The Black Bears continue their eight-game homestand with three-midweek matchups against the Walla Walla Sweets. The Sweets took two of three in their first series this season on June 13-15 at Borleske Stadium.
Both of these teams are coming off sweeps at home, with Cowlitz winning all three games against the Springfield Drifters this weekend.
Game one was a close 4-3 victory, in which Ryan Falke, Chris Moreno and Cameron Fausset combined to give up only one earned run. Finnegan Stewart went 3-5 and drove in a run, while Braeden Lundberg and Holt Williams each had two hits and one RBI from the bottom two spots in the lineup.
One inning was the difference in game two. Five runs came in for the Bears in the bottom of the fifth. Williams started the rally with an RBI single, followed by a Liam Barrett RBI single, a two-run double by Finnegan Stewart and another double by Jarett Sabol. Hudson Aber, Matt Sherwood and Hayden Thompson held Springfield to three runs for the second straight game.
Game three was one of the best all-around games of the season for the Bears, as they won 10-2, their largest margin of victory in a game this season. Barrett, Sabol and Gavin Poffenroth all had two hits each. Stewart drove in two more and Matt Priest hit a pinch-hit three-run home run. The Texas Tech pitching duo of Brady Trombello and newcomer Taber Fast pitched six innings, only giving up two runs, as Kieran Markusen finished the game with three scoreless, getting the nine-out save.
Poffenroth still leads the squad in multiple offensive categories, including AVG (.346), runs (15), hits (28), doubles (7), walks (14) and HBP (5). Stewart extended his RBI lead to 19 after this weekend and Priest’s home run in game three extended his lead for Cowlitz, being the only player with more than one on Cowlitz. Falke is second in IP (20.2), but has a 1.31 ERA, only giving up 3 ER and leading the team in wins (3). Sherwood leads the team in IP (26) and hits (32) but also strikeouts (16). Markusen got his second save in game three, becoming the only bullpen arm with more than one.
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Since the first series against Cowlitz, the Walla Walla Sweets have gone 8-7, now at a 17-13 record. They are coming off a Battle of the Basin sweep against the Yakima Valley Pippins.
Two of the three games in this series ended 4-2 in favor of Walla Walla, with game three another low-scoring affair, the Sweets winning 5-1. Their pitching held the Pippins to just five runs in all three games. This series was much needed for Walla Walla, as they were swept by the Bend Elks in their series before, giving up at least 11 runs per game at Vince Genna Stadium.
Dominic Cadiz and Trevor Tse lead the offense for the Sweets. Cadiz leads the team in AVG (.404), hits (38), doubles (9), HR (7) and RBI (24). Tse is second in most of these categories, while leading the squad in runs (25) and walks (20). Kolby Solomon has a 1.26 ERA in 14.1 IP out of the bullpen, while Tre Morse leads the pitching staff in strikeouts (23), having a 5.23 ERA in 20.2 IP.
After this series, the Bears will stay home to play two exhibition games against the NW Star Nighthawks. The Sweets will head home for three against the Corvallis Knights before going back on the road to play the Marion Berries.
The Sweets-Black Bears series begins on Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. at David Story Field. Games two and three on Wednesday and Thursday will also start at 6:35 p.m. For more information about upcoming games, stats, or tickets, follow us on social media: X (Twitter) (@CowlitzBBears), Facebook, and Instagram (@cowlitzblackbears). To watch, listen live, or view the 2025 promotional schedule, go to our website, cowlitzblackbears.com.