TUESDAY: DRIFTERS 15, PIPPINS 5
YAKIMA, Wash. – The Drifters’ series opener in Yakima looked like a two-way shootout in the early innings, but Springfield scored five runs in the third and broke away for a victory at Yakima County Stadium.
Springfield’s offense put together one of its most complete performances of the season and Carlo Ramirez and Ezra James kept the Pippins at bay from the mound. Evan Thomas (2-for-4, 2 BB, 4 RBIs) and Cooper Mullens (3-for-5, RBI, 2 R) helped fuel the hot start. Both offenses started the game strong, with each team scoring three runs during the first two innings before the Drifters pulled away with five in the third. Thomas had a two-run single in the first inning and an RBI triple in the third. Chase Nye added a walk and a single from the leadoff spot, Mullens did the same, and Hunter Meyer recorded an RBI single in the second.
“It’s been a tough day for us. Travel day. This isn’t an easy place to play – it’s just something about the atmosphere here, the field, everything – It’s never been easy to play, so coming out and putting up some runs early and then winning innings was huge,” head coach Jeff Lyle said. Ramirez limited damage early with consecutive strikeouts and a pop out to strand a runner in scoring position in the first inning and a 1-2-3 third to preserve an 8-3 lead.
Drifters catcher Preston Armstrong threw out a runner stealing third to move to 6-for-11 on cutdowns this season. By the time Ramirez left the game in the fourth inning, he had raised his season-high pitch count from 47 to 90.
WEDNESDAY: DRIFTERS 11, PIPPINS 4
YAKIMA, Wash. – The Drifters entered Yakima County Stadium on Wednesday hoping to get past the Pippins in the standings, the series, and the game. The Drifters left the ballpark with a victory in the game and series, overtaking Yakima Valley in the standings.
Springfield also rewrote a bit of its history. The victory marks Springfield’s record-breaking sixth straight series win as the push for the playoffs continued. The victory also put the 2026 Drifters only one win shy of tying its franchise record of 22 wins, set in 2023 and tied in ’25. “It was nice to come in, take care of business (and) take care of the series,” coach Jeff Lyle said. “Us scoring in the first takes the pressure off our starter.”
Perhaps the most impressive records broken or tied on Wednesday were done by the third-year Drifter Nolan Miller and the fourth-year Drifter Cooper Mullens. Miller, a junior outfielder from the University of Portland, recorded his 13th double of the season, breaking Jack Brooks’ record of 12 set in ’25.
“It’s always cool to break records and kind of fun that Jack’s the one that had it before,” Miller said. “It’s more important that we’re winning, though, and just putting some good swings on the ball and letting the rest take care of itself.”
Mullens, a redshirt junior second baseman from Michigan, meanwhile, tied Springfield’s RBI record of 31 originally set by Miller himself in ’25. “It’s exciting. Nolan’s a great player,” Mullens said. “Just trying to stay with a non-wavering commitment to the ball.” Every Drifter starter recorded at least one hit by the fifth inning.
THURSDAY: PIPPINS 13, DRIFTERS 12
YAKIMA, Wash. – Despite scoring 12 runs across seven innings, Springfield dropped the series finale to Yakima Valley in one of the most chaotic games of the West Coast League season. With several lead changes and five ties throughout the contest, a bases-loaded walk by the Pippins in the ninth salvaged the series for Yakima Valley to end the 3-hour, 46-minute contest.
“When you score 12 runs on 15 hits, you should win most of these games,” coach Jeff Lyle said after the game. “We just came up a little bit short on the strike-throwing tonight.” The bottom of the ninth provided plenty of drama. A groundout, hit-by-pitch, and a single marked the end of Owen Cheyne’s time on the mound, as Trey Thompson came in to replace him with runners at first and second. Thompson recorded a quick out, but an infield single loaded the bases.
With a 3-2 count to the next batter, Thompson’s payoff pitch missed just wide, sealing the Drifters’ fate to give Yakima Valley its 21st win of the season.
FRIDAY: DRIFTERS 14, RAPTORS 7
SPRINGFIELD – The Drifters opened their penultimate series of the season with storylines outside the game swirling, such as the WCL South playoff race and numerous franchise records. Springfield’s offensive momentum from a 38-run series in Yakima survived an overnight bus ride that got the team home at 6 a.m., and the Drifters secured the victory over Ridgefield with a seven-run second inning. “It’s nice this late in the season when we go slap hands after a game to see how long the line is. Like, we’ve got guys leaving, and we have guys coming in,” coach Jeff Lyle said.
“They do want to win. They want to compete. They want to come out and finish the season and let the scoreboard and standings fall where they fall, but this energy and effort is what we’ve talked about all season.”
The Drifters’ offense took a first-inning lead through three consecutive singles by Hunter Meyer, Cooper Mullens, and Nolan Miller. Miller’s RBI single tied his own Drifters single-season RBI record of 31 from last season, which Mullens also tied in Yakima. Springfield broke open the game with a five-hit, three-walk second inning, coming out ahead 8-0. Finn Wood and Matthew Tacheny each had two-inning season debuts for the Drifters, with Wood striking out two batters to hold the Raptors to one run, and Tacheny allowing only one baserunner.
“We hadn’t seen Wood throw before, and he comes out, and he’s 18 years old, but he looks like a grown man.”
SATURDAY: RAPTORS 12, DRIFTERS 6
SPRINGFIELD – After combining for 21 runs in the opener, Springfield and Ridgefield put on another slugfest as the Drifters fell to the Raptors. Springfield stuck with the Raptors through the middle innings, but couldn’t match a five-run eighth. Hunter Meyer went 3-for-5 and scored two runs, and Evan Thomas collected three RBI with a triple in the third inning. Ridgefield took a 5-1 lead in the third inning. Thomas hit his second bases-loaded triple of the series in the bottom of the inning, bringing Springfield back within one. Thomas’ third triple of the season set a new single-season franchise record.
MONDAY: DRIFTERS 11, ELKS 2
SPRINGFIELD – The Drifters set a franchise record with 23 wins after defeating Bend. “Tonight’s win was great (and) we set the record,” assistant coach Dom Graziano said. “Very proud of the guys and I’m very, very grateful to be welcomed here.” Springfield’s strong second half of the season continued in the wire-to-wire victory, with five runs scored in the first inning. Following two hit-by-pitches and a groundout that scored three runs, redshirt sophomore Nick Gimino lined a ball to right-center field for a two-RBI double.
After a difficult stretch at the plate before Monday’s game, the infielder from Oregon Tech capped his night by going 3-for-5 with two doubles, two RBI, and one run scored. Catcher Aiden Gebhard, the graduate outfielder/left-handed pitcher from Northwest Nazarene, recorded his 31st steal – a franchise record. Gebhard took the stolen base out of the ground. Linfield University senior Matthew Tacheny pitched four scoreless innings to start the game.
Note: Capsules compiled and edited from information provided by Drifters interns Henry Light, Addison Cerezo, and Dillon Zamperin.
