Sweets Demolish NorthPaws in Series Opener

KAMLOOPS, British Columbia — In the most complete game of the season for the Sweets, Walla Walla rolls over the Kamloops NorthPaws 12-0 in the series opener. Starter Zach Hangas pitched the first complete game of the season while Walla Walla recorded double digit hits for the seventh time in eight games.

The Sweets bats started off hot, bringing home four runs off four hits in the first inning. Logan Meyer did the bulk of the damage crushing a ball to left center with the bases loaded for a three-RBI triple.

In the third inning, three more runs came into score. The first two were brought home off a JJ Moran double, with Moran scoring himself off a Meyer single. For Meyer, that was his fourth RBI of the game, a season high.

Three more runs scored in the fifth for the Sweets. Hayden Driggs popped up a sacrifice fly to centerfield to bring home Meyer, who led off the inning with a walk. Kamloops got another out and was one strike away from ending the inning, but Cort MacDonald kept the frame going with a ground rule double he lodged into the fence in the right field. David Mysza brought him in with a double, and then scored in the next at bat off an Andrew Graham triple.

Walla Walla scored the final two runs in the seventh, with Luka Ruljancich bringing home MacDonald and Brandon Faire with a double to left field.

As good as the Sweets were at the plate, it was an even better performance from Hangas on the mound. The three-year Sweet tossed his second complete game of the season, pitching all nine innings and didn’t give up a single run. Kamloops scattered six hits around the game, but never could get anything started against Hangas and the Sweets. Hangas also didn’t give up a single walk while striking out two batters. Hangas had two separate stretches of retiring nine and ten batters in a row.

For Hangas, it is his second complete game as a Walla Walla Sweet, with his first being July 19, 2023, in a 2-1 win over the Springfield Drifters. The last time a Sweet not named Hangas tossed a complete game was July 27, 2015, by Kyle Molnar.

With the win, the Sweets improve to 9-15 on the year, and are 4-3 against the North Division. The Sweets look to clinch the series Saturday against the Kamloops NorthPaws. First pitch is set for 6:35. Sweets’ coverage of the game can be found on Mixlr.com.

By: Cooper Huskey

Date: June 28, 2024