WALLA WALLA, Wash. — The Sweets took game one of their home series Tuesday night beating the Yakima Valley Pippins 10-1. Walla Walla was gifted 12 free passes to first, which is tied for the most walks in a game for Sweets’ batters.

The scoring started in the second inning for the Sweets. With two runners in scoring position, Kennedy Hara smoked a single up the middle into center field to bring home Kolby Felix and Chipper Beck to put the Sweets on top 2-0.

Walla Walla added a run in the third with Felix getting his first RBI of the game with a single to right field which scored Stevie Hom from second.

Yakima got a run back in the fourth to make it 3-1, but that is all the Pippins would get in the game.

Starter Rex Solle was virtually untouchable by Pippins batters. The freshman committed to UCLA tossed six innings and struck out a season-high eight batters. Solle also only allowed one to run off just one hit in the fourth inning. Solle’s started produced a game score of 71, a stat designed to boil down starts to just one comparable figure. It is the best start at this season for a Sweets pitcher and was second only to Zach Hangas’ complete game against the Kamloops NorthPaws.

The score remained 3-1 until the sixth inning, when the Sweets added two more runs off an RBI groundout from Beck and a sacrifice fly from JJ Moran, who came into pinch hit for Hara.

In the seventh, Walla Walla added two more runs off back-to-back walks with the bases loaded.

Sweets scored their final three runs in the eight, again with the help of free passes. Davis Mauzy led the inning off with a walk, and then advanced to third after a throwing error on a pick-off attempt David Mysza brought him home with an RBI double.

A hit batsman and walk loaded the bases up for Felix, who got his second RBI of the game with another walk. Joey Winters brought the final run in with a sacrifice fly that scored Hom.

As a team, the Sweets drew 12 walks, which ties their June 6 game against the Portland Pickles for most walks drawn this season.

On the mound, Bridger Clontz and Hunter Polley finished off the game for the Sweets, keeping the Pippins off the board. It is the fifth time this season the bullpen has not given up a run. Polley got two strikeouts in the ninth to push the Sweets’ totals over 10.

With the win, Walla Walla improves to 3-11 in the second half and 12-28 overall. They also even up the Battle of the Basin series with the Pippins at two games apiece.

Game two of the home series is Wednesday, with first pitch set for 5:35. After the game, the two teams will compete in a home run derby. Sweets’ coverage of the game can be found on their YouTube channel.