The Drifters took the early lead. Jack Brooks worked a full count and drew a walk to lead off, then quickly swiped second base to move into scoring position. A wild pitch advanced Brooks to third, and Nolan Miller lifted a ball to center field to score Brooks from third and take a 1-0 lead.

In the fourth, the Drifters added on. Miller started the inning with a double to right and moved to third on Cesar Chavez’s groundout. After Caden Young struck out, Sam Weber stepped up and delivered a clutch two-out single to center, bringing home Miller to extend Springfield’s lead to 2-0.

However, in the bottom of the frame, the Sweets’ offense exploded for six runs. It started with Gunner Geile’s leadoff single to center. After a flyout by Nikhil Beasley, Chris Tsouras singled to put two on, and Andrew Demianew walked to load the bases. Brooks Fischer then came up huge with an RBI walk, bringing Geile home for his first RBI of the season.

Max Finkelstein followed with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Tsouras. Esteban Olazaba singled to score Demianew, and a walk to Cole Rogers set the table for Jacob Talbott, who singled to center, driving in Brooks Fischer. The floodgates opened as Olazaba and Rogers scored on a combination of a stolen base and a throwing error to take a 6-2 lead.

In the sixth, the Drifters knocked out starting pitcher Peysen Sweeney. Bryant Starr led off with a single, followed by a walk to Miller, putting runners on first and second. Chavez singled to right, driving in Starr to cut the deficit to 6-3. After a flyout by Young, wild pitches moved Miller and Chavez into scoring position. Weber struck out, but Elliot Brown singled to center, bringing home both Miller and Chavez. The inning ended shortly after, but Springfield pulled closer, trailing 6-5.

With the margin razor-thin, the Sweets bullpen slammed the door. Jared Glenn finished the seventh and eighth innings as the Drifters failed to score. In the ninth, Sweets closer Kolby Solomon came in and finished off the Drifters as Springfield brought the tying run to first but could not bring him home, securing the 6-5 win.

Solomon’s ninth inning could cap off a historic four-year career with the Sweets. He is the longest-tenured player on the current roster.

With the victory, the Sweets snapped their 11-game losing streak. Walla Walla has a chance to finish the season on a high note and win the series tomorrow night. First pitch for the final game of the 2025 season is slated for 6:35 p.m. Tune into the Walla Walla Sweets YouTube channel at 6:15 for the pregame show and full game coverage.