Pippins Score 6 in the Ninth to Beat Lefties

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.

By Kevin Vallene

July 9, 2018