PORTLAND, Ore. — The Sweets opening road trip came to an end Thursday evening, losing to the Portland Pickles 9-2. The Sweets loaded the bases multiple times in the game, but had trouble bring the runs home.

Portland jumped out to a 6-0 lead through the first four innings. The first two came in off the first home run allowed by the Sweets pitching staff.

In the fifth inning, the Sweets finally got a run on the board. Three of the first four batters got on board via hit by pitches. With the bases loaded, the first run finally came into score with Kolby Felix drawing an RBI walk. Felix ended the game with five walks and no official at bats.

The run snapped the Pickles league record 31 straight scoreless innings to start the season.

The Pickles scored their final three runs to get up 9-1.

In the top of the eighth, Walla Walla loaded the bases again, this time with nobody out. Mason Millar popped up a sacrifice fly to left field to bring home Felix for the Sweets’ second and final run.

On the mound, Josh Aribal made his first start of the season. He tossed 3.2 innings and struck out three. Otho Savage pitched the final 4.1 innings and struck out a team high six strikeouts.

With the loss, the Sweets wrap up their season opening road trip 1-4. That is a one-win improvement from the road trip to start the season in 2023.

The Sweets finally come home to open their home season Friday, June 7. Walla Walla will play a three-game set with the Pickles. Thursday was also the Sweets last day in Oregon until late July. The next time the Sweets will play in the Beaver State is July 26 when the travel down to play the Springfield Drifters. That is also the start of the only other six-day road trip in 2024.