Pippins Wait Out Rain Delay to Sweep Raptors

Pippins score 4 runs in eighth to cement victory

The Yakima Valley Pippins completed a three-game sweep over the Ridgefield raptors Sunday night with an 8-4 victory at home.

The series sweep was the first since July 16-18, 2019 against the Bend Elks, and improved the Pippins’ record to 7-2 ahead of six non-league games in seven days starting Tuesday.

Ridgefield struck first for the first time in the series after leadoff hitter Caden Connor reached on an error and Coby Morales doubled him home.

The Pippins answered in the bottom half, with three hitters walking to load the bases with two outs and Mason Marenco doubling to score two runs in his first plate appearance with the club. The next batter, Alex Shanks, worked a 3-1 count before heavy rain forced a 42-minute delay.

When play resumed, Shanks would walk to again load the bases, but Ridgefield starter Ryan Pitts would induce a ground ball to prevent any further damage.

The Raptors evened the score in the top of the second inning before Noah Williamson helped Yakima take the lead once more with a 422-foot home run to center field that Trackman clocked at 110 miles-per-hour off the bat.

Ridgefield’s Grant Heiser, Reece Hernandez and Tanner Jacques strung together back-to-back-to-back hits to take a 4-3 lead momentarily, but Pitts (1-0, 4.65 ERA) walked three batters and hit one more in the bottom of the fourth to push across a tying Pippins run before he was replaced by Nick Nygard.

Nygard and Pippins starter Seth Kuykendall (1-1, 2.76 ERA) would keep the opposing offenses quiet from there, as they both pitched through the sixth innings. 

Owen Wild (0-0, 1.80 ERA) pitched the final three innings for the Pippins, striking out six while walking two and surrendering just one hit.

The score remained tied into the bottom of the eighth inning, when the Pippins had six hits – three of them doubles – to add four to their total and take the lead for the final time.

The Pippins will take Monday off before welcoming the Northwest Star Nighthawks for a pair of games Tuesday and Wednesday that will feature the first Toyota Tuesday Family Night and Baseball Bingo Winning Wednesday Night, respectively. First pitch for those games will be at 6:35 p.m.

By Chris Rosato Jr.

June 14, 2021