WALLA WALLA, Wash. (July 21, 2026) – Runs were hard to come by Tuesday night at Borleske Stadium, but the Walla Walla Sweets still had the tying run in scoring position in the ninth inning.

Curtis Ellis turned in his fourth straight quality start, Hayden Line extended his scoreless start to the summer and the Sweets played error-free defense in a 3-2 loss to the Yakima Valley Pippins.

The loss opened the three-game series after Walla Walla swept Yakima Valley at Borleske Stadium just over a week earlier.

Ellis was sharp from the start. The right-hander kept Yakima Valley off the scoreboard through six innings, worked efficiently and gave the Sweets another steady outing on the mound.

Walla Walla broke the scoreless tie in the fourth.

Sam Kane reached to begin the inning and moved into scoring position before advancing home on a wild pitch, giving the Sweets a 1-0 lead.

Trevor Tse helped keep the inning alive with one of his two hits on the night. The first baseman reached base three times, finishing 2-for-2 with a walk and accounting for half of Walla Walla’s four hits.

Ellis continued to protect the lead into the seventh. Yakima Valley broke through with three runs in the inning, but the Sweets’ starter still finished with another strong final line.

Ellis worked 6.2 innings, allowing three runs on five hits while striking out five. He did not issue a walk and threw 57 of his 83 pitches for strikes.

It marked his fourth consecutive quality start, continuing a strong stretch for one of Walla Walla’s most reliable arms.

Hayden Line took over out of the bullpen and kept the Sweets within reach.

The right-hander threw 2.1 scoreless innings, his deepest outing of the summer. Line allowed five hits but did not walk a batter, struck out three and worked out of traffic to keep Yakima Valley from adding to its lead.

Line has still yet to allow a run in a Sweets uniform.

Walla Walla made one final push in the ninth.

Kane reached on an error and moved to second on a wild pitch. Tse followed with a single to left field, moving Kane to third and putting the tying run aboard with one out.

Gunner Geile then lifted a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Kane and cutting the deficit to 3-2.

Jaylen Kennedy followed with a walk, and Cade Wynn entered as a pinch runner to put the tying run in scoring position. Yakima Valley escaped the inning from there, holding on for the one-run win.

Kane scored both Walla Walla runs and added a hit. Tse reached base three times, while Cole Rogers also singled for the Sweets.

Geile drove in Walla Walla’s only RBI with his ninth-inning sacrifice fly.

The Sweets also had a strong night defensively. After a tough defensive series at Goss Stadium, Walla Walla did not commit an error and turned a double play behind its pitching staff.

Ellis and Line combined to strike out eight, did not issue a walk and kept the Sweets in the game all night.

Walla Walla returns to Borleske Stadium on Wednesday, July 22, for game two against the Yakima Valley Pippins. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m.