SOX FACE PLAYOFF-BOUND BELLS, SATURDAY

The AppleSox and the Bellingham Bells square off Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. 

WENATCHEE APPLESOX vs Bellingham Bells
Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium |       7:05 p.m.  
R- Luke Mattson (1-7) vs. R- Joey Matulovich (3-4)
GAME NOTES       |       APPLESOX STATS       |       LISTEN LIVE

The Wenatchee AppleSox (18-34, 8-17, 8-14 North), fifth place in the North Division wrap up the 2016 season at home against the Bellingham Bells (31-21, 16-9, 14-8) who clinched the final WCL playoff spot when Walla Walla lost during the Bell’s game one with Wenatchee...the AppleSox are playing their 17th franchise season (12th in the WCL) and are led by second-year skipper, AJ Proszek (48-66) (.421), who is in his 4th season with the Sox...Proszek is assisted by Kyle Hunt and Colton Loomis, both in their first seasons.

LAST NIGHT - APPLESOX 3, BELLINGHAM 4
WENATCHEE –   The Wenatchee AppleSox (18-34, 8-17 second half), were held at bay for six innings by the Bellingham Bells (31-21, 16-9) until a Haydan Hastings home run game them new life, Friday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium in a game the Bells won 4-3 in 11 innings...until the seventh, a three-run home run for Shane Hanon had provided all of the Bells’ offense...up 3-0, Spencer Howard cruised as the starter for the Bells, tossing five shutout innings on just two hits...in the sixth, Jeff Gelinas had little trouble with the Sox, surrendering just a walk, however, in the seventh he let two aboard on a batter hit by pitch and a single, and was taken out for Jeff Zavisubin...Hastings gave Zavisubin a rude welcome to the contest, launching his first pitch out of the ‘pen over the right field fence to tie the game 3-3. It was Hastings’ second home run of the season...Tony Contonio covered for three innings in relief for Wenatchee behind Young’s six, however, the Sox couldn’t get a run and the game went into extras.without anymore rested arms, the AppleSox turned to Sheldon Liikala who threw two innings of one unearned run baseball, that included a brilliant strikeout of a Bell batter in the tenth on a pitch in the dirt...Liikala gave up the unearned run on a single in the eleventh, and eventual throwing error, E6, that brought home the game’s winning run...Sam Hellinger shut the door for the Bells and picked up his WCL-leading 12th save...Otis Statum singled in the inning, and got as far as second, but the Sox were unable to bring him around. 

TONIGHT'S NOTES
ALL GOOD THINGS...
Michael Toglia’s 11-game hitting streak came to an end Friday night against the Bells...Toglia started his streak July 23 against the Bellingham Bells...over the course of his streak, his batting average rose from .274 to a team-leading .311...he was 16-for-37 (.432) and scored seven runs, with four doubles, a triple, two home runs, including an inside-the-park grand slam. He drove in 10 runners over the span and went 7-for-18 against the Bellingham Bells alone, with two doubles, a triple, a home run, and 3 RBI. 

UNBLEMISHED
With a no-decision last night, the lone All-Star representative from the AppleSox pitching staff, Matt Young, finished with a 3-0 league record, and was 4-0 over the entire season, factoring in a seven-inning win over the Alaska Goldpanners. Young joins recent additions Tony Contonio and Adam Paulson, along with full-season reliever Miceal Taylor as the only AppleSox pitchers without a loss this season. Young was the only starting pitcher to not lose a game. 

ON THE LINE TONIGHT
A win for the Bellingham Bells tonight would give them the title of WCL North Second-Half Champions...if the AppleSox steal games two and three of the series, and Victoria wins its last two games of the season, the HarbourCats would be able to claim Division titles in both the first and second halves. However, remember, regardless Bellingham punched its ticket to the playoffs last night with a Walla Walla loss in Kelowna. Coincidentally, tonight, Bellingham could guarantee the title of Second-Half Champion with a Victoria loss; something the AppleSox are rooting for, who need the HarbourCats (38 wins) to lose their final two games in order for the 2011 AppleSox (39 wins) to continue to hold the WCL wins record outright.