SPRINGFIELD, Ore. — Walla Walla played their most complete game not just of their whole season, but maybe in their entire franchise history. The Sweets beat the Springfield Drifter 17-1 in their series opener Friday night.

Zach Hangas was on fire again for the Sweets. The junior from Ottawa University AZ tossed his third complete game of the season and fourth of his Walla Walla career. He know leads the franchise in most complete games in a season and most in a Sweets’ career. He also has now pitched the second-most innings in Sweets history at 108.2 frames. He is eight innings away from tying the Sweets record of 116.2 innings set by Ryan Richardson from 2010-2011.

In tonight’s game, Hangas only allowed one unearned run off four hits and no walks. He faced the minimum batter through first five innings, with the two runners getting aboard via singles getting erased with a caught stealing and a double play.

His lone unearned run allowed was in the ninth, which snapped a 17 scoreless inning streak.

At the plate, Walla Walla jumped ahead early bringing home four runs in the firs two innings. With two runners on, Kolby Felix went deep for his fifth home run of the season over the left field wall. It was the first three-run bomb of the season for the Sweets. Walla Walla added another run in the second.

The score remained 4-0 until the eighth. In the penultimate inning, Walla Walla sent eight batters to the plate and brought home four runs to double their lead. With runners on the corners, Logan Meyer laid down a bunt in an attempt to play some small ball. However, the Drifters’ catcher overthrew first on the play, allowing both runners to score and Meyer to move up to third.

Hayden Driggs brought him home on an RBI double, and then was brought in himself on a dropped fly ball error by the Springfield right fielder.

In the ninth, the Sweets really opened up the scoring. Thirteen hitters stepped up to the plate and brought home nine runs off seven hits. Three of the first four batters got on to load the bases. Back-to-back RBI singles from Ryan Prescott and JJ Moran pushed the Sweets into double digits and kept the bases loaded.

Driggs then stepped up to the plate with the bags still full of onions and unloaded on a ball over the left field wall for a grand slam. It was the home run of the year for Driggs and the first time this year multiple Sweets went deep in the same game. It was also the first grand slam for Walla Walla since July 19, 2022, when Joey Craig smashed a bases loaded jam over the wall at Borleske Stadium against the same Springfield Drifters.

Up 14-0, the Sweets still scored more runs. With the bases empty, two more Sweets got aboard. Stevie Hom brought home the next run with an RBI single that scored Chipper Beck. Brandon Faire brought home the final two runs for the Sweets with a double to center field, bringing home David Mysza and Hom.

Springfield got a run in the bottom of the ninth. Despite the run scoring, a 16-run win is the largest margin of victory in Sweets franchise history.

With the win, Walla Walla improves to 5-12 in the second half and 14-29 overall. The Sweets have now won two games in a row, tied for their longest streak of the season.

Game two of the three-game series is Saturday with first pitch set for 6:35. Walla Walla looks to take the series and win their second set in a row. Sweets’ coverage of the game can be found on Mixlr.com.