WALLA WALLA, Wash. (July 22, 2026) – One night after a tight series-opening loss, the Walla Walla Sweets answered with a little bit of everything Wednesday at Borleske Stadium.

Gage Reeser homered, doubled and drove in three runs, five Sweets pitchers combined on a three-hit shutout and Walla Walla beat the Yakima Valley Pippins 10-0 to even the series.

The shutout was Walla Walla’s second of the season and set up a rubber match Thursday night.

The Sweets jumped ahead right away in the bottom of the first. Trevor Tse reached base, and Reeser followed by launching his third home run of the summer to give Walla Walla a quick 2-0 lead.

The offense added two more runs in the second.

Ethan Buckley reached and came around to score on a balk before Payton Knowles lifted a sacrifice fly to right field, bringing Gaines Haussin home and stretching the lead to 4-0.

Nico Bavaro took care of the early innings on the mound. The right-hander worked four scoreless frames, allowing only two hits while striking out three. He worked around four walks and gave Walla Walla a clean start before handing the game to the bullpen.

Carson Waples followed with two scoreless innings in his home pitching debut. The right-hander allowed just one hit and did not issue a walk, keeping Yakima Valley off the board while earning his first win as a Sweet.

Walla Walla broke the game open late.

In the seventh, Tse and Reeser reached ahead of Sam Kane, who drove a two-run triple into right field. The extra-base hit brought home both runners and pushed the lead to 6-0.

The Sweets added four more in the eighth. Knowles reached and later scored when Reeser drove an RBI double into left field. Tse then came home when Kane put the ball in play, and Reeser and Kane both scored after another Yakima Valley error extended the inning.

Reeser finished 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, three RBIs, three runs scored and a walk. The shortstop has continued to provide big swings in the second half and gave Walla Walla the early lead it never gave back.

Tse reached base three times, going 1-for-2 with two walks and three runs scored. Kane added a triple, two RBIs, a walk and a run scored.

Buckley singled, walked and scored, while Haussin doubled and came home in the second inning. Knowles drove in a run with his sacrifice fly and scored in the eighth.

Walla Walla scored 10 runs on six hits, drew seven walks and struck out only twice.

The bullpen finished what Bavaro started.

JT Lewis made his Sweets debut in the seventh inning and tossed a scoreless frame, striking out one. Gabe Brabec followed with a perfect eighth, also recording a strikeout.

Jackson Wendt then made his home pitching debut in the ninth and closed the game in style, striking out two in a perfect inning to finish the shutout.

Bavaro, Waples, Lewis, Brabec and Wendt combined to hold Yakima Valley to three hits while striking out seven. The staff did not allow a hit after the sixth inning and kept the Pippins scoreless in all nine frames.

The Sweets also turned a double play behind the pitching staff, helping keep Yakima Valley from building momentum.

With the win, Walla Walla bounced back from Tuesday’s one-run loss and evened the three-game set. The Sweets will return to Borleske Stadium on Thursday, July 23, for the rubber match against Yakima Valley. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m.