Elks Walk-Off Walla Walla to Kick Off Homestand

Ty Silva went 2-3 with 3 RBI and delivered the walk-off hit to give the Elks the win. (Andrew Green)

Bend, OR. - The Bend Elks came out on top of a back-and-forth thriller Friday in the series opener against the Walla Walla Sweets thanks to a walk-off base hit by Ty Silva to give the Elks the 7-6 win.

Like the night before in the series finale against the Ridgefield Raptors, the Elks had a one-run lead entering the top of the ninth inning. Danny Sales called upon Brynner Waiolama to close, his first appearance since the "balk-off" in the bottom of the 11th in a 2-1 loss to the Raptors on Tuesday. Now given another opportunity at home against Wall Walla, Waiolama got the sweets down to their final strike. Yet, Ben Parker would slice one into the left field on a one-hop to Ty Silva, who threw a strike to Beau Sylvester right on the money, but the throw was just a tad late, allowing the Sweets to tie the game.

Silva would get another chance to be the hero with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, and he didn't waste that chance slapping a ground ball up the middle to score Maddox Molony, giving Bend its first win at home against a West Coast League opponent since June 7. Silva accounted for three of the Elks' seven runs as he delivered another clutch knock in the second inning on a two-out single to center. In fact, Bend scored all seven of its runs with two outs, including the trio from Silva, a two-run single from Tyler Peterson, and a pair from Luca Dipaolo on a two-RBI double.

Bend's Bullpen allowed two hits and two runs over the final five innings with just one walk. Jackson Peters (1-0) redeemed himself of the walk-off hit he gave up to Ridgefield less than 24 hours earlier by earning his first win of the season by retiring all three batters he faced in the seventh.

Bend (12-14, 9-13) will look to earn its first series win at Vince Genna Stadium since early June Saturday in game two against Walla Walla (10-17, 7-15) at 6:35 p.m.