RIDGEFIELD, Wash. (June 21, 2026) – The Walla Walla Sweets closed their weekend in Ridgefield with a strong late push and another impressive bullpen showing Sunday afternoon.

Royce Hale and Landon Runyan each went deep, Blake Moore delivered his strongest relief appearance of the summer and Walla Walla scored twice in the ninth before falling 6-4 to the Ridgefield Raptors at the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex.

Ridgefield put three runs on the board in the opening inning, but the Sweets began working their way back immediately.

Runyan led off the second with his first home run of the summer, sending a solo shot to right field to cut the deficit to 3-1. The long ball also gave Runyan his second RBI of the weekend.

After Ridgefield added another run in the bottom half, Hale answered in the third. The newcomer launched a solo home run to right, pulling Walla Walla within two at 4-2.

The homer was Hale’s second in six games since joining the Sweets. He has already made a quick impact in the middle of the order, reaching base three times Sunday with the home run and two walks.

Ridgefield stretched its lead to 6-2 by the fourth, but Walla Walla’s bullpen kept the game there and gave the lineup a chance to battle back.

Moore took over in the fifth and turned in his best outing of the season. The right-hander worked three scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out seven of the 13 batters he faced. He worked through a small amount of traffic without allowing any damage and kept the Sweets within striking distance.

Perry Stow followed with a dominant eighth, striking out all three batters he faced to send Walla Walla into the ninth with some momentum.

The Sweets made one final push in their last turn at the plate.

Hale started the rally by reaching base, and Sam Kane followed with a single. Logan Nakamura worked a walk before Bo Stinson entered to run, loading the bases with no outs.

Ethan Buckley then singled to center to bring Hale home and make it 6-3. Runyan followed with a productive groundout, scoring Kane and cutting the deficit to two before Ridgefield brought the game to a close.

Runyan finished with two RBIs, including his first homer of the season, while Hale homered, scored twice and reached three times. Kane, Buckley, Austin Owens and Payton Knowles also added hits for Walla Walla.

The pitching staff struck out 14, led by Moore’s seven and Stow’s three in one inning. Walla Walla arms have now reached double-digit strikeouts in 15 of the club’s first 19 games.

While the weekend ended with three losses, the Sweets played the current WCL South leaders closely throughout the series. Each game remained within two runs entering the ninth inning, including one-run finishes on Friday and Saturday.

The Sweets will take Monday off before returning to Borleske Stadium for the start of a six-game homestand. Walla Walla opens a three-game series against the Springfield Drifters on Tuesday, June 23, with first pitch set for 6:35 p.m.