Sox Rally From Seven Down to Beat Sweets

WENATCHEE, WA - The AppleSox never led until the seventh inning, but they only needed one lead to defeat the Walla Walla Sweets, 11-10, on Sunday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Trailing by two in the seventh inning, Quinn Ayers lifted a two-run homer over the right-field fence to put the AppleSox in the lead for good. It was the cap on a spectacular day for Ayers in which he went 3-for-3 with two singles, a home run and a sacrifice fly to drive in three runs.

The Sox trailed by as many as seven runs after three innings, but refused to give up. They scored their first four runs in the fourth inning on four hits and an error. Hunter Montgomery singled and reached second on a miscue by the Sweets leftfielder then Dylan McPhillips hit his first of four singles to put runners at first and third. Ryan Altenberger sent a rocket up the middle and off the pitcher’s glove to score a run and Kody Darcy followed with a walk to load the bases. Ayers plated a run with sac fly in foul territory down the right-field line and Kolden drove in two runs with a single to cut the deficit to three.

The Sweets responded with a run in the top of the fifth, but the AppleSox countered with one of their own in the bottom of the inning. McPhillips singled with two outs and scored on a triple by Altenberger.

The back-and-forth scoring continued with the Sweets striking twice in top of the sixth to give themselves a 10-5 game. However, the AppleSox answered with their second four-run inning in the last three innings to make it a one-run game. Ayers singled and Kolden both reached on a single and a hit by pitch, respectively, to begin the inning. Two wild pitches scored Ayers and put Kolden at third. Tyler Detloff walked and Johnny Graham was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Cole McKenzie hit a sacrifice fly to score the second run of the inning, then Hunter Montgomery grounded out to drive in another run and McPhillips singled in the fourth run of the inning.

After Cameron Sommer (1-1) tossed a scoreless inning of relief, Darcy walked to set the stage for Ayers.

Landon Schirer struck out the first four batters that he faced to record 1-2-3 eighth and ninth innings for his third save of the season.

The AppleSox have Monday off, then face the Port Angeles Lefties from Tuesday through Thursday in Port Angeles. All three games are at 6:35 and can be heard on 93.9 Sunny FM or online on AppleSox.com.

Full boxscore: http://pointstreak.com/baseball/boxscore.html?gameid=501880

Click the link below to hear postgame reaction from Ayers, Schirer and head coach Kyle Krustangel with AppleSox broadcaster Joel Norman.

Back-And-Forth Affair Ends in Sox Loss

WENATCHEE, WA - In a game that featured four lead changes, the Wenathee AppleSox fell to the Walla Walla Sweets, 7-6, on Saturday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Cole McKenzie extended his team-best hitting streak to eight games with two base hits, but he and his AppleSox teammates could not overcome striking out 11 times, six times looking, along with 12 men left on base.

The AppleSox struck first with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Tyler Detloff, Johnny Graham and McKenzie all walked to knock Sweets starting pitcher Bryson Spagnuolo out of the ballgame. After the pitching change, Dylan McPhillips singled in a run with one out and then Brett Gillis hit a sacrifice fly to score another run.

After the Sweets scored three runs and sent eight men to plate in the third inning, the Sox tied the game in the bottom half of the frame thanks to a couple Walla Walla errors. Graham led off with a single and went over to third when McKenzie reached on a two-base error. Two batters later, Sweets first baseman Jordan Stubbings couldn’t pick a throw from third and his error allowed Graham to score.

The back-and-forth game continued with the Sweets scoring twice on a two-RBI single by Patrick Caulfield, the WCL leading in batting average, in the top of the fourth inning.

The Sox tied the game with two in the fifth and took the lead in the sixth. First, McKenzie led off with a double and McPhillips reached on error to put two aboard. A throwing error by Sweets third baseman Justin Folz scored McKenzie and then pinch hitter Quinn Ayers hit a sacrifice fly to plate McPhillips.

The next inning, Graham was hit by a pitch with two outs. After McKenzie singled and Graham went to third, Graham scored on a wild pitch. It would be the last AppleSox lead of the game. After the leadoff batter was retired to start the seventh inning, the next four batters all reached base and the first two scored on a two-RBI single Folz for his third and fourth RBI of the game.

In both the eighth and ninth innings, the Sox stranded the game-tying and game-winning runs on the base paths.

The Sox look to salvage the series on Sunday at 5:35. The first 400 fans into the ballpark receive a free AppleSox rally towel. Tickets are still available and can be purchased here.

Full boxscore: http://pointstreak.com/baseball/boxscore.html?gameid=501879

Ninth Inning Homer Propels Sweets Past AppleSox

WENATCHEE, WA - Thanks to a ninth inning two-run homer, the Walla Walla Sweets defeated the Wenatchee AppleSox, 3-1, on Friday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Carson Green launched a two-run home run over the right field fence with two outs in the top of the ninth inning to keep the Sweets’ undefeated season alive. Walla Walla has now won each of its first seven games of the 2019 season.

The Sweets scored the first run of the ballgame in the first inning. Leadoff batter Patrick Caulfield walked, stole second and went to third on a single. After a strikeout and a wild pitch, Caulfield scored to give the Sweets the early lead.

The AppleSox scored their lone run in the fourth inning when Quinn Ayers plated a run with the bases loaded. Cole McKenzie reached on an error to lead off the inning and then Brett Gillis and Kody Darcy both singled to put runners on all three bases. Ayers singled to right to score McKenzie, but Gillis was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.

Gavin Gorrell tossed five strong innings on the mound, allowing just one run on three hits and struck out five. Sam Wyatt tossed three scoreless innings and matched Gorrell with five strikeouts.

The AppleSox look to even up the series when they face the Sweets on Saturday night at 6:35.

Full boxscore: http://pointstreak.com/baseball/boxscore.html?gameid=501878

AppleSox Continue Homestand Against Undefeated Sweets

The Wenatchee AppleSox (3-6), fresh off a series victory over the Port Angeles Lefties, face a stiff test this weekend in the Walla Walla Sweets (6-0).

Wenatchee is coming off unleashing an offensive onslaught of a series against the Lefties. The Sox scored 31 runs in the three games after scoring 21 in their first six games of the year.

Though the Sweets have not played a league game since Sunday, they remain the only undefeated team left in the West Coast League. This is their first road trip of the season.

Click on the series notes below to get a full look at the weekend’s games.

Series Notes

AppleSox Batter Lefties to Take Series

WENATCHEE, WA - Seth Kuykendall was spectacular in relief and the AppleSox bats continued their recent surge to defeat the Port Angeles Lefties, 8-3, on Thursday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Kuykendall tossed 3.1 scoreless innings, striking out four, to pick up the win. The incoming junior at Yakima Valley came on with the bases loaded in the fourth inning and recorded the final out with a strikeout. After that, Kuykendall never faced more than four batters in an inning.

At the plate, Cole McKenzie collected three hits and drove in three runs. Trent Sellers also had three hits, reached base four times and scored three runs. Wenatchee scored eight or more runs in all three games of the series after failing to do so in each of the first six games of the season.

The AppleSox scored first for the first time in the series in the bottom of the first inning. After Trent Sellers singled with one out, Blake Klassen doubled on the first pitch he saw he to make it 1-0, AppleSox.

After an AppleSox error lead to an unearned run coming across in the top of the third, the Sox answered with two more in the bottom of the inning. Tyler Detloff, Sellers and McKenzie all singled consecutively to score a run and then Dylan McPhillips singled two batters later to score Sellers. Port Angeles scored their penultimate run on a walk, a steal and a single in the top of the fourth, but the Sox again responded. With two outs, Detloff and Sellers again went to work to plate a run when Detloff doubled and Sellers drove him in with his third single of the night.

McKenzie hit a solo home run to lead off the seventh inning and then the Sox scored three runs in the eighth. Kodie Kolden reach on an error with one out and stole second base with one out. After a popout, Sellers walked and McKenzie drove Kolden in with a bloop single to left. Johnny Graham was hit by a pitch and a two-base error allowed McPhilips to reach base and scored Sellers and McKenzie.

The Lefties concluded the scoring with a pinch-hit home run with two outs in the ninth inning.

The Sox won their first series of the season thanks to winning back-to-back games for the first time in 2019. They now face a tough test this weekend in the Walla Walla Sweets, the only remaining undefeated team in the West Coast League and the South division leaders. First pitch is at 6:35 on Friday night.

Full boxscore: http://pointstreak.com/baseball/boxscore.html?gameid=501877

Fifth Inning Surge Buoys AppleSox to Victory

WENATCHEE, WA - The Wenatchee AppleSox rode a seven-run fifth inning to a 14-7 victory over the Port Angeles Lefties on Wednesday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

All nine AppleSox batters scored at least one run. Four different Sox hitters recorded multi-hit games. Tyler Detloff went 3-for-5 with two singles and a three-run home run in the fifth inning to lead the offense. Blake Klassen also went 2-for-4 with three runs driven in.

Both teams scored two runs apiece in the first inning with the Lefties getting a homerun to open the ballgame and then a sacrifice fly following an error and a double. In the bottom half of the inning, Klassen doubles in Detlfof and Cole McKenzie following singles by both of them.

The tie was brief as Port Angeles took a on-run lead after striking in the top of the second inning on a triple and then an RBI single.

The Lefties held a 3-2 lead until the AppleSox dropped a seven spot in the fifth. Johnny Graham was hit by the first pitch of the inning and Dylan Ohlson then reached on an error. Kodie Kolden then doubled in Graham and Detloff followed with a three-run home run to knock the Lefties starting pitcher, Michael Buchanan, out of the game.

Even with a reliever in the game, the AppleSox weren’t finished. After two quick outs, the Sox tacked on three more runs. Klassen reached on an error and then Dylan McPhillips and Kody Darcy walked. Graham, batting for the second time in the inning, singled to score two more runs and finish off a seven-run inning for Wenatchee. All in all, the AppleSox sent 11 men to the plate and only collecting three hits, but capitalized on a couple of Lefties errors to produce a big inning.

Port Angeles refused to go quietly, scoring four times immediately after in the top of the sixth, but the Sox responded with one in the seventh and four in the eighth. Klassen singled, stole second and then went to third on a ground out before scoring on a wild pitch in the seventh. In the eighth, Kolden and Detloff both singled before Sellers walked to load the bases then McKenzie singled in Kolden. A wild pitch plated Detloff and Klassen sacrifice fly scored Sellers. Dylan McPhillips picked up his first hit and RBI with the AppleSox by scoring McKenzie with a single.

On the mound, Owen Leonard picked up the victory. He allowed four runs in two innings, but none of them were earned. He walked two and struck out two on three hits. Alec Gomez fired two scoreless innings of relief, striking out three in that time, before Landon Schirer recorded a 1-2-3 ninth inning.

The Sox and Lefties meet again for the series finale and rubber match on Thursday at 6:35 p.m. James Kulak will toe the rubber for Wenatchee in his second start of the season.

Full boxscore: http://pointstreak.com/baseball/boxscore.html?gameid=501876

Lefties Score Early and Often to Defeat AppleSox

WENATCHEE, WA - The Port Angeles Lefties defeated the Wenatchee AppleSox, 15-9, in a high-scoring affair at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium on Tuesday night.

The Lefties led 7-0 after an inning-and-a-half and never led by less than five runs from there on out. After scoring twice in the first inning, Port Angeles sent 10 men to the plate and scored five of them in the second inning. They battered AppleSox starter Ryan Long, leaving him with a line of seven runs allowed (six earned) and nine hits in an inning and a third.

Brett Gillis was strong in relief, allowing two runs (one earned) on two hits and struck out five in 4.2 innings. Johnny Graham provided energy at the bottom of the order by doubling twice.

The AppleSox scored their first two runs in the fourth inning to cut the deficit to five. Hunter Montgomery reached on an error and was doubled in by Johnny Sage, who went to third on a fly out and scored on a wild pitch.

After the Lefties scored in the fifth, again in the sixth and twice more in the seventh, the Sox had their best inning following the seventh inning stretch. With one out, four consecutive AppleSox batters reached base and all came around to score. Cole McKenzie singled and then three consecutive walks scored him. After Kody Darcy reached on an error to score two more runs, Quinn Ayers hit a sacrifice fly to score the fourth run of the game and make it 11-6, Lefties.

The Sox may have had their best inning of the game, but the Lefties immediately matched it as the Lefties scored four in the top of the eighth. Wenatchee added three more in the ninth inning when Montgomery and Sage singled back-to-back to start the inning. Blake Klassen plated Montgomery with a sacrifice fly and Sage scored on a wild pitch. Darcy reached base with a walk, Ayers singled and then Darcy scored on a double by Graham, his second of the game.

Wenatchee looks to bounce back Wednesday when Henrik Reinertsen toes the rubber in the second game of the series. First pitch is at 6:35.

Full boxscore: http://pointstreak.com/baseball/boxscore.html?gameid=501875

Sox Kick Off Six-Game Homestand with Three Against Lefties

The Wenatchee AppleSox return home looking to start a new streak when they face the Port Angeles Lefties for three games. Following this series, the Sox are in action this weekend at home against the Walla Walla Sweets. The six-game homestand is the third-longest homestand of the season.

The Sox dropped all three games over the weekend to fall to 1-5 on the season and extend their losing streak to five games.

Tonight is Horan Estates Winery Night as well as a $2 Off Tuesday, meaning that tickets and select concession items can be purchased for $2 off. Thursday is Chelan PUD Night and, along with help from the Wenatchee Valley Humane Society, will have adoptable dogs at the ballpark to greet before the 6:34 first pitch.

Tickets can be purchased at the gate or online.

Click on the series notes below to get a full breakdown of the weekend’s games.

Series Notes

Late Pippins' Rally Enough to Beat AppleSox Sunday

YAKIMA, WA - Despite scoring first for the second time in as many days, the AppleSox could overcome a late rally from the Yakima Valley Pippins and lost, 4-2, on Sunday night at Yakima County Stadium.

The AppleSox opened the scoring in the second inning and again retook the lead in the sixth, but gave up three runs in the bottom half of that inning to drop all three games of the series.

Blake Klassen went 3-for-4 with two stole bases and a RBI.

Hunter Montgomery began the second inning with a leadoff double and went to third following a single by Klassen. As Klassen was stealing second base, the throwing attempt to catch him stealing went into center field and Montgomery easily scored.

The Pippins answered back with back-to-back doubles in the third inning to tie the game. Neither team scored again until the sixth, but both would in that inning. Cole McKenzie singled with two outs and Montgomery walked to put two runners on. Klassen singled to right field to plate McKenzie and the Sox were in the lead once again.

The lead was short-lived as the Pippins sent eight men to the plate and three of them came around to score. Each of their first four batters reached base and the first three all scored. Keegan Romig had only allowed one run over five innings to that point, but all three runs that came across were credited to him and he suffered the loss. The Sox had a chance to get out of the inning on a potential double play ball with the bases loaded and only one run in, but an error by second basemen Grant Gorrell allowed two runs to score.

The AppleSox are off Monday, but then look to get back on a winning streak when they open up a six-game homestand with three against the Port Angeles Lefties beginning Tuesday at 6:35 at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Full boxscore

Sox Fall in Game 2 Against Pippins

YAKIMA, WA - Two big innings catalyzed the Yakima Valley Pippins’ 8-3 win over the Wenatchee AppleSox on Saturday night at Yakima County Stadium.

After the AppleSox scored first in a game for the first time this season, the Pippins scored four times in the first inning and then four more times in the sixth inning to record a five-run victory over the AppleSox to claim the series.

Wenatchee scored first thanks to a two-out home run by Ryan Altenberger in the first inning. In the third, the Sox added a run when Johnny Graham reached first on an error, went to second on a wild pitch and then scored on a single by Tyler Detloff.

An inning later, Kodie Kolden doubled in Brett Gillis after Gillis walked with one out. The Sox were down by one at this point, but the Pippins recorded a big sixth inning to knock off the AppleSox for the second consecutive night.

The two teams wrap up the series on Sunday at 6:05 at Yakima County Stadium.

Full boxscore: http://pointstreak.com/baseball/boxscore.html?gameid=501900

AppleSox Shut Down in Series Opener

YAKIMA, WA - The AppleSox were stymied by the Yakima Valley Pippins to the tune of a 4-1 loss on Friday night at Yakima County Stadium.

Pippins starting pitcher Joe Magrisi struck out seven and only allowed one hit in five innings. The Sox only run came in the first inning after Magrisi exited, when Brett Gillis tripled and Tyler Detloff plated him with a sacrifice fly.

AppleSox starter Gavin Gorrell tossed a gutsy five innings. Though the Sox defense was only charged one error, they made a couple of other decisions that led to runs. He allowed three runs, all earned, over five innings and struck out four.

The Pippins struck in the first and sixth innings with singular runs while also scoring twice in the fifth.

Owen Leonard had a successful debut for the AppleSox as he tossed the final three innings. He allowed an unearned run on one hit and struck out four. Offensively, Cole McKenzie singled and walked to reach base twice.

The series continues on Saturday night when the Pippins host the AppleSox at 6:35. Trent Sellers toes the rubber for the Sox against Cameron Liss.

Full boxscore: http://pointstreak.com/baseball/boxscore.html?gameid=501899

AppleSox Hit Road for First Time in 2019

The Wenatchee AppleSox face the Yakima Valley Pippins these weekend for three games in their first three road games of the 2019 season. The Sox are fresh off a four-game homestand in which they won a non-league game against the Cascade Collegiate League Showcase before dropping two of three to the Victoria HarbourCats.

Now, the Sox are the road team in the home opener for the Pippins. Click below to get the full series notes.

Series notes

Klassen Posts Strong Debut as Sox Fall in Series Finale

WENATCHEE, WA - Blake Klassen reached base four times in his AppleSox debut, but the Sox lost to the Victoria HarbourCats, 8-5, on Thursday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

The incoming freshman at Arizona was added to the AppleSox roster on Wednesday, then started at third base on Thursday. He was hit by a pitch twice, walked, singled, scored a run and stole two bases. Klassen also made several solid plays defensively over at first base. However, his strong play was not enough to overcome an early hole.

The AppleSox allowed five runs in the second inning to get into an early hole. Due to an error, none of those runs were earned, but nine HarbourCats came to the plate in the lengthy frame.

In the third inning, the Sox scored their first two runs of the game. Johnny Graham led off with a solo home run over the right-field fence for his first of the season. After Ryan Altenberger walked, he was erased on a fielder’s choice in which Johnny Sage reached first base safely. Sage then went to second base on an errant pickoff attempt and moved to third base on a passed ball. He scored two batters later on a double to shallow left field by Hunter Montgomery.

After the HarbourCats got one run in the fifth and another in the sixth, the Sox responded in the bottom of the inning with a three-spot. Klassen walked, stole second and scored on an RBI single by Trent Sellers. With two outs, Graham singled and Altenberger walked to load up the bases. After a pitching change, Sage greeted the new pitcher with a two-run double to left-center to cut the deficit to two. However, the HarbourCats got a run in the eighth to expand their lead to three runs.

The AppleSox hit the road for the first time in the 2019 season on Friday as they play the Yakima Valley Pippins at 7:05 p.m.

Errors Cost AppleSox on Wednesday Night

WENATCHEE, WA - Defensive mistakes were the AppleSox’ Achilles’ Heel in an 8-3 loss to the Victoria HarbourCats on Wednesday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

The Sox committed five errors, three of which came in the first inning. Three different AppleSox batters had two-hit nights and Sam Wyatt didn’t allow any earned runs in 5.1 shutdown innings of relief, but it wasn’t enough.

Victoria sent eight batters to the plate and scored four runs against Sox starter James Kulak. The HarbourCats scored another thanks in part to the AppleSox’ fourth error of the night. Despite scoring five runs through three innings, Victoria had only collected two hits to that point.

In the bottom of the third inning, the Sox scored their first run of the game. Trent Sellers and Quinn Ayers led off with singles and the back-to-back groundouts scored Sellers.

Neither team scored for the next three-and-a-half innings, but the AppleSox cut the deficit to three runs. Again, the inning began with consecutive singles as Kody Darcy and Sellers reached base to open the inning. Grant Gorrell hit a sacrifice fly to right field to bring in a run and make it 5-2, HarbourCats.

The Sox added their final run in the eighth following two Victoria runs in the top of the inning. Ryan Altenberger led off with a double but then scored two batters later on an RBI single by Cole McKenzie. The HarbourCats capped the scoring with a run in the ninth on a couple of base hits and a sacrifice fly.

The rubber match of the series is on Wednesday at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. First pitch is at 6:35 p.m.

AppleSox Rally Late to Top HarbourCats

WENATCHEE, WA - The AppleSox won a spirited back-and-forth game, 7-4, against the Victoria HarbourCats to win their first West Coast League game of the season on Tuesday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Ryan Altenberger hit a go-ahead two-run single in the bottom of the seventh inning to lead the AppleSox to a comeback victory. He had another successful day as the Sox’ leadoff batter by reaching base two times and scoring a run. This comes a night after reaching base four times on Monday.

Landon Schirer retired all six batters that he faced and struck out two of them in his two innings of relief. The incoming junior at George Fox picked up the save as a result of his stellar effort.

Every time the HarbourCats scored, the AppleSox had an answer for them. After Victoria struck in the top of the first inning after an AppleSox error, the Sox responded when Altenberger tripled and Sage brought him in with a sacrifice fly.

The HarbourCats took advantage of another Sox error in the fourth, but Wenatchee took the lead in the bottom half of the inning thanks to a three-hit attack. Cole McKenzie singled on the first pitch he saw and then scored two batters later on a Tyler Detloff double. Detloff scored two batter alter when Brett Gillis singled him in and the Sox took a 3-2 lead.

That lead held until the seventh inning when two runs crossed thanks to an error and an RBI single. However, the AppleSox again refused to let the deficit last long. Kody Darcy doubled to lead off the inning and then Brett Gillis and Kodie Kolden singled to load up the bases. With one out, Altenberger singled up the middle to give the Sox a permanent lead.

The AppleSox tacked on two more runs in the eighth inning to pad their lead. Hunter Montgomery reached on an error, was sacrificed to second and scored when Gillis reached on an error. After Kolden doubled to put runners at second and third, Johnny Graham drove in Gillis with an RBI single to right field.

Ryan Long didn’t allow an earned run over six innings, but the AppleSox starter left with a no-decision. Still, despite appearing in a game for the first time since April 21, Long didn’t look like he’d missed a beat, striking out six and only walking one.

The Sox go for the series win Wednesday night as James Kulak gets the ball ahead of the 6:35 game. The first 300 fans to enter the ballpark receive a free AppleSox hat, sponsored by Sunny FM. Gates open at 5:30.

Tonight’s boxscore: http://pointstreak.com/baseball/boxscore.html?gameid=501872

Sox Open WCL Play With Three Against HarbourCats

Following last night’s 10-1 Opening Night victory over the Cascade Collegiate League Showcase, the Wenatchee AppleSox now being West Coast League-play with three games against the Victoria HarbourCats, June 4-6, all at 6:35 p.m. and all at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

The Sox put together an almost perfect night both on the offensive and pitching ends last night and hope to do the same the next three days.

The HarbourCats bring a relatively young roster into tonight’s game. Their Opening Day roster only includes on senior while having 19 freshmen. Rosters fluctuate aplenty over the course of the summer, but its a far cry from the AppleSox, who only have two freshman compared to eight seniors on their current roster.

Click on the game notes below to get a full look at the series.

Series Notes

2016 Sox MVP Toglia Drafted 23rd by Rockies

The Wenatchee AppleSox now claim three alumni as first round picks after UCLA first baseman Michael Toglia was selected 23rd overall by the Colorado Rockies in the MLB First-Year Player Draft on Monday night.

The 6-foot-5 switch-hitter at UCLA joins Marco Gonzales (2013) and Keston Hiura (2017) as AppleSox alums that became first-round selections. As a junior, Toglia is hitting .319 with 16 home runs and 61 RBI through 60 games. UCLA defeated Loyola-Marymount on Monday to advance the super regional of the NCAA Baseball Tournament. Toglia went 5-for-12 in the Los Angeles Regional and homered against both Baylor and Loyola-Marymount on Sunday.

Toglia was the Most Valuable Player of the West Coast League in 2016 after hitting .306 in 45 games with a league-best seven home runs and 40 RBI for the AppleSox.

The MLB Draft continues today and tomorrow with coverage on MLB.com.

Sage Shines as Sox Win Season-Opener

WENATCHEE, WA - Johnny Sage drove in four runs to lead the AppleSox to a season-opening 10-1 victory over the Cascade Collegiate League Showcase team on Monday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Sage, an outfielder and incoming senior at Purdue, reached base three times in five plate appearances and homered in the second inning. Though he played for the AppleSox last season, the long ball was his first in a Sox uniform.

Newcomer Ryan Altenberger also impressed as he reached base four times, thrice via walks. The incoming junior at Xavier also stole a base and drove in a run.

Keegan Romig, a Wenatche High School graduate, tossed five scoreless innings to pick up the victory. Brett Gillis and Trent Sellers each tossed two innings and struck out five batters apiece.

Half of the AppleSox’ offensive damage came in the second inning. After a scoreless first, the Sox sent nine men to the plate. Quinn Ayers and Kodie Kolden both drew one out walks and scored on Tyler Detloff’s double to right-center. Detloff would come around to score himself on a single by Altenberger and then Sage capped the scoring with a two-run bomb over the right field fence.

The Sox scratched across two more runs in both the fourth and fifth innings. In the fourth, they did so without collecting any hits. Altenberger walked as did Hunter Montgomery. Cory Meyer hit a ball to third and the relay to first drove CCL first baseman Ryan Krout off the bag. Altenberger never stopped running and scored all the way from second. Montgomery went to third and would score shortly after on a wild pitch.

Sage plated a pair with a two-RBI single in the fourth after Kolden and Detloff reached on a walk and a single, respectively.

The CCL Showcase scratched across a run in the sixth inning thanks to a couple of Sox errors and the AppleSox added a final tally in the eighth after Grant Gorrell drove in Kody Darcy following Darcy’s bloop double.

The AppleSox continue their homestand on Tuesday as the Victoria HarbourCats visit Wenatchee for the first of three games. It’s the Sox’ first $2-off Tuesday of the season.. Tickets are on sale for as cheap as $5 and can be purchased here.

R H E LOB

CCL 1 6 1 13

WEN 10 8 3 12

AppleSox Face Cascade Collegiate League Showcase to Open Season

The 20th season in Wenatchee AppleSox history begins on Monday when the Sox take on the Cascade Collegiate League Showcase at 6:35 p.m. at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

The AppleSox face a non-league opponent to open the season for the second consecutive summer. Last year, the Sox dropped their home opener to the River City Athletics.

The Sox begin their 20th season looking to return to the postseason for the first time since 2013. They have won five West Coast League championships, second-most in the league’s 15-year history.

Game Notes

Tomorrow’s game can be heard live on Sunny FM in Wenatchee as well as other translators throughout Washington listed below.

93.9 FM in Wenatchee Valley
95.3 FM in Lake Chelan Valley
101.3 FM in Brewster/Bridgeport/Pateros
101.9 FM in Omak/Okanogan Valley
106.3 in Methow Valley

The home opener can also be heard online on the AppleSox website.

Starting Strong

Head coach Kyle Krustangel was adamant following the 2018 season about starting 2019 strong. With 24 of the 36 signed players already in town for Opening Day, Krustangel believes that this group is poised to get off to a strong start because the majority of the players that he wants are here immediately.

View From the Other Side

AppleSox broadcaster Joel Norman spoke with CCL commissioner and CCL Showcase team head coach Ben Krueger recently about the young league. The CCL is in its first year of operations this summer. Listen to the full interview below.

Experience

The AppleSox have 17 upperclassmen on their roster. Last years’ champs, the Corvallis Knights, finished the season with nine seniors while the AppleSox currently have 11 on their roster full of 2019 summer commits. Rosters obviously fluctuate over the course of the season, but the Sox believe that they are in a good spot for 2019.

"We had good talent last year," Krustangel said in September, "but I want championship type of talent which to me means proven D1 players as the nucleus of our team. I am targeting the going to be seniors and juniors from big D1 programs with a great amount of playing time under their belt."

Opening Day Roster

Coach Krustangel has 24 of his 36 commits in town for tonight’s season-opener. Here’s a look at tonight’s full roster.

Keep an Eye on These AppleSox Ahead of Monday's MLB Draft

Michael Toglia won WCL MVP as a member of the 2016 AppleSox.

Monday is already exciting enough with it being the Wenatchee AppleSox’ season-opener, but is also notable for being the start of the 2019 MLB First-Year Player Draft.

Former AppleSox utilityman and 2016 West Coast League MVP Michael Toglia has a chance at being a first-round selection. MLB.com currently lists Toglia as the 40th-best prospect on its 2019 Prospect Watch. At 40, he has the potential to sneak into being a first-round pick.

In 2016, Toglia hit .306 with 52 hits, seven home runs and 40 RBI, all team-bests. The Bruins first basemen entered the weekend with a 10-game hitting streak and is hitting .315 with 14 home runs, 56 RBI and a 1.009 OPS. Last season, the Gig Harbor, Washington, native hit .336 with 11 home runs, 58 RBI and a 1.037 OPS.

AppleSox head coach Kyle Krustangel has also noted that incoming Sox pitcher Jake Saum and returning outfielder Cole McKenzie could be selected in the 2019 Draft.

Saum is a UCLA commit who posted a microscopic 0.94 ERA in 52.1 innings for St. Bonaventure High School in Ventura, California. Opponents hit just .159 against Saum and he struck out 97 of them.

McKenzie just completed a stellar junior year at Purdue in which lead the team with a .317 AVG, .407 OBP, 25 walks, 65 hits and 205 AB in 2019. The junior reached base safely in each of his final 22 games and ended the season on a nine-game hitting streak.

The AppleSox have two true first-round selections, meaning that they were were not selected in the Compensation Round or beyond. Marco Gonzales was selected 19th overall in 2013 by the St. Louis Cardinals and Keston Hiura was taken ninth overall in 2017.

The 2019 MLB First-Year Player Draft begins with the first two rounds at 4 p.m. PT on Monday and can be seen on MLB Network. The Draft will continue the next two days with television coverage on mlb.com.