PORTLAND, Ore. (July 26, 2026) – The Walla Walla Sweets made sure their final away weekend game of the regular season came with plenty of offense.

Cole Rogers and Ethan Buckley each launched their first home runs of the summer, Payton Knowles added a homer of his own and the Sweets beat the Portland Pickles 15-9 on Sunday afternoon at Walker Stadium to claim the series.

The win gave Walla Walla the rubber match after taking Friday’s opener 5-3 and dropping Saturday’s game.

The Sweets struck first in the second inning. Keagan Kelly reached base ahead of Rogers, who sent a two-run home run over the left field fence to give Walla Walla a 2-0 lead.

The homer was Rogers’ first of the season and started a big day at the plate for the Sweets’ right fielder.

Portland tied the game in the bottom of the second, but Walla Walla quickly answered with four runs in the third.

Sam Kane reached and came home on an RBI single from Buckley, putting the Sweets back in front. Royce Hale scored on an RBI single from Kyler Bittner, and Kelly followed by putting the ball in play to bring home another run.

Bo Stinson also scored during the sequence, giving Walla Walla a 6-2 lead.

Portland got one run back in the third and added three more in the fourth to tie the game at 6-6, but the Sweets kept swinging.

Knowles put Walla Walla back ahead in the top of the fourth with his second home run of the summer, sending a solo shot to right field and making it 7-6.

The Sweets added two more in the fifth. Rogers and Kelly reached base ahead of Knowles, who singled into center field to score Kelly. Trevor Tse followed with an RBI single to bring home Rogers and stretch the lead to 9-6.

After a scoreless sixth, Walla Walla continued to add on.

Knowles scored on an RBI double from Kane in the seventh, giving the Sweets a 10-6 advantage.

In the eighth, Bittner, Kelly and Rogers all reached to load the bases. Knowles worked a bases-loaded walk, Tse was hit by a pitch to bring in another run and Kane followed with an RBI single to push the lead to 13-6.

Portland cut the deficit to four in the bottom of the eighth, but Walla Walla added one final push in the ninth.

Buckley led off the inning by sending his first home run of the summer down the left field line. Bittner later scored on a sacrifice fly from Rogers, giving the Sweets a 15-9 lead.

Rogers finished 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs, three runs scored, a walk and a sacrifice fly. Knowles reached five times, going 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs, three walks and two runs scored.

Buckley added two hits, including his first homer of the summer, and drove in two runs.

Bittner turned in his first three-hit game as a Sweet, finishing 3-for-4 with an RBI, two walks, two runs scored and a stolen base. Kelly also reached three times, doubled, drove in a run and scored three runs.

Kane went 3-for-5 with a double, two RBIs, a run scored and a walk. Tse added a hit, two RBIs and a walk, while Hale scored once.

Walla Walla finished with 15 runs on 15 hits and drew 11 walks. The Sweets had seven different players drive in runs and scored in seven of the nine innings.

On the mound, Andrew Cohen again gave Walla Walla important innings out of the bullpen. The right-hander entered in the fourth and threw three scoreless frames, allowing no hits while striking out three.

Cohen worked through the middle of the game, kept Portland off the board after the Pickles tied it and earned his sixth win of the summer.

Tre Morse handled the ninth inning and closed the game with a scoreless frame, retiring all three batters he faced.

The victory gave Walla Walla another series win and sent the Sweets back to Borleske Stadium with momentum heading into the final week of July.

Walla Walla returns home Tuesday, July 28, for the first of a two-game non-league set against the Northwest Star Nighthawks. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. at Borleske Stadium.