YAKIMA, Wash. (May 31, 2026) – The Walla Walla Sweets made sure they left Yakima with something to celebrate.

After dropping the first two games of opening weekend, the Sweets bounced back in a big way Sunday afternoon, rallying late for an 11-8 win over the Yakima Valley Pippins at Yakima County Stadium. The victory marked Walla Walla’s first win of the 2026 season and the first win for Leo Rivera as a head coach.

Walla Walla came out swinging right away. Payton Knowles, Troy Osborne and Gaines Haussin all reached to open the game, and Gunner Geile drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in the first run of the afternoon. A few pitches later, Andrew Demianew cleared the bases with a three-run triple to right center, giving the Sweets a quick 4-0 lead in the first inning.

Yakima Valley chipped away from there, but Walla Walla kept finding answers.

In the fifth, Nate Petz reached base and came around to score on an RBI single from Austin Owens, pushing the Sweets back in front by two runs.

After Yakima Valley put together a big sixth inning to take an 8-5 lead, Walla Walla responded with the kind of late-game fight Rivera had already seen flashes of through the first two games of the series.

In the seventh, Demianew and Geile both reached base before Landon Runyan came through with another key swing off the bench, driving a two-run double to right field to cut the deficit to 8-7.

Then came the eighth.

Osborne opened the inning by launching a 396-foot, solo home run to left field, tying the game at 8-8 and giving the Sweets a fresh jolt of energy. Walla Walla kept the pressure on from there, loading the bases before Demianew lifted a sacrifice fly to center to bring home Haussin and put the Sweets back in front.

Geile later scored on a wild pitch, and Owens added a sacrifice fly to bring home Petz, stretching the lead to 11-8.

From there, Trace Green handled the rest.

Green was excellent out of the bullpen, throwing 3.2 innings while allowing just one unearned run on three hits. He struck out three and worked the Sweets through the final stretch of the game to earn the win.

Curtis Ellis also gave Walla Walla a solid start, working five innings and striking out five without issuing a walk. As a staff, the Sweets finished with eight strikeouts.

Offensively, it was Walla Walla’s deepest showing of the young season. Knowles went 3-for-6, Logan Nakamura added three hits and a walk, and Osborne finished with two hits, two runs scored and the game-tying home run.

Demianew drove in four runs, Runyan added two RBIs with his seventh-inning double, and Owens brought in two more. Geile reached base four times and scored three runs, while Petz walked twice and scored twice.

After scoring nine runs on Opening Day and showing cleaner defense Saturday night, the Sweets put it all together Sunday with 11 runs, 12 hits and a late comeback to close the series on a high note.

The Sweets will return to Walla Walla for their home opener on Tuesday, June 2, against the Corvallis Knights. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. at Borleske Stadium.