SPRINGFIELD, OR- Payton Knowles’s stellar night was not enough as the Walla Walla Sweets fell 11-4 to Springfield to kick off the three games in Oregon. With the loss, the Sweets move to 13-24 overall and 3-7 in the second half. 

Knowles led the charge for the Sweets posting a career night going 4/4 with a pair of RBIs to extend his team-leading 27-game on-base streak beating last year’s previous best mark set by Cooper Cross who reached safely in 26 straight games. 

Knowles also kicked off the scoring in the third inning when he drove in Kevin Spear to put the Sweets up 1-0. Later on in the inning, Ben Parker drove in Cruz Hepburn on a RBI ground-out to make it 2-0 after three.

The Sweets’ scoring wrapped up however just one inning later as Hepburn and Knowles both drove in runs. Hepburn scored Logan Meyer to start off the inning which was then followed by a Knowles ground-rule double to make it 4-0 after the top of the fourth. However, Springfield went on to slap four runs on the board in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at 4. 

The Drifters then erupted to a six-run lead thanks in part to a five-run bottom of the sixth. 

Sweets by the Numbers

Five Sweets had multi-hit performances (Knowles, Parker, Marquez, Spear and Hepburn)

Knowles extends his on-base streak to 27 games 

 Up Next

Sweets continue to battle with Springfield on 7/19/23 at 6:35 P.M in Springfield, OR