WALLA WALLA, Wash. — They did it.

That is how simple the recap for Saturday night’s game against the Corvallis Knights can be. The Sweets won, and now they can breathe.

Walla Walla broke out of their mid-season slump and knocked down the first half champions 5-1. As if releasing a bunch of pent up frustration and tension, the Sweets dominated the Knights on the mound and got timely hitting to get the win.

On the mound, Rex Solle made an impromptu start in place for Connor Marshall. With just a little over six hours’ notice, Solle put together his best start of the season. The freshman committed to UCLA tossed six innings and only allowed one run of four hits. In the first three innings, Solle only gave up one hit, but the Sweets’ defense erased the runner with a double play. That allowed Solle to face the minimum nine batters through first third of the game. Solle also did not give up any walks while also striking out four.

At the plate, the Sweets had two action packed innings to score their runs. Cort MacDonald and Kolby Felix opened the fourth inning with back-to-back walks. After a sac bunt moved them both into scoring position, an RBI single from Logan Meyer brought home MacDonald to tie the game at one. Felix was brought home in the next at when Luka Ruljancich laid down a sac bunt, but the Knights decided to try for the play at the plate. Corvallis’ first baseman threw home, but not in time as Felix slid safely to give the Sweets a 2-1 lead.

Walla Walla struck one more time in the fourth with an RBI single from Joel Esparza to bring home Meyer.

In the fifth, David Mysza led off with a double. It felt like he would be stuck there after two quick groundouts, but Felix stepped up to the plate and launched a ball deep over the left field wall to put the Sweets up 5-1. It is the fourth home series with a dinger for Felix and ties him for the second-most home runs in the league at four.

With a four-run lead, the Sweets defense tightened up. After a strong six from Solle, Bridger Clontz tossed the final three runs and matched the starter with four strikeouts. In the top of the ninth, Clontz got a strikeout to end the game victoriously for the Sweets.

Walla Walla did not commit an error in Saturday’s contest. That is now back-to-back games of clean baseball from the Sweets’ defense, their longest streak of the season.

With the win, Walla Walla snaps a 10-game losing streak in WCL play and gets back on the winning side of things. The Sweets improve to 10-25 on the year and 1-8 in the second half.

The rubber match between the two teams is Sunday with first pitch set for 6:05. Walla Walla looks to win their second series of the season. The first series win was also against a first half champion in the Wenatchee AppleSox. Sweets’ coverage of the game can be found on their YouTube channel.