WALLA WALLA, Wash. — The Sweets opened the 2024 home season on a sour note, losing to the Porland Pickles 5-1. Outside of a disastrous sixth inning, Friday night was the best game the Sweets have played against the Pickles this season.

Portland opened the scoring in the top of the second, but that was the only run they would score on starter Zach Hangas. The senior from Ottawa AZ and third year Sweet got the nod to start in the home opener, complimenting his start in the season opener in Bend, and was firing on the mound. Hangas threw five innings and struck out six batters, tying Otho Savage for the most strikeouts by a Sweets pitcher this season.

Walla Walla tied the game at one in the fourth inning. Brooks Rasmussen, in his Sweets debut, got aboard via a throwing error from the Portland third baseman and was brought home a few at bats later when David Mysza slapped an RBI single to left field.

In the sixth inning, the Pickles scored four runs to pull away from Sweets. Reliever Daiki Mizuniwa was close to getting out of the frame, and stranding two base runners on, but a wild pitch, a couple of hit by pitches, and a triple gave Portland all the run support they need to win the game.

Jaxon Henderson and Jesiah Zamora cleaned up the final few innings and put zeros on the board, but the Pickles pitching staff did the same to the Sweets, retiring the last nine hitters in order.

With the loss, the Sweets fall to 1-5 on the year. It is the third loss in a row to the Pickles, whom the Sweets will play two more games against this weekend.

Saturday’s first pitch is set for 6:35 and the first 200 fans to show up will receive Sweets sunglasses upon entry.