Sweets wins for Pirates; three games out of first

WALLA WALLA — Halfway through a pivotal six-game road trip, the Moses Lake Pirates are slowly working their way up the West Coast League (WCL) ladder as the season wraps up its first half of play.

WALLA WALLA - Halfway through a pivotal six-game road trip, the Moses Lake Pirates are slowly working their way up the West Coast League (WCL) ladder as the season wraps up its first half of play.

The Pirates completed their second straight and third series win on the year with a 7-4 come-from-behind 11-inning win over the Walla Walla Sweets on Sunday to take two-out of three from their hosts and creep with three games of the Wenatchee Apple Sox in the WCL East.

With the West's last-place Cowlitz Black Bears ready to host a three-game set starting tonight, the Pirates (10-14 overall and 9-12 in WCL play) could end their first round of play as one of the top two teams in the East.

The top two squads in each division advance to the WCL playoffs.

Yesterday, the Pirates came back from a 2-1 deficit by tying the game in the top of the ninth inning to send the game into extra innings.

Moses Lake may have felt they had the game won in the 10th as they scored two runs to lead for the first time, 4-2.

Andrew Rodriguez (San Jose State) advanced on a Walla Walla error and scored on an Austin Shackelford (University of Utah) double to give the Pirates the 3-2 edge.

Nick Frederick (Pomona College) singled home Shackelford one out later and Walla Walla was down to their final three outs.

However, the Sweets wouldn't go down easy as they tied the game of Pirates' reliever Kris Carlson (Wenatchee Valley College) in the bottom of the inning.

Then the Pirates said enough was enough by scoring three runs in their half of the 11th inning.

With one out and Bryndon Ecklund (Seattle University) on base after a fielder's choice, Tylor Pavel (Wenatchee Valley College) singled and Josh Rapacz (George Fox University) did likewise to bring in Ecklund for a 5-4 Pirates lead.

One out later Shackelford walked to load the bases and Duncan Blades (Salt Lake CC) then came up with the game-clinching hit, a two-run single to make the score 7-4.

Nathan Johnson (Whitworth University) pitched a scoreless bottom of the 11th for Moses Lake to shut the door on the Sweets and seal the series win.

Shackelford, Pavel, Rapacz, and Joe Huwer (Wenatchee Valley College) all recorded two hits each to spearhead the Pirates's 12 hit attack while Johnson earned the win.

The Pirates won on Friday night to kick off the series with another extra-inning victory.

Walla Walla (6-15) did the honors of sending the game into extra at-bats by scoring in the bottom of the ninth inning.

But the Pirates would not allow the hosts to revel in their newfound momentum, by scoring the winning run in the very next at-bats.

Shackelford's triple was rewarded with Frederick doubling him to earn the Pirates the win.

Shackelford went 2-for-5 and is now batting ,280 on the season.

Frederick finished 2-fo-4 as did Trent Johnson (University of Utah).

Jordan Whitman (Cal Poly Pomona) did not earn the win but pitched six strong innings of one-run, eight-hit ball, and Tony Smith (Eastern New Mexico) threw 1.2 innings in relief to gain the victory.

Carlson pitched a scoreless bottom of the 10th inning record the save. His ERA is now 1.46.

Walla Walla found a way to sneak out one win on Saturday behind a 5-2 defeat of the Pirates.

A three-run second inning of Moses Lake starter Tyler Druffel (Big Bend CC) who would go 4.1 innings in getting hit with the defeat.

Moses Lake's offense did collect eight hits but were saddled with nine runners left-on-base in the defeat.

Frederick led the attack with two hits while Rodriguez contributed two of his own.

Ecklund, Trent Johnson, Pavel, and Nate Roberts (Seattle University) each got a hit apiece.

Tonight the Pirates begin their series at Cowlitz with a 6:35 p.m. first pitch.

Moses Lake returns home for a second series against WCL travelling team the Portland Bucks which starts on Friday.

The game at Larson Field is set for a 7:35 p.m. start.