Pippins Start off on Winning Note in Bellingham

BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The road may not offer familiar environments for the Yakima Valley Pippins, but they keep turning in familiar results away from home: wins. Yakima Valley improved to 8-2 away from home on Tuesday night, knocking off the Bellingham Bells, 6-3, at Joe Martin Field.

After giving up two runs in the first, the Pippins (14-8) got the bats going in support of starter Jens Jensen soonafter. After scoring a run in the 2^nd, the Pippins tied the game in the 3^rd on a double by Mitch Skaggs, who has recorded an RBI in each of his last six games.

With Jensen settling in on the mound, the Pippins grabbed the lead in the 4^th inning, scoring three runs against Bellingham starter Andrew Summerville. After giving up a run in the bottom of the 4^th, Tyler Mildenberg got one right back for the Pippins in the 5^th on an RBI single. Mildenberg went 3-3 with a hit-by-pitch on Tuesday.

On the mound, Jensen collected the win after working six innings and surrendering 5 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks and 6 strikeouts to the Bells (13-9). Kelly Fitzpatrick worked the final three innings to collect the save.

The win helped the Pippins avoid their first three-game losing streak of the season and ended a four-game losing streak to the Bells, dating back to 2014. Game two of the series is scheduled for Wednesday at 7:05 pm. The Pippins will look for another road series win – what would be their fourth in as many tries - with lefty Mitch Yada on the mound.