Pippins Fall Short of Sweep With Late Drifters Runs

SPRINGFIELD, Or.- A pitching duel between both sides was broken in the 7th by the Drifters in a 5-2 Pippins loss in the finale.

Liam McCallum and KJ Ruffo put on a show out of the gate, as each starter tossed 6 innings allowing only 2 runs.

The Drifters would strike first with 2 in the first on an RBI single and double and hold on to that lead until the 3rd, when the Pippins would answer back.

Caden Duke had the first success against Ruffo with a leadoff double, and an RBI fielder’s choice and a Jackson Reed RBI double would tie things up 2-2.

The score would stay the same through the 6th, and McCallum got out of several tough jams and Ruffo found a groove.

After reliever Julian Hernandez held the Pippins scoreless in the 7th, McCallum trotted back out to the mound and instantly found trouble. 3 singles opened up the frame and Springfield would take their second lead.

Julian Taudin-Chabot would leave the bases loaded but another would cross to make it 4-2.

Hernandez shut it down again in the 8th and the Drifters would add an insurance run, and the Pippins couldn’t do anything with a leadoff single in the 9th to drop game 3.

Yakima Valley takes a series win in to Corvallis tomorrow, as they take on the Knights in their home opener. First pitch is at 6:35 on mixlr.com/pippinsbaseball.

By Zach McKinstry

June 16, 2022