WALLA WALLA, Wash. — The Sweets scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth and had the tying run on first, but just ran out of time against the Ridgefield Raptors Wednesday night. The Raptors evened up the series at one game apiece by winning 7-5.

The game started out scoreless for the first three innings, but then Ridgefield exploded in the fourth. The Raptors sent 10 batters to the plate and brought home six runs off six hits and one error.

The Sweets began their comeback efforts in the sixth inning. Walla Walla loaded the bases with a single, walk and a hit by pitch. With the bags full, Mason Millar stepped up to the plate and knocked an RBI single to bring home the first run of the game for the Sweets. The bases stayed loaded for Luka Ruljancich, who received the second hit by pitch of the inning and brought home another run.

That put the tying run at the plate for the Sweets, but back-to-back strikeouts from a fresh Raptor arm out of the bullpen ended the frame and stranded all three baserunners.

Ridgefield added their final run in the seventh inning off a solo shot over the right field wall to take a 7-2 lead.

The score remained that way until the bottom of the ninth when the Sweets tried for their biggest rally of the season. With two runners aboard and only one out, Cort MacDonald smacked an RBI single to bring home Logan Meyer for the first run of the inning.

A couple of at bats later, Joey Winters got in the RBI column with a single to right field that scored David Mysza and again kept two runners on base, with MacDonald advancing to third.

Joel Esparza stepped up to the plate and got his second hit of the game, giving him back-to-back multi-hit games. His single brought home MacDonald to make it 7-5 and put himself on first representing the tying run.

Much like the sixth inning, Ridgefield went to the bullpen again with the Sweets threatening. Unfortunately for Walla Walla, the call to the bullpen worked again as the new arm got a groundout to end the game.

The loss ends the four-game win streak for the Sweets, which was tied for the longest in the 2020s for the Sweets. It also drops their second half record to 11-16 and 20-33 overall.

Thursday is the final game of the season for the Sweets. Walla Walla is looking to end the season on high note by winning their sixth series of the year. A win would also make the Sweets one game better than they were last season.

The rubber match is set for 6:35 and Sweets’ coverage of the game can be found on the Sweets Digital Network.