elijah Greene made the catch in left field for what should have been a sacrifice fly. Dalton Mitchell tried to go from second to third and was thrown out before Tanner Parker could score from third, resulting in a double play without a run, keeping the score 7-5.

In the ninth, Connor White reprised his closer role after some time in the rotation and worked around a bunt base hit and a walk to throw a scoreless ninth and seal a 7-5 Pippins win.

The victory snapped the Pippins two game WCL losing streak dating back to their series with the Wenatchee AppleSox.

The Pippins will look to win the series in game two on Saturday against the Black Bears. First pitch at 6:35.

The Pippins offense exploded on Thursday for the most runs they had scored in any game this season, beating the Gresham GreyWolves 21-5.

For the second straight night, the GreyWolves grabbed an early 2-0 lead, with Todd Jackson and Austin Hamilton driving in runs.

The Pippins answered right back in the bottom half of the inning. After three straight singles loaded the bases, Kyle Dean crushed an 0-1 pitch over the left field wall for a grand slam. It was the second straight night that the Pippins had a grand slam with Tyler Lasch hitting one in the opener of the series.

With Hunter French on the mound in the third inning, Gresham retook the lead 5-4 with help from the Pippins defense. With two on and two out, an error on Cody Jefferis allowed a run to come in to score and extend the inning. Hunter Holmanson knocked in two with a single to take the lead.

In the fourth, the Pippins offense exploded for eight runs with RBI’s from Lasch, Bryce Wooldridge, Jefferis and Cole Pofek.

The Pippins continued to build their lead against the Gresham bullpen, scoring four runs in the sixth and five more runs in the seventh and batting around in both innings. Dean would drive in three runs in those two innings with two of his three doubles.

After the top of the eighth, the game was called as Gresham forfeited. The 21 runs scored by the Pippins is the most they have scored in any game this season.

Dean would go 4-5 with the grand slam and seven RBI, while Wooldridge and Tyler Hollow each had three hit days.

The Pippins head back out on the road to Cowlitz to begin the final stretch of the season. The first game of the series is on Friday with first pitch at 6:35.

After struggling in their last series against the AppleSox, the Pippins offense came alive on Wednesday to beat the Gresham GreyWolves 13-8 in a non-league matchup.

The GreyWolves struck first against starter Jake Moberg. Gresham loaded the bases and with two outs, Jason Dumont delivered a two run single.

In the bottom of the second, the Pippins offense came alive to back Moberg. The first four batters of the inning singled with Cole Jones knocking in a run with the fourth straight single. Elijah Greene followed with a sacrifice fly to tie the score at two. Later in the inning with two outs and the bases loaded, Tyler Lasch ripped the first pitch he saw off of Matt Lester for a grand slam to put the Pippins out in front 6-2. The home run was his first of the season.

Moberg settled down after the first inning, holding Gresham scoreless through the fourth inning.

The GreyWolves pulled within a run in the fifth without a base hit. Kaleb Strawn came in out of the pen and had trouble finding the zone. He walked three of the first five batters he faced, loading the bases. A wild pitch, walk and hit by pitch brought in three runs. Strawn would escape the inning with the Pippins still in the lead 6-5.

In the bottom half of the inning, the Pippins answered back with two runs. Jones drove in a run with a single and a balk scored another run.

With some help from the Pippins defense, Gresham grabbed a run in the sixth. Trevor Nannini got aboard on a groundball back to the mound when Drew Hurst overthrew to first base. He would come around to score later in the inning when Dequahn Dennis-Lee hit a groundball that ate up Cody Jefferis at shortstop.

The Pippins continued to answer the Gresham blows with more offense. In the sixth, Cam Campbell hit a two run blast that just stayed fair down the left field line. Nick DiCarlo drove in a run with a single in the seventh and a two run double in the eighth by Jones extended the lead to 13-8 after Gresham put up two runs in the top half of the eighth. Out of the ninth spot in the lineup, Jones went 4-4 with 4 RBI and a walk.

In the ninth, the Pippins sent out Bryce Wooldridge to make his first appearance on the mound. With some help from a double play, Wooldridge threw a scoreless ninth and faced the minimum.

With the win, the Pippins move to 4-0 in non-league games this season and have a chance to go a perfect 5-0 in the final game of the two game series against the GreyWolves. First pitch on Thursday at 6:35.

The Pippins couldn’t dig out of an early hole as the Wenatchee AppleSox took the final game of the series 8-3.

Wenatchee grabbed the lead right away in the first inning off of starter Connor White. With two outs and a runner on, Connor McCord blasted a two run home run to left. It was his second home run of the series and it staked the AppleSox to a 2-0 lead.

In the second inning, the AppleSox continued to build their lead with Joey Magro and Johnny Sage driving in runs to extend the lead to 4-0.

With some help from the AppleSox defense, the Pippins mounted a rally in the bottom of the second. On a hit, walk and error, the Pippins loaded the bases with two outs. Cole Jones followed by rocketing a 2-0 pitch back up the middle for a two run single. Elijah Greene then hit a groundball off of the shortstop Jacob Prater, his second error of the inning, driving in another run and cutting the deficit to 4-3.

The AppleSox answered the Pippins rally in the third, scoring three more runs, powered by a two run homer to left by Nick Seamons. White was knocked out after the third inning, giving up seven runs on seven hits.

In the fourth, the AppleSox grabbed another run off of Kaleb Strawn to extent the lead to 8-3.

After the second inning, the Pippins were held scoreless. In the fourth, fifth and seventh innings they got runners in scoring position but couldn’t find the clutch knock to put a dent in the AppleSox lead.

The Pippins used six arms out of the bullpen, holding the AppleSox scoreless after the fourth but couldn’t get any run support.

In the ninth, the Pippins went down 1-2-3, dropping their second straight to the AppleSox.

The Pippins have a day off on Tuesday before returning to action Wednesday, starting a two game series with the non-league Gresham GreyWolves. First pitch on Wednesday at 6:35.

The Pippins offense struggled to score and the AppleSox pulled away late, snapping the Pippins nine game winning streak.

It was the Pippins who got on the board first off of starter Sam Wong. After two quick outs, Tyler Lasch kept the inning alive with a walk. After a Kyle Dean single moved Lasch to third, Cole Pofek hit a groundball deep in the hole at shortstop and was able to beat out the throw for an RBI infield single. That would be the last time that a Pippin would cross home plate in the game.

After getting out of a first and third jam in the first inning, Pippins starter Hunter French cruised as he retired seven straight batters by the end of the third inning.

In the fourth, the AppleSox got to French. Johnny Sage lead off with a double but French retired the next two batters. With Sage still at second, French fell behind 2-0 to JT Schwartz and threw him a pitch over the plate. Schwartz didn’t miss it and doubled to drive in Sage. Michael Spellacy followed with an RBI single to give the AppleSox a 2-1 lead.

French set down the side in order in the fifth but two familiar faces got to him again in the sixth. Schwartz hit another RBI double and Spellacy drove in another run with a single to extend the lead to 4-1. French would finish off the sixth before the Pippins went to the bullpen.

On offense after the first, the big hit eluded the Pippins as they put runners on base in every inning against Wong but couldn’t score. Having not pitched in over a month for the AppleSox, Wong was removed after five strong innings.

The Pippins had a couple more opportunities to get back into the game, but hit into double plays in both the sixth and seventh innings.

In the eighth, the AppleSox began to pull away. Leading off, Evan Williams rocketed the first pitch he saw from Jack Gonzales off the scoreboard in left for a solo home run. It was his first homer of the season.

The AppleSox grabbed three more runs in the ninth with Conor McCord and Schwartz checking in with RBI’s. Schwartz finished the day going 3-5 with two doubles, a triple and four RBI.

The combination of Dawson Day and McCord out of the bullpen shut down the Pippins the rest of the way. McCord stranded runners at first and second in the ninth to end the Pippins chances to extend their streak. With the loss, the nine game winning streak was snapped.

The Pippins still have a chance to win the series in the finale against the AppleSox on Monday. First pitch at 6:35.

It took another eighth inning rally, but the Pippins were able to pull out a 5-4 win over the AppleSox for their ninth straight victory.

Mason Wells took the ball for the Pippins and was coming off of two starts where he struggled. The AppleSox got on the board right away on a two out RBI single off the bat of Mason Marenco. Wells stranded runners at first and second in the inning which would be a theme throughout his start.

Curtis Bafus got the start for the AppleSox and was nearly unhittable. Through the first four innings the Pippins had only one baserunner, a leadoff single by Tyler Lasch in the second inning. He would be stranded at first base.

Wells matched zeros with Bafus after the first inning. Through his 6.2 innings, Wells pitched with runners aboard in six innings and stranded runners in scoring position in four of them.

In the fifth inning, the Pippins had their first opportunity to score. After back to back walks with two outs, Robert Ball hit a hard groundball that ate up Jacob Prater at second base. Sam Mitchell was able to score from second to tie the score at one.

The game would remain 1-1 until the eighth. Wells was relieved by Drew Hurst who finished off the seventh and came in for the eighth. An error by Lasch put the leadoff man aboard and three batters later, with runners at first and second, Dawson Day knocked a single to right to put the AppleSox back in front 2-1. Kaleb Strawn would finish off the eighth and strand runners at second and third.

Bafus continued to dominate the Pippins offense and would end up throwing seven innings of one run ball. The run was unearned.

With a 2-1 lead, the AppleSox turned to Jeremy Yelland out of the bullpen and for the second straight night, the Pippins needed a rally.

With two outs and a runner at first, it looked like the Pippins would end up needing a walkoff in the ninth. Jake Moberg was able to extend the inning with a walk and a wild pitch moved the runners to second and third. Lasch followed with a groundball to shortstop that could have ended the inning. Marenco buried the throw to first and it got beyond Connor McCord which allowed both runs to score. For the first time in the game, the Pippins had a lead. After back to back walks loaded the bases, pinch hitter Chris Arpan got some insurance runs with a two run single.

Tanner Inouye came out of the bullpen to protect the 5-2 lead. The Pippins would end up needing those insurance runs as McCord cranked a two run shot over the right field wall with one out to bring the AppleSox within a run. Inouye regrouped and got the final two outs of the inning to seal a 5-4 win, the Pippins ninth straight.

The Pippins can take the series and extend their winning streak to double digits tomorrow in game two against the AppleSox. First pitch at 6:05.

Cole Jones and Kyle Dean provided the big blows in a three run eighth inning to help lead the Pippins to their eighth straight win and a sweep of the Lefties in front of a packed Yakima County Stadium on Friday.

Cullen Kafka got the start for the Pippins and Port Angeles jumped on him early. Drew Minter lead off the inning with a single on an 0-2 pitch. With two outs and Minter at second, Trey Morgan drove him in with a single on another 0-2 pitch to give the Lefties the lead.

The Pippins evened the score in the second with some help from the Port Angeles defense. After a Jake Moberg leadoff double, Cam Campbell hit a hard groundball to first that Baxter Halligan couldn’t handle, allowing Moberg to score.

In the third, the Lefties retook the lead on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Morgan. In the fourth, starter Rhyse Frey would be pulled due to injury concerns and the Lefties were forced to go to the bullpen early.

Victor Cerny and the Pippins pulled even in the fourth. With a first and second situation and two outs, Cerny drove a ball to center for an RBI single. The Pippins would later strand the bases loaded.

Kafka settled down after the third, pitching scoreless innings in the fourth and fifth before the Pippins went to the bullpen with two outs in the sixth.

Neither team would score again until the eighth. In the top half of the inning, with Jack Gonzales on the mound, the Lefties would put runners at the corners with one out. Gonzales induced a groundball to third, but Moberg’s throw was wide of second base and went into right field. One run would score to give the Lefties a 3-2 lead. Matt Driver would come in and hold the Lefties to just the one run.

In the bottom half of the inning, the Pippins mounted a comeback to take their first lead of the night. After a leadoff walk to Cody Jefferis, Dean ripped a ball off the right field wall for a game tying triple. After two straight strikeouts, it looked like the Pippins would miss a golden opportunity to take the lead. After a hit by pitch and a walk loaded the bases, Cole Jones made sure the Pippins wouldn’t need a walk off by knocking a two run single to center to give the Pippins a 5-3 lead.

Cole Fossat worked around a first and third jam in the ninth to seal the 5-3 Pippins win, their eighth straight.

The Pippins will welcome the Wenatchee AppleSox into town for a three game series starting on Saturday. First pitch at 6:35.

Chase Farrell turned in another strong start and the Pippins offense continued their torrid stretch, beating the Lefties 9-2 for their seventh straight win.

The Pippins got Farrell some run support early on. After two quick outs in the second, Sam Mitchell kept the inning alive with a single off of Ron Brown. Bryce Wooldridge followed with an RBI triple into the right field corner to give the Pippins a 1-0 lead. In the third, the Pippins pushed two more runs across the plate and Elijah Greene also extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a single. With runners at second and third with two outs, Kyle Dean hit a slow grounder to third base. Tristan Hanoian overthrew to first, allowing Dean to get into second and the runner from second to score. He would be credited with an RBI infield single and reached second on the error.

In the fourth, the Pippins grabbed another run with Wooldridge driving in Mitchell with a single to increase the lead.

Farrell made his second start against the Lefties within the last two weeks, facing them back on July 6 and setting a Pippins record with 12 strikeouts over seven innings of one run ball. Farrell turned in another strong start on Thursday.

Through the first three innings, he allowed just one baserunner while striking out 2. He ran into trouble in the third when the Lefties strung together three straight singles with one out to get on the board. Farrell would limit the damage to just the one run and shut the door on the Lefties. He retired the last seven batters he faced before the Pippins went to the bullpen in the seventh. Farrell gave up just the one run on three hits through six innings with three strikeouts.

“I knew that I would have to do something a little different especially since they’d already seen me for seven innings before and at the All-Star Game,” Farrell said. “I was just really trying to hit my spots this time and not really worry too much about getting strikeouts. I tried mixing in a little off-speed and that didn’t work out too well but the fastball was pretty dominant today.”

In the sixth, the Pippins gave Farrell and the bullpen even more run support by pushing four  runs across the plate. Greene, Cody Jefferis and Dean each checked in with RBI’s in the inning, pushing the lead to 8-1.

The bullpen combination of Kaleb Strawn, Drew Hurst and Cole Fossat shut the door in the final three innings. Strawn ran into trouble in the seventh, giving up a run and leaving with the bases loaded and two outs but Hurst would get the Pippins out of the inning.

The Pippins added one more run in the bottom of the eighth on a Tyler Lasch double. Lasch extended his hitting streak to 8 games and with a single in the sixth and the double in the eighth, now has five straight multi-hit games.

In the ninth, Fossat worked around a leadoff single to finish off the Lefties and get the Pippins to their seventh straight win and fourth straight series win.

The Pippins have a chance to sweep the series against the Lefties and extend their winning streak to eight games on Friday. Rhyse Frey will get the start for the Lefties while the Pippins will send Cullen Kafka to the mound. First pitch at 7:05.

While the Pippins offense cooled down after a torrid stretch, the winning ways continued as the Pippins got past the Port Angeles Lefties 4-3 on Wednesday for their sixth straight win.

Lefties starter Riley Beneditti was working in and out of trouble early on. The Pippins hit into double plays in each of the first four innings including two rundowns at third base for a double play after a single in the third and a pop out double play with Cody Jefferis doubled off at second while trying to steal third in the fourth.

Connor White made his fourth start for the Pippins and held the Lefties scoreless through the first three innings, getting out of a two on two out situation in the second. In the fourth, Port Angeles was able to get on the board on an RBI single from Rykker Tom, scoring Austin Earl from second.

The Pippins answered in the bottom half of the inning despite the double play pop out. With two outs and the bases cleared, Tyler Lasch got aboard with a single and Cam Campbell followed with a walk. All-Star Cole Pofek stepped up to the plate and smashed an 0-2 pitch off the center field wall for a two run triple. The Pippins grabbed another run in the inning to extend the lead to 3-1.

In the fifth, the Lefties pulled within a run. Trevor Rosenberg lead off with single. After a groundout moved him to second, Justin Van De Brake drove him in with a single.

After a leadoff walk in the sixth, White would be relieved by Jack Gonzales who got out of the inning and held the 3-2 lead.

The Pippins scored again in the sixth on a sacrifice fly to the center field warning track by Pofek to put the Pippins back out in front by two.

The Lefties battled back again in the seventh, loading the bases with some help from two errors by the Pippins. A sacrifice fly by Earl once again brought the Lefties within a run but Gonzales was able to limit the damage.

Matt Driver came out of the pen in the eighth and fired a 1-2-3 inning. After the Pippins were set down quickly in the bottom half, Driver came back out for the ninth. A leadoff walk and a popout set up Ron Brown who skied a ball to center field. Cole Jones came sprinting in to make the catch and doubled off the runner at first and on a day when the Pippins hit into five double plays, a double play sealed the win for the Pippins, their sixth straight victory.

With the win, the Pippins go to 8-2 in the second half and continue to build a lead in the north division. Elijah Greene picked up two hits and extended his hitting streak to 13 games. The Pippins have a chance to win their fourth straight series in game two against the Lefties on Thursday. First pitch at 6:35.

Another high octane offensive performance backed a strong start by Hunter French to lead the Pippins to their fifth straight win.

In the first inning, the Elks took their first lead of the series. After two quick outs, the next three men reached base, including a two run double off the bat of Brandon Leitgeb to put the Elks in front 2-0.

The Pippins offense answered in the second. After back to back singles leading off the inning, Cody Jefferis kept a line drive fair down the left field line to put the Pippins on the board. After an error allowed Cole Pofek to get aboard, Victor Cerny hit a deep drive to the center field wall for a sacrifice fly and pulling the Pippins even at two. Elijah Greene and Nick DiCarlo also checked in with run scoring singles to put the Pippins ahead 4-2.

French would give up a run in the second but settled down and cruised through the middle innings, allowing just one base runner from the third through the fifth inning.

In the fourth, the Pippins grabbed another run to extend the lead to 5-2 and chased Elks starter AJ Atherton.

The Pippins blew the game open in the sixth. Pofek lead off the inning with a double and Cerny immediately drove him in with a single. Later in the inning, Tyler Lasch drove in two more runs with a double, extending the lead to 8-2.

French rolled into the seventh before running into trouble. The Elks put runners at the corners with one out before the Pippins brought in Jack Gonzales out of the bullpen. Gonzales quelled the threat with back to back strikeouts.

The offense stayed hot in the seventh and eighth innings with two more runs in each inning with Cerny, Pofek and Greene checking in with run scoring knocks.

In the bottom of the eighth, players noticed thunder and lightning in the distance which put the game in a 30 minute delay. After the delay and with the storm continuing to roll in, the game was called, giving the Pippins a 12-3 win. The win is their fifth straight overall, sweeping the series against the Elks. The Pippins swept the season series with the Elks and head into the All Star Break a game and a half up in the WCL north division.

The Pippins next play on Wednesday at Yakima County Stadium against the Lefties. First pitch at 6:35.

After building an 8-0 lead, the Pippins were able to hold off a late Elks rally to win their fourth straight game.

After setting a season high in runs on Friday in a 15-1 win, the Pippins continued to score right away on Saturday. Elijah Greene lead off the game with a single, extending his hitting streak to 11 games. Two batters later, Tyler Lasch drove in Greene to give the Pippins a 1-0 lead.

The Pippins continued to jump on Dan Noughton in the second. With two on and two out, Greene would deliver again with a run scoring single. Kyle Dean would also check in with a two run single to extend the lead to 4-0. The Elks would bring in Ryan Mets in the third.

After tacking on another run in the fourth, the Pippins would blow the game open with three more runs, powered by RBI singles from Nick DiCarlo and Greene, to give starter Mason Wells an 8-0 lead.

Wells cruised through the first four innings, allowing just two base runners along the way. In the fifth, the Elks finally got to Wells with a two run single by Tristen Alvarez. An error by the Pippins would bring in another run.

The Elks would continue to claw their way back, scoring a run in the sixth to knock Wells out of the game, and grabbing two more runs in the eighth to pull within two runs. The Pippins would turn to Cole Fossat out of the bullpen to get out of the eighth. With the tying run at second base, Fossat struck out Nick Roberts to end the threat.

Fossat came back out in the ninth to shut the door and immediately ran into trouble. A leadoff single by Kaiser Weiss and a double by Alex Pallios put runners at second and third and  brought the winning run to the plate with no outs. Fossat was able to buckle down and shut the door, getting a weak groundout, a strikeout and a lineout to silence the Elks threat and seal an 8-6 Pippins win.

With the win, the Pippins improve to 17-18 and have won four straight. With the win and a Kelowna loss, the Pippins have also moved into first place in the second half North Division standings.

The Pippins have an opportunity to sweep the season series against the Elks on Sunday. First pitch at 5:05.

A potent offense backed six shutout innings by Cullen Kafka as the Pippins routed the Bend Elks on Friday, 15-1.

After a scoreless first, the Pippins got on the board in the second. Cam Campbell got aboard on a one out single and Sam Mitchell followed by cranking a two run homer to right field for his fourth home run of the season, staking Kafka to a 2-0 lead.

Kafka would roll through the first three innings, allowing just one base runner and picking up four strikeouts along the way.

In the fourth inning, the Pippins would blow the game open. With runners on first and second and no outs, Campbell went over the center field wall for a three run shot, his first of the season. Two batters later, Victor Cerny launched a ball over the left field wall for a solo home run. It was also his first homer of the season. The Pippins would chase starter Mikey Hooper who would allow seven runs in three and two thirds innings. The bullpen wouldn’t fare much better.

The next five batters would reach with RBI’s from Cody Jefferis, Tyler Lasch and Cole Pofek to extend the lead to 9-0. By the end of the fourth, the Pippins had scored seven runs and sent twelve men to the plate.

“It’s fun when the bats are clicking,” Campbell said. “Doesn’t matter who it is, it seems like everyone is finding barrel.”

With a big lead, Kafka would cruise. He allowed back to back two out singles in the fourth but got a groundout to end the inning. He would face the minimum in the fifth and sixth innings before the Pippins would go to the bullpen.

Kyle Dean got in on the long ball action in the sixth, going the opposite way for a solo home run and pushing the lead to double digits. Two more runs came in to score in the sixth on RBI’s from Cerny and Bryce Wooldridge.

In the eighth, the Pippins offense grabbed three more runs on a two run double by Wooldridge and a wild pitch to extend the lead to 15-0. The fifteen runs are the most that the Pippins have scored in a game this season. Their previous high came against the Kelowna Falcons on June 20 in a 14-6 win.

Matt Driver and Kaleb Strawn would throw the final three innings. Driver pitched two scoreless innings and Strawn came in in the ninth, trying to complete the shutout. On a 1-2 pitch with two outs and a runner at first, Tristen Alvarez hit a double to right to end the shutout. Strawn would strike out the next batter and finish off a 15-1 Pippins win, their third win in a row.

The Pippins look to take the series in game two on Saturday. First pitch at 6:35.

After a back and forth game all night, Victor Cerny played the hero with a walkoff double in the bottom of the ninth, sending the Pippins to their second straight series win.

For the second straight game, the Pippins got off to a hot start in the first inning, jumping on Corvallis starter Cameron Haskell. Elijah Greene and Cody Jefferis lead off the inning with back to back base hits. With the base hit, Greene extended his hitting streak to 10 games. After a groundout, Kyle Dean gave the Pippins the lead with a single. Cole Pofek and Cam Campbell also checked in with RBI singles later in the inning to stake Chase Farrell to a 3-0 lead.

Farrell would cruise through the first two innings, retiring the side in order and racking up three strikeouts. He ran into some trouble in the third with a bases loaded two out situation but was able to induce a fly ball to get out of the jam.

Haskell settled down after the first, allowing just four base runners from the second through the fifth.

In the sixth, the Knights would get to Farrell. After a single and two errors on a pickoff attempt, Chandler Anderson was able to put the Knights on the board with a base hit, scoring Chad Stevens from third. Two batters later, Austin Feist would unload on a 0-1 pitch, lining it over the left center field wall for a two run home run and knotting the score at three. Two of the next three batters would reach, forcing Farrell out of the game. Jack Gonzales came in with two outs and yielded an RBI double from Sam Olsson which put the Knights ahead for the first time.

In the bottom half, the Pippins answered right back with two runs of their own to retake the lead. In the seventh, Cerny would add an insurance run with an RBI single.

With Tanner Inouye out of the pen, the Knights would rally for the second time with Olsson providing the big blow with a two run single to pull Corvallis even, 6-6.

The Pippins had a bases loaded, one out opportunity in the bottom of the eighth, but couldn’t capitalize. A 1-2-3 top of the ninth from Inouye set up the ninth inning heroics.

Chris Arpan lead off with a walk and Bryce Wooldridge would come in to pinch run. Wooldridge would be bunted to second base to bring Cerny to the plate who already had two hits and an RBI. On a 1-0 pitch, Cerny hit a line drive over the center fielder’s head, prompting the Pippins to explode out of the dugout in jubilation and meet him at second base.

“I was just looking for a fastball over the plate, something that I could drive,” Cerny said. “He gave it to me.”

With the win, the Pippins take their second straight series and move to 4-2 in the second half. The Pippins will travel to Bend to take on the Elks in a three game weekend series before rolling into the All-Star Break. First pitch on Friday at 6:35.

Connor White was able to hold down the Knights on the mound and the Pippins offense provided more than enough early run support to lead the Pippins to a 13-6 win over Corvallis.

After a scoreless top of the first, the Pippin jumped on Knights starter Connor Redmond. Elijah Greene lead off with a walk and Cody Jefferis followed with a double to left field, scoring Greene all the way from first. After moving to third on a flyout, Kyle Dean sent a ball to center for a sacrifice fly, scoring another run. Later in the inning, Tyler Hollow knocked in Sam Mitchell who had reached on a hit by pitch. After the first, the Pippins had built a 3-0 lead.

Corvallis got a run back in the second. With runners at the corners and no outs, Beau Philip grounded into a double play which allowed Zak Taylor to score from third. The Pippins answered right back in the bottom half. Greene lead off with a double and was later knocked in on a sacrifice fly by Tyler Lasch.

In the third, the Knights had their first and only opportunity to take the lead. A walk and two singles loaded the bases for with two outs for Taylor who was able to draw a walk, scoring a run. With the bases still loaded, Austin Feist ripped a ball to third that was snagged by Lasch to keep the Pippins lead at 4-2.

In the bottom half of the inning, the Pippins offense exploded. After a leadoff single by Cam Campbell, Hollow knocked a double into left. Five of the next six batters would reach, pushing three more runs across, knocking out Redmond and setting up an opportunity for pinch hitter Chris Arpan to blow the game open. On a 1-2 pitch with the bases loaded, Arpan ripped a breaking ball off the top of the scoreboard in left field for a grand slam. It was Arpan’s second pinch hit homerun in the last week and it extended the lead to 12-2.

“I got an off-speed pitch and I was looking through the previous at bats of the guys and with two strikes he was throwing off speed,” Arpan said. “So I kind of just looked for that once I got to the 1-2 count and I tried to hit the ball hard.”

The Pippins would pick up their final run in the fourth on an RBI single by Lasch.

White settled down after the third, pitching scoreless innings in the fourth and fifth, marking his longest outing of the season.

The bullpen took over in the sixth and ran into a little trouble. Corvallis pushed across three runs in the sixth off of Drew Hurst and grabbed another run in the seventh off of Kaleb Strawn. Strawn was able to strand the bases loaded and keep a seven run lead intact for the Pippins. Matt Driver shut down Corvallis over the final two innings to seal a 13-6 win over the Knights. The 13 runs scored by the Pippins is their second most runs scored in a game this season.

The Pippins have a chance to win their second straight series Thursday night against the Knights in the final game of the series. First pitch at 6:35.

Jake Moberg, Cole Pofek and Chase Farrell will be representing the Pippins in Port Angeles for the 2018 West Coast League All-Star Game on July 17th.

Moberg has been a consistent bat near the top of the lineup for the Pippins this season. He is hitting .339 (1st on the team) with a home run and 11 RBI. In the Pippins last series in Port Angeles, Moberg went 5-12 (.417) with 2 runs scored and 3 RBI. Moberg will be attending UCLA in the fall as a freshman.

Pofek has provided power in the middle of the lineup for the Pippins. He leads the team with 4 home runs and is second on the team with 18 RBI. In his first 4 games of the season, Pofek went 8-16 (.500) with 7 runs scored, 2 home runs and 9 RBI. Pofek will be entering his sophomore year at UC Riverside in the fall.

Farrell has been a dynamic arm that has anchored the top of the Pippins starting rotation. Farrell is 0-1 with a 2.28 ERA in 4 games (3 starts). In his 19.2 innings pitched, Farrell has racked up 29 strikeouts while walking just 2 batters. He turned in his best start of the season on July 6 against Port Angeles where he went 7 innings of one run ball with no walks and 12 strikeouts. The 12 K’s broke a Pippins single game strikeout record held by Eli Morgan who struck out 11 batters on two separate occasions in 2014. Farrell will be in his sophomore year at UCLA in the fall.

Down to their final strike three times, the Pippins overcame a two run ninth inning deficit and defeated the Port Angeles Lefties 11-9, picking up their first road series win of the season.

Both teams came out swinging early on. The Pippins jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first on a Jake Moberg two run single. The Lefties answered back with two runs of their own from a run scoring double play and an RBI single by Trey Morgan.

The Pippins retook the lead in the second. After a leadoff single by Cameron Campbell, Sam Mitchell launched a deep drive over the right field wall for a two run home run. In the bottom half of the inning, the Lefties came back with two runs on an RBI single from Trevor Rosenberg and a sacrifice fly from Drew Minter to tie the score at four.

Lefties starter Tyler Tan settled down after the second, facing one over the minimum in the third and fourth innings.

After struggling through the first two innings, Pippins starter Mason Wells found himself in another jam in the third with the bases loaded and no one out. He found his way out of the inning without giving up the lead thanks to a 1-2-3 double play and a strikeout. The Pippins went to the bullpen after the third with the game still tied at four.

In the fifth, the Pippins retook the lead on Kyle Dean’s first home run of the season, well over the left field wall.

In the bottom half of the inning, the Lefties one upped the Pippins with Jason Dicochea and Matt Christian hitting back to back homers off of Tanner Inouye to lead off the inning.

The Lefties added an insurance run in the sixth on an RBI double from Dicochea to extend their lead to 7-5.

After the Dean home run, the Pippins offense went cold, with just three base runners over the next three innings, with only one advancing past first base. After the early struggles, Tan was able to make quick work of the Pippins and go eight innings.

In the ninth, Triston Busse made quick work of the first two batters. With one out remaining, it looked like the Pippins were destined to lose their third straight series.

Down to their last strike, Cody Jefferis was able to work a walk to keep the inning alive. Moberg followed with a base hit and Cole Jones drew a walk to load the bases. Dean then stepped up to the plate and after fouling off a number of pitches and nearly keeping a ball fair down the left field line, he was able to rip a base hit into left field to score two and tie the game at seven. In the three game series, Dean went 6-11 (.545) with a home run, three runs scored and four RBI.

Nick DiCarlo followed with a base knock scoring two with a bobble from Cameron Allie in center field allowing Dean to score all the way from first. Campbell followed with a groundball that Dicochea couldn’t handle at second, keeping the inning going. Mitchell then stepped up to the plate and already with one home run on the day nearly got a second as he hammered a ball off the very top of the wall in right field, scoring two more runs, extending the lead to 11-7 and capping off a six run ninth inning.

The Lefties made it close in the bottom of the ninth with a two out two run home run by Allie off of Cole Fossat to bring the Lefties within two. Fossat regrouped and retired Ronnie Rust to seal a 11-9 win for the Pippins. With the win, the Pippins won their first road series of the season.

The Pippins will have a day off on Monday before returning to action at Yakima County Stadium on Tuesday as they open up a three game series with the Corvallis Knights. First pitch on Tuesday at 6:35.

An explosive offense helped Cullen Kafka pick up his first win of the season as the Pippins beat the Port Angeles Lefties 10-3.

Kafka struggled in the first inning allowing five straight base runners after recording the first out. After a one out double, Dalton Harum drove a single to center field. Cole Pofek came up firing from center and was able to cut down the runner at the plate. The Lefties would later grab their first run of the inning on an RBI single from Kyle Schimpf. Kafka escaped more damage by stranding the bases loaded, getting Cameron Allie to ground to second for the final out.

After stranding the bases loaded in the second inning, the Pippins finally found the big hit they had been looking for in the series. With two on and one out, Pofek drove a Garrett Westburg pitch over the center field wall to give the Pippins a 3-1 lead. It was Pofek’s fourth home run and brought him to 18 RBI on the season, both team highs.

The Pippins played add on in the fourth. With one on and one out, Robert Ball hit a line drive base hit down the right field line, scoring Tyler Hollow. Cody Jefferis and Jake Moberg followed later in the inning with run scoring singles, extending the lead to 6-1.

In the fifth, the Pippins offense stayed hot. With two outs and a runner at first, Chris Arpan pinch hit for Hollow and on the first pitch he saw, lined a ball over the center field wall for his second home run of the season. The Pippins tacked on another run in the inning on an RBI single by Jefferis to take a 9-1 lead. Jefferis had four hits and two RBI on the night.

Kafka settled down after the first inning giving up just an unearned run through his final five frames before the Pippins went to the bullpen in the seventh.

The Pippins grabbed their final run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Cameron Campbell who was playing in his first game for the Pippins.

Drew Hurst and Kaleb Strawn pitched the final three innings allowing just one run. The Lefties put together a rally in the ninth, loading the bases with no outs. Strawn was able to buckle down and strike out the side to preserve the Pippins 10-3 win.

The Pippins have a chance to pick up their first road series win in the final game against the Lefties on Sunday. First pitch at 1:05.

Despite Chase Farrell’s record setting 12 strikeouts, the Pippins offense couldn’t give him much support in a 3-1 loss to the Port Angeles Lefties on Friday.

The Pippins entered the second half of their schedule looking to move pass a last place finish in the North Division of the West Coast League. The Pippins ended the first half with a record of 11-16.

The Pippins got to Tyler Oldenberg early. After Nick DiCarlo flew out to deep left field, Elijah Greene and Kyle Dean hit back to back doubles to give the Pippins a 1-0 lead. After a walk to Jake Moberg, Cole Pofek hit a single over the first baseman Ron Brown’s head. Dean tried to score from second but right fielder Drew Minter threw a strike right to the plate, getting Dean by a few steps. The Pippins would end up stranding runners at second and third.

Farrell took the mound for his second start of the season, coming off of a start where he went six innings of one run ball while striking out ten and not walking a batter. Farrell was strong early. After a leadoff single, Farrell retired the next three batters with two strikeouts.

Through the first three innings, Farrell had allowed three baserunners, none made it past first, and racked up six strikeouts.

The Lefties got to Farrell in the fourth. With two outs in the inning, Dalton Harum launched a ball over the center field wall, tying the game at one. Farrell would recover and post zeroes the rest of the way. Through Farrell’s seven innings, he struck out twelve without walking a batter. He gave up just the one run on four hits. His twelve strikeouts broke a Pippins record for most strikeouts in a game, held by Eli Morgan. Morgan struck out 11 batters on two occasions in 2014.

Unfortunately for Farrell, the Pippins offense couldn’t score after the first inning. The Pippins stranded two runners in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Four of the six baserunners were in scoring position.

In the eighth, the Pippins turned to Lucas Juarez. With two outs and a runner at first base, Jason Dicochea hit a ball just over the center field wall, giving the Lefties a 3-1 lead.

In the ninth, the Pippins had an opportunity to make it close but they stranded a runner at second base to end the game.

The Pippins have a chance to even up the series on Saturday. First pitch at 6:35.

After picking up their first road win since early June on Tuesday, the Pippins offense couldn’t stay hot as they dropped the final game of the series to the Wenatchee AppleSox, 5-2.

For the second time in three games, the AppleSox got out to an early lead. The first three batters in the bottom of the first reached off of Connor White, including an RBI single by Johnny Sage. Connor McCord followed with a pop up in foul ground down the third base line. Jake Moberg made the catch but the runner at third broke for home when no one was covering home plate. Jacob Prater would score on what is one of the shortest sacrifice flies you will see.

The Pippins would answer in the second with some help from the AppleSox defense. Cole Pofek lead off the inning with a groundball to second that Prater couldn’t handle. Pofek would then steal second and reach third on a wild pitch. With one out and Pofek at third, Moberg hit a groundball to short, scoring Pofek and pulling the Pippins within one.

In the third, the Pippins would pull even. AppleSox starter Hunter Boyd started the inning with back to back walks. With Elijah Greene up, Tyler Hollow would get picked off at second. Two pitches later, Greene would line a triple to the right field wall, scoring Robert Ball from first base. The Pippins would strand Greene at third base.

The game would remain tied until the fifth. With two outs, the AppleSox would put runners at the corners, chasing White after four and two thirds innings. With Hunter French pitching to his first batter, the runner from first broke for second, drawing a throw from Ball and creating a rundown. The third base runner then broke for home and scored to give the AppleSox a 3-2 lead. Sage would escape the rundown when no one covered the first base bag. French would limit the damage to just the one run.

The Pippins and AppleSox traded zeros until the bottom of the eighth when Wenatchee pulled away. With runners at second and third with one out, Jake Taylor dropped down a perfect squeeze bunt, scoring the runner from third. Another run would come in to score on an errant throw to second from Ball.

AppleSox reliever Dawson Day threw the final three frames and struck out the side in the ninth, sending the Pippins to a 5-2 loss.

The Pippins will get a day off on Thursday before heading to Port Angeles on Friday to take on the Lefties. First pitch of game one at 6:35.

After blowing a six run lead late in the game, the Pippins took eleven innings to defeat the Wenatchee AppleSox on Tuesday.

Cullen Kafka got the start for the Pippins and would go three hitless innings, striking out five along the way. In the fourth, the Pippins went to Mason Wells and the AppleSox got on the board. Connor McCord hit a one out single and Jacob Prater followed with a double. With one out and runners at second and third, Cory Meyer drove in McCord with a sacrifice fly.

The Pippins would rally in the top of the fifth. Bryce Wooldridge and Jake Moberg lead off the inning with back to back singles and Elijah Greene dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move them up to second and third. Nick DiCarlo followed with a double to left, scoring both runs and ending the Pippins 19 inning scoreless streak.

Wenatchee came right back in the bottom of the fifth, with Mason Morenco knocking in JT Schwarz to knot the score at two.

In the sixth, the Pippins would pull back ahead. After a walk and a single, Victor Cerny dropped down a bunt to move the runners up, but it was bunted right back to the mound. Grady Miller fielded the ball and threw to third, but Tyler Hollow slid in just ahead of the throw. Wooldridge followed with a run scoring single and two batters later, Greene drew a bases loaded walk to drive in another run.

The Pippins continued to build their lead in the seventh. Cole Pofek lead off the inning with a walk and scored on Hollow’s double to left. After a walk and a strikeout, Wooldridge delivered again with a run scoring single and Moberg also checked in with an RBI single. After the seventh, the Pippins had an 8-2 lead.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, everything fell apart. Tanner Inouye was pitching in his third inning of relief and gave up a leadoff base hit to McCord. After a flyout, Inouye walked back to back batters to load the bases. He then struck out JT Schwarz for the second out. Then the wheels came off. The AppleSox rattled off four straight singles, scoring six runs in the process, knocking out Inouye and tying the game at 8. Lucas Juarez was able to get the final out of the inning, stranding a runner in scoring position.

After a scoreless ninth, the Pippins headed into the tenth inning for the first time this season. Greene drew a one out walk and two batters later with two outs, Kyle Dean hit a rocket off of Prater’s glove at third and into left field, scoring Greene all the way from first.

The AppleSox answered right back in the bottom half of the inning, hitting back to back one out singles off of Juarez. Cole Fossat would relieve Juarez and recorded the second out. One out away from a win, Johnny Sage kept the game alive for Wenatchee with an RBI single. Fossat later picked off Sage at first to send the game to the eleventh.

In the eleventh, the Pippins offense had one more rally left. Fossat hit a one out triple and ater a strikeout of Cerny, Wooldridge hit a hotshot groundball to second that Kody Darcy couldn’t handle, giving the Pippins a 10-9 lead.

In the bottom half, Fossat stranded the tying and winning runs on base and sealed a 10-9 eleven inning win for the Pippins. With the win, the Pippins end their four game losing streak and their seven game road losing streak.

The series finale is on Wednesday. First pitch at 7:05.

After scoring just three runs over the weekend, the Pippins offense continued to struggle, getting shutout by the Wenatchee AppleSox on Monday, 4-0.

The Pippins had a chance to take an early lead in the first. After two quick outs, Kyle Dean hit a deep triple off the wall in right field, but he would be stranded at third base.

Jack Gonzales was making his first league start of the season and the AppleSox offense would get off to a quick start in the first inning. After a strikeout of the leadoff batter, Gonzales walked Mason Marenco. John Sage and Connor McCord followed with back to back singles to score the first run of the inning. Gonzales would then hit Jacob Prater which loaded the bases. Corey Meyer then shot a ball into left field, driving in two runs. Later in the inning, a pass ball with two outs would score Prater from third and stake the AppleSox to a 4-0 lead. That was all they would need.

Gonzales would settle down after the first inning, retiring nine of the next eleven batters that he faced. With two outs in the fifth, Marenco hit a triple to knock Gonzales out of the game. Chase Farrell would come out of the bullpen and get out of the inning.

The Pippins had opportunities to mount a comeback but the big hit proved elusive. After the first inning, the Pippins left a runner in scoring position in five of the eight innings. In the fourth, Jake Moberg hit a two out triple to left field but was stranded at third base. AppleSox starter Curtis Bafus threw six scoreless innings, picking up eight strikeouts along the way.

Pippins pitching was able to hold down Wenatchee to give the offense a chance to score. After the first inning, Gonzales, Farrell and Matt Driver threw seven scoreless innings, allowing just five hits.

In the ninth, the Pippins had one more chance to make a comeback, the first two batters of the inning reached. Moberg hit a leadoff single and pinch hitter Bryce Wooldridge followed with a walk. After a wild pitch moved them into second and third, Troy Stainbrook struck out the next three batters to end the game.

The Pippins have lost four in a row overall and have lost seven straight road games. The second game of the series is on Tuesday. First pitch at 7:05.

The Pippins offense struggled for the third straight night and a late offensive outburst by the Bells sent the Pippins to their third straight loss in a sweep by the Bells.

Hunter French got the start for the Pippins and looked strong early on, posting zeros through the first two innings.

The Bells would get on the board first in the third inning. Guthrie Morrison lead off the inning with a single. Two batters later, Jack Machtolf hit a bloop base hit to right that Sam Mitchell couldn’t catch with a slide. Mitchell quickly recovered the ball and threw in to second base as Morrison had to wait to make sure it dropped before going to second. The throw got beyond Tyler Hollow and all the way behind the first baseman Andrew Schleusner. A throw back to second to try and get Machtolf was thrown into left field, allowing Morrison to score all the way from first. French would escape the inning without allowin