Walla Walla had battled back from a 4-0 deficit with single runs in the sixth and seventh and two runs in the eighth. They stranded a one-out double in the 9th, a leadoff hit by pitch in the tenth and loaded the bases again in the 11th on an error and back-to-back singles. Reliever Jared Van Hoon got a strikeout for the first out but Campbell ended the game with his single to left-center, scoring Scott Gottschling from third base.
Portland grabbed the lead early thanks to a three-run first inning off of Sweets starter Geoff Soja. Roger Bouldon singled with two outs and Chance Cornish walked to load the bases for Van Hoon. The starting shortstop at the time, Van Hoon drilled a two-run single to right field and Bryce McKinney followed with an RBI single. Soja walked Pat Coghlan and was then relieved by Eric Yardley.
Making his third appearance of the summer, Yardley had his best outing Tuesday. The right-hander got out of the first and went on to throw five strong innings, allowing just one run and striking out five. A two-out walk in the sixth with the Sweets trailing 4-0 ended his night but Seattle U. teammate Cory Mack picked him up. A wild pitch put runners on second and third but Mack struck out Bouldon looking to end the frame and the Sweets began their rally.
Stars starter Eric Weir had been magnificent through five but loaded the bases with one out in the sixth on three walks. Austin Heaps scored the first Sweets run with a sac fly to left and Weir got a pop out to keep it 4-1. Portland went to the bullpen in the seventh but Josh Burbery didn't fair much better. The righty started the inning with a fly out to left but then walked three straight batters. Kalani Brackenridge then hit what appeared to be an inning-ending 6-3 double play but the relay to first pulled Cornish off the bag. That allowed a run to score and the Sweets trailed 4-2. Campbell made sure it remained that way, throwing out Pete Breshears at home in the top of the eighth as he tried to score from second on a single.
Walla Walla finished the comeback in the eighth thanks to a two-out rally. Hitting with the bases-empty and two outs, Campbell didn't budge on a breaking pitch and got himself on with a hit by pitch. He went to second on a wild pitch and scored on a Chance Kopacz pinch-hit RBI single to right. Alex Stanford followed and nearly gave the Sweets the lead but his long-fly to right-center landed on the warning track and bounced over the fence for a ground-rule double. Denver Chavez walked to load the bases and Brackenridge worked a bases-loaded walk to score the tying run.
The game-winning rally might not have even been the most exciting play of the night. A Gottschling single and Elliot Stewart walk had the Sweets in business in the fourth but Heaps' ground ball to second turned into an inning-ending 4-6-3-2 triple play. Gottschling was trying to score from second on the ground ball but Cornish's throw from first was perfect and the triple play was completed.
Walla Walla's late rally made a winner of reliever Jimmy Litchfield. The lefty was making his first appearance of the summer and pitched the final three innings, allowing just one hit and one walk. He walked the first batter in the ninth before retiring the next three, got three pop outs in the tenth and was aided by his defense in the 11th as Goose Kallunki started a 3-6-3 inning-ending double play.
With the win, Walla Walla completed their eight-game homestand with a 4-4 record. The Sweets get a day off on Wednesday before starting a six-game road trip to Corvallis and Kelowna. The first game is scheduled to start at 6:40 p.m. on Thursday night at Goss Stadium in Corvallis.
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