In the top of the first, the Sweets went down quietly without scoring. In the bottom half, Yakima was first to strike as Langan Naylor worked a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a single by Julian Angulo. After Dillon Anderson struck out swinging, Charlie Schebler walked to load the bases. Neil Jansen followed with a bases-loaded walk as Tre Morse struggled to locate the strike zone. Cole Hansen then singled to right, scoring Angulo and keeping the bases full. Ethan Buckley struck out for the second out, and Preston Allen grounded out to second, stranding the runners and ending the inning with Yakima up 2-0.

The Pippins added to their lead in the second. Jaden St. Cyr led off with a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Naylor. With two outs, Anderson delivered a two-out RBI single to score St. Cyr and make it a 3-0 game.

Yakima wasn’t done yet. In the third, Jansen reached on an error and advanced to second on the play. Hansen then reached on a throwing error by Morse, moving Jansen to third. Buckley dropped down a sacrifice bunt to bring home Jansen, and St. Cyr followed with an RBI single to score Hansen. Angulo added a single to load the bases, but Morse escaped the inning without further damage as Anderson flew out to center.

Down 6-0, the Sweets weren’t ready to fold. In the fourth inning, Billy Scaldeferri drew a leadoff walk. With two outs, Johnny Backus kept the inning alive with a single, extending his hitting streak to three games after going hitless in six straight. Andrew Demianew followed with a single to score Scaldeferri, putting the Sweets on the board.

Walla Walla chipped away again in the fifth. Dominic Cadiz extended his hitting streak to nine games with a single, then moved to second on a passed ball and to third on a wild pitch. Scaldeferri came through with a two-out single to bring home Cadiz and trim the deficit to 6-2.

In the seventh, Yakima starter Ian Mowad left the game after striking out eight through six innings. The Sweets took advantage immediately. Cole Rogers was hit by a pitch, and Troy Sanders singled, advancing to second on a throwing error, with Rogers moving to third. After a pitching change, Cadiz worked a walk to load the bases. Owen Estabrook followed with a single to score Rogers and keep the bases loaded. Scaldeferri added a sacrifice fly to bring in Sanders. Tanner Kern then walked to load the bases again, but the Sweets couldn’t keep the rally going as Nikhil Beasley and Backus each struck out swinging to leave them loaded, trailing 6-4.

The Sweets had another opportunity in the eighth when Demianew led off with a single. Cadiz followed with another hit to move Demianew to third, but Estabrook struck out to end the threat.

In the ninth, Walla Walla couldn’t mount a comeback and fell 6-4. The loss marks the second time this season the Sweets have dropped an opening game in Yakima and moves them to 1-3 in the Battle of the Basin.

The Sweets will be back in action tomorrow in Yakima against the Pippins. First pitch is scheduled for 5:35 p.m., with coverage beginning 10 minutes earlier on the Walla Walla Sweets Mixlr.