WALLA WALLA, Wash. — After a game which Walla Walla walked 13 batters and committed three errors, the Sweets tightened up and dominated the Pippins on the mound and in the field to win the rubber match 4-0. The win now gives the Sweets back-to-back the series victories at Borleske Stadium.

Hunter Polley turned in a phenomenal for the Sweets Thursday night. The hometown pitcher tossed seven scoreless innings and struck out eight batters. Both of those were career highs for the right handed pitcher who is playing in his third season of summer ball.

Perhaps more impressive is that Polley only allowed three baserunners in his seven innings of work off a single in the third inning and two walks scattered in the fifth and seventh. The Pippin who drew the final walk was caught stealing at second by Joel Esparza, putting Polley just two batters past the minimum through the seventh inning.

Polley’s start registered a game score of 81, a number created to boil down a starting pitcher’s stat line into one, easily comparable, number. Polley’s game score is the highest this season from any Sweets pitcher.

At the plate, the Sweets collected 10 hits, but it wasn’t until the fifth inning Walla Walla started putting runs on the board. Stevie Hom got the rally started with a one out triple to left field. Kolby Felix brought him home on the next at bat with an RBI double. Logan Meyer kept the scoring going with an RBI single that scored Felix. Finally, Joey Winters brought home the third and final run of the frame with a double to right field that scored Meyer. Four straight hits led to three runs that finally broke a scoreless tie.

Walla Walla added one more run in the sixth inning. With Davis Mauzy at first and two outs, Cort MacDonald flied a ball out to right that looked like it would end the inning but bounced in and out of the Pippin’s glove. Mauzy, who was running on the pitch, was able to score on the outfield error and put the Sweets up 4-0.

Landon Salvesen pitched the eighth and ninth innings and shut down the Pippins to secure the win. Though Yakima Valley was able to get runners in scoring position on the left hander, Salvesen remained cool and kept the Pippins off the board.

It is the third shutout of the season for Sweets’ pitching, and their first since June 28 against the Kamloops NorthPaws. Polley and Salvesen also allowed just three hits, which ties a season low for Sweets pitching, matching the three hits allowed in the series opener against the Pippins.

At the plate, all nine batters in the starting lineup got a hit, with Mauzy getting two for his 10^th multi-hit game of the year.

With the win, Walla Walla wins their second straight home series, having taken two of three from the Corvallis Knights before the All-Star break. It is their third series win of the season overall.

The Sweets also split the Battle of the Basin with the Pippins for the third year in the row. In all three seasons now, it has been a Walla Walla win in the final game to force a tie in the regular season rivalry between the two teams.

The Sweets improve to 4-12 in the second half and 13-29 on the year.

Walla Walla now embarks on their last road trip of the season. Friday marks the start of a six-game road trip back down to the Beaver State. The journey begins in Springfield with a three-game series with the Drifters. Then it is up to Corvallis to take on the Knights.

Sweets’ coverage of all six games can be found on Mixlr.com.