Wednesday night the Falcons bats went silent with just three hits, as the four-game winning streak was snapped by the Walla Walla Sweets in a 9-1 setback.

Despite the lack of offence, the Falcons still had a chance to win down 4-1 in the eighth inning.  However, the Sweets exploded to score five times in the top of the ninth for their seventh win of the campaign behind a wonderful pitching performance as three pitchers combined to shut down the home team.

They took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning off Falcons’ starter Matthew Prieto who faced just six batters in an abbreviated start. He struck out two over the course of 1.1 innings.

In the bottom of the fifth the Falcons tied the game.  Druw Frost (pictured) led off the inning with a double and eventually came around to score on an RBI single off the bat of Riley Quealey.  Unfortunately for the home side it was the last hit and base runner of the game.

The Sweets took the lead again in the top of the sixth with what would turn out to be the game winner.  They would score two more in the seventh, before adding five in their last at bats.

One of the bright spots for the Falcons was the pitching debut of Maddon MacArthur who just arrived and faced the minimum in the top of the eighth getting the Sweets in order which included a strikeout. 

Thursday night at Elks Stadium is the series rubber match with the opening pitch slated for 6:35pm.  Righthander Lurcas Smith, the junior from Hope University will make his first start of the summer.  Tickets can be purchased in advance or at the gate an hour before opening pitch.

Photo courtesy of Tami Quan Photography