The Bend Elks improved to 2-0 in the second half of the season and clinched a series win with an 8-6 victory over the Walla Walla Sweets on Tuesday.

The Elks (2-0 second half, 9-20 overall) jumped into the lead with a three-run home run by Ty Holmstrom in the first inning, and Tristen Alvarez knocked in Ian Nowak with a single to increase the lead to 4-1. Bend scored three more runs in the fifth inning, two of them on a double by Kaiser Weiss, and then added an insurance run in the sixth when Tristen Alvarez scored on a sacrifice fly by Jake Holton.

Starting pitcher Andrew Zmuda allowed one run in the first inning and then pitched two more scoreless frames before being replaced by Sam Muskat, who allowed two runs in 3 2⁄3 innings and earned the win. Coen Wynne got the last out of the seventh with a strikeout, but allowed a two-run home run by Jordan Hovey in the top of the eighth. Bradley Gonzales earned his third save of the season with a clean ninth inning.

— Bulletin staff report