Filia’s Walk-Off Winner Propels Pippins

YAKIMA, WA - The drama arrived just minutes before the post-game fireworks display on Friday night at Yakima County Stadium as Michael Filia (UC Irvine) delivered a 2-out walk-off single in the bottom of the 9th inning, sparking the Yakima Valley Pippins 1-0 win over the Wenatchee AppleSox.

Facing two outs and nobody on base in the frame, Chris Ceballos (Cal State Fullerton) singled off AppleSox starter Grady Miller, forcing a change to the bullpen. Ryan Garcia (UCLA), who earned the win pitching a scoreless 9th inning, was then hit by a pitch setting up the game-winning hit from Filia, scoring pitch-runner Tanner Simpson (Lewis-Clark State) from second base on the play.

Garcia entered the contest after another fantastic outing from Zach Draper (College of Idaho) throwing eight innings of scoreless baseball, striking out seven on five hits. The Yakima Valley Pippins (22-15, 7-3) LHP improved his scoreless streak to 21.1 innings overall, featuring a crucial 1-6-3 double play to limit one of Wenatchee's best scoring chances of the night in the 6th inning.

Both teams combined for two hits through the first four innings in a pitchers duel that featured just two Yakima Valley hits entering the 9th inning. Freddy Smith (Cal State Northridge) delivered the Pippins first hit of the night in the 4th inning, now posting base hits in eight of his last nine games.

The Yakima Valley Pippins are now 9-0 in games started by Zach Draper, the West Coast League All-Star, lowering his league-best ERA to 0.82 on the season. Tanner Simpson will start on Saturday night as the Pippins search for the series win starting at 7:05 p.m.

Fans can listen to all the action live right here on 1460 ESPN Yakima, the official home for Yakima Valley Pippins Baseball.