APPLESOX WIN, END PIPPINS PLAYOFF HOPES

Postgame Aug. 8.jpg

YAKIMA, Wash. - The Wenatchee AppleSox (27-30, 24-29) ended the Yakima Valley Pippins (31-25, 28-25) hopes for a 2015 playoff berth Saturday with a 2-1 victory in a pitcher's duel at County Stadium in Yakima. 

The AppleSox scored first in the second inning off of Pippins starter Darrion Simons. Drew Helmstadter drove in Jordan Rathbone with an RBI single. Rathbone was aboard earlier in the inning on a double. 

Yakima Valley answered with an RBI double from Dayton Provost, scoring Jake Manson, who was aboard on a double earlier in the inning. 

Zach Haggett (6-3), worked seven innings for the AppleSox, Saturday, and gave up only the one Pippin run on five hits. He threw 90 pitches over his seven innings and threw 60 for strikes. 

Keston Hiura gave Haggett a lead to work with in the top of the seventh. Hiura hit an RBI triple to the wall in right field to score Evan Douglas who walked earlier in the seventh off of Pippins reliever Zach Wolf (0-1). Hiura also walked in the first inning to extend his streak of reaching base to 40-consecutive games. 

Kyle Vanderkin also tripled for the AppleSox in the eighth inning. 

In the bottom half, AJ Proszek was ejected arguing a changed call between second and third base, when a Pippins runner was originally called out on a rundown, later to be ruled safe on a missed tag. 

Sean Sparling rebounded to strikeout two batters with two runners in scoring position, before retiring the side in the ninth inning for the AppleSox 2-1 victory. 

WP- Zach Haggett (6-3)
LP- Zach Wolf (0-1)
S- Sean Sparling (3)