COWLITZ, Wash. — Walla Walla dropped game two against the Black Bears 20-7. It is the most runs allowed by the Sweets this season.

Cowlitz scored 11 runs in the first three innings, all while blanking the Sweets. The first five batters for the Black Bears all drew walks as 12 batters stepped up to the plate in the inning and brought home seven runs. Four more crossed home plate in the third.

Walla Walla finally got on the board with two runs in the fifth, off a two-RBI single from Davis Mauzy.

Cowlitz responded with nine more runs over the next three innings to get up 20-2. While not the final score of the game, it was the largest deficit of the season at 18 runs.

In the final two innings, the Sweets bats woke up and brought home five runs. In the eighth, two runs scored off a triple to right field from Chipper Beck. He scored a third run in the frame after advancing on a wild pitch. Beck finished the game with three hits, tying a career-high in summer ball from him, which he set July 26, 2023, with the St. Cloud Rox in the Northwoods League.

In the ninth, Brandon Faire scored off an RBI single from Joel Esparza. Faire got on base after pinch hitting and leading the off frame with a single.

In the next plate appearance, Beck popped a sacrifice fly to score Luka Ruljancich and bring home the Sweets’ final run.

Twenty runs is the most runs allowed by the Sweets in almost two seasons. The last time a team passed 20 was June 5, 2022, when the Ridgefield Raptors beat the Sweets 23-12.

With the loss, Walla falls to 2-10 in the second half and 11-27 overall. By winning game two, Cowlitz takes the series from the Sweets. Game three is Sunday and the Sweets will look to avoid the sweep. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m. Sweets’ coverage of the game can be found on Mixlr.com.