Pippins Drop Second Straight to HarbourCats as Late Rally Falls Short

A four-run ninth was not enough for the Pippins as they fell to the HarbourCats for the second straight night.

The Pippins got on the board first with some help from the HarbourCats in the second inning. After a lead-off double by Sam Mitchell (MSU Billings) and a groundout by Conor Allard (U of Nevada), Jonathan Imperial (US Air Force Academy) grounded a ball to shortstop that should have been the second out of the inning. Instead, it went through the legs of Adam Imwalle (State College of Florida) and Mitchell scored from second. The lead would not last long.

In the bottom half of the inning Tanner Inouye (St Martin’s) had a hard time finding the plate. He loaded the bases with three walks and with two outs Imwalle would make up for his error with a bases clearing double. The HarbourCats would not trail again in the game.

Inouye started for the Pippins and looked very different from the pitcher who struck out seven of the nine batters that he faced in the Pippins Opening Day loss. Inouye went four and a third innings giving up four runs and walking seven.

Victoria would play add on with a run in the fourth and two more in the sixth to take a 6-1 lead into the ninth inning. With some more help from the HarbourCats, the Pippins would make it close.

Cody Jefferis (U of San Diego) lead off the inning with a single. Grant DeLappe (WSU) would follow by being hit by a pitch and Mitchell would load the bases with another single. Allard would follow with a groundball to second which should have been a double play but Jack Smith (WSU) bobbled the ball and couldn’t record an out. A run would score on the play. A wild pitch would score another run. After two outs, one of which resulted in an out, Andrew Schleusner (MSU Billings) single to bring the Pippins within a run. After a pitching change, the Pippins rally would come to an end with Cole Jones (MSU Billings) popping out to second base to end the game.

With the loss, the Pippins fall to 2-3 on the season. The Pippins have one more game against the HarbourCats on Thursday in a weekday matinee before returning to Yakima to face the Bend Elks.