WALLA WALLA, Wash. — The Sweets went to extras for the second time this season Tuesday night, but ultimately fell to the Portland Pickles 2-1. It was a pitcher’s duel for the first nine innings of the ballgame with the two teams locked at zero heading into the 10^th.

Cam Soliz made his third start on the mound Tuesday and tossed his best game yet. The junior from Texas A&M Corpus Christi tossed a career-high six innings and struck out four batters. While some Portland baserunners did get on, Soliz was able to find the clutch pitch either for the strikeout or for his defense to make a clutch play. Soliz left seven Pickles stranded on the basepaths.

In relief, Hunter Polley pitched just as well as Soliz in the final three innings of regulation. Again, Portland did get baserunners aboard against Polley, but some clutch lineouts by the Sweets’ infield ended the seventh, and two strikeouts in the ninth from Polley left a pair of runners stranded for Portland in both frames.

At the plate, the Sweets had trouble running hits together. The first inning that saw multiple baserunners for Walla Walla was the sixth off a walk and an error. The Sweets’ first multi-hit inning was the ninth. With one out, Andrew Graham and Stevie Hom hit back-to-back singles to put the winning run in scoring position. However, a foul out and fielder’s choice ended the inning with the score still tied at zero.

Tuesday night was just the second extra innings game of 2024 for the Walla Walla Sweets, both of which were at home at Borleske Stadium.

In the top of the 10^th, Portland struck twice for the first runs of the ballgame. The 10^th is the latest inning the Sweets have ever allowed their first run in in franchise history.

In the bottom half of the frame, Walla Walla pressured to send the game to another inning. With one out, Logan Meyer came in to pinch hit and beat out an infield single to third base. Kennedy Hara followed that up with a single to put runners on first and second.

After a pitching change from the Pickles, Davis Mauzy topped a ball to the left of the mound, but still beat out the throw for an infield single. Portland’s pitcher also overthrew first which allowed all three runners to move up an extra bag. Meyer came into score and Hara moved to third, putting the tying run 90 feet away. Mauzy was standing on second representing the winning run.

Portland then decided to intentionally walk Cort MacDonald to load the bases, creating force outs at every bag. With the bags fully loaded and only one out, Graham and Hom, who combined for the first multi-hit inning in the ninth, were back at the plate. Unfortunately, a strikeout and a flyout ended the game with the Sweets just one run short.

With the loss, the Sweets fall to 9-19 overall and 0-2 in the second half.

Walla Walla will close the series out with the Pickles Wednesday evening, with first pitch set for 7:05. Wednesday is the Sweets’ Independence Day Celebration, with postgame fireworks scheduled and special 4^th of July jerseys worn by the players. The jerseys will be auctioned off after the game. Sweets’ coverage of the game can be found on the Sweets’ YouTube channel.