WALLA WALLA, Wash. — For the second time this season, the Sweets won a series against a first-half champion, beating the Corvallis Knights 3-1. Sunday’s rubber match was yet another low-scoring affair between the two teams.

Cam Soliz started the game off for the Sweets in his final game in Walla Walla. Soliz struck out a season-high five batters in his 4.1 innings pitched, and only allowed one run of four hits. He was working on a no-hitter through the first three innings before giving a hit in the fourth, who eventually scored Corvallis’ only run.

The Knights rally was cut short by a great defensive play however. With two runners in scoring position, Quin Dufort grounded a ball to short which Chipper Beck easily fielded and threw to first for the out. The runner on third came into score on the groundout. The runner on second rounded third aggressively and thought about racing home for a second run. However, Joey Winters made a good throw home to catch the runner in a rundown on the home stretch. After a few quick tosses, the runner was out on a 6-3-2-5-2-6 putout.

Corvallis threatened to extend their lead in the fifth, getting two runners aboard again on Soliz. Walla Walla went to the bullpen and brought out Caiden Thomsen to keep the game close. Thomsen sandwiched a walk with two strikeouts to end the frame and leave the bases loaded.

Soliz now heads back to Texas to prep for the upcoming season with the Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders.

The Sweets took the lead in the fifth. Two walks and single loaded the bases for Kennedy Hara. On a 1-2 count, Hara swung a missed at pitch that Corvallis thought would be out number two. However, a balk was called on Laif Palmer, the Knights’ pitcher, which brought home Luka Ruljancich to tie the game and give Hara a second chance. Hara took advantage of that chance a popped a sacrifice fly deep enough to right field to bring home Beck.

In the sixth, the Sweets manufactured an insurance run to give them some elbow room. JJ Moran led the inning off with a single to left field, and then advanced to third on a stolen base and wild pitch. Logan Meyer brought him home with a sacrifice fly, giving the Sweets a 3-1 lead.

Hunter Polley pitched the final three innings for the Sweets and shut down the Knights. Corvallis loaded the bases in the seventh, but a ball that was stung off the bat, bounced off Polley on the mound, and made it much easier for Moran to field at short and make the play to end the inning.

Corvallis got runners on in the eighth, but again was left stranded. In the ninth, Polley and the Sweets worked a 1-2-3 inning to clinch their second series of the season.

Along with their series win against Wenatchee in June, Walla Walla has beaten both first-half champions two games to one.

The weekend’s series was the lowest scoring series of the year for the Sweets, with just 14 combined runs between the two teams over the three games.

With the win, Walla Walla improves to 11-25 and 2-8 in the second half. The Sweets now head into the all-star break with a lot of momentum. Three Sweets will suit up for the WCL South Division Wednesday, July 17, in Davis Mauzy, Kolby Felix, and Liam Hohenstein. Walla Walla returns to action Friday July 19, on the road at the Cowlitz Black Bears. It is the first meeting between the Sweets and the Black Bears, whom Walla Walla will play six times in their final 18 games.