Pippins Use Strong Bullpen Performance to Beat Victoria in Series Opener

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.

By Miles Klotz

June 13, 2019