WALLA WALLA, Wash. (August 7, 2026) – Playoff baseball returned to Borleske Stadium on Friday night for the first time in seven years.

Kyler Bittner turned in his best game of the summer, Gaines Haussin homered and the No. 3 seed Walla Walla Sweets opened the WCL Divisional Semifinal with a 15-5 loss to the No. 2 seed Corvallis Knights.

The result gave Corvallis a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series and puts Walla Walla into an elimination game Saturday night at Goss Stadium.

Corvallis jumped ahead early, scoring once in the first inning before adding six more in the second to build a 7-0 lead.

Walla Walla got on the board in the bottom of the second with one swing from Haussin. The third baseman drove a solo home run over the left field fence, giving the Sweets their first postseason run since 2019.

Bittner followed with another big swing in the third.

Batting leadoff for the first time this summer, Bittner launched his first home run as a Sweet over the left field fence to cut the deficit to 7-2.

The Sweets continued to chip away in the fourth. Ethan Buckley reached base before Jaylen Kennedy singled and Ronan Scoffield put the ball in play to help keep the inning alive.

Bittner then delivered again, lining an RBI single into left field to score Buckley and pull Walla Walla within four at 7-3.

Corvallis added two runs in the fifth, but Alex Cohen helped Walla Walla get through the middle portion of the game and give the offense more chances.

The right-hander entered in the second inning and worked 4.2 innings out of the bullpen. Cohen struck out four, threw 50 strikes and helped stabilize the game after the early Corvallis push.

Walla Walla added two more runs in the eighth.

Kennedy singled and Haussin followed with a base hit. Bittner came through one more time, driving a two-run single into center field to score both runners and make it 11-5.

Bittner finished a perfect 4-for-4 with a home run, four RBIs and a walk. It was his first four-hit game of the summer and his first home run as a Sweet.

Haussin added two hits, including his second homer of the season, and scored twice.

Kennedy also had a strong night at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two singles and a run scored. Royce Hale added a hit, while Gage Reeser reached twice with a pair of walks.

Walla Walla finished with nine hits and three walks in its first postseason game since 2019.

Hayden Line, Blake Moore, and Zack Vega covered the final innings out of the bullpen. Line struck out one across 1.1 innings, Moore helped turn a double play in the eighth and Vega handled the ninth.

The Sweets also turned a double play behind the pitching staff, with Reeser, Buckley, and Cohen combining to erase a baserunner in the sixth.

Friday’s result was not the postseason opener Walla Walla wanted, but the Sweets still have a chance to extend their season.

The WCL Divisional Semifinal now shifts to Corvallis, where Walla Walla will face the Knights in an elimination game Saturday, August 8. First pitch for Game 2 is set for 6:35 p.m. at Goss Stadium.