Pippins Rally Back to Win 4-3

The Yakima Valley Pippins got a late-inning rally Sunday in Medford, Ore., to slip past the Elks, 4-3.

The pitching for both teams quieted the bats and limited the scoring opportunities through the first four innings. Eli Morgan was in control for the Pippins and shut down the Elks.

But in the fifth inning, Vince Fernandez scored on J.C. Snyder's RBI single to give the Pippins a 1-0 lead. In the sixth, Medford's Yuto Kata  laid down a safety-squeeze bunt that scored Jermey Goldenetz and tied the score.

The Rogues scored again in the seventh on a Pippins throwing error, letting Donald Glover take extra bases and score. A sacrifice fly from Andre Virgil scored Joe Chavez to make the score 3-1 Rogues.

That's when the Pippins' rally caps came into play.

Yakima's Vince Fernandez hit a two-run double and J.C. Snyder brought in the winning run on an RBI groundout, and the Pippins' Conner Lau and Nick Kern combined to keep the Rogues at bay.

Lau (1-1) got the win and Nick Kern notched his fourth save.

The Pippins are now 20-11 on the season, and four and half games ahead of Walla Walla and Wenatchee in the West Coast League's East Division.

Game three between the Pippins and Elks starts at 6:35 tonight in Medford. Pregame begins at 6:25 on 1460 ESPN Yakima.