APPLESOX RIDE STRONG ARMS AND TIMELY HITTING TO GAME-ONE VICTORY

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Collin Maier is now 2-0 on the season, after earning the winning decision, Sunday.

Collin Maier is now 2-0 on the season, after earning the winning decision, Sunday.

WENATCHEE, Wash. – The Wenatchee AppleSox (5-5) opened a three-game set against the Yakima Valley Pippins (3-4) with a 4-3 win, Sunday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

For a third-straight night, an AppleSox starting pitcher made it through seven innings on the mound. Collin Maier (2-0) gave up just two hits through his first six innings of work, but found himself in a tied ballgame, 1-1.

The AppleSox broke that tie in the bottom half of the sixth inning, on a bases-loaded 2-RBI single for Dugan Shirer to center field. Following a Parker Price single, Evan Johnson added the eventual game-winning run on a sacrifice fly to center.

Shirer is now hitting .429 on the season.

The Pippins tried to fight back with two runs in the seventh inning. They drove in one on an RBI groundout, and plated another on an error.

Connor Leedholm worked in relief for a second-straight game, and retired all six batters to face him. He now is a perfect 12-for-12 in batters faced and retired so far this season. Leedholm earned his first save of the season, in relief of Maier.

Maier waited until the third inning to surrender his first hit of the night. The Pippins were held scoreless until the sixth inning, until and RBI single tied the score at 1-1.

Wenatchee scored its first run in the second inning on a sacrifice fly for Joel Condreay, following a Jalen Garcia triple. Garcia’s three-bagger was the first triple of the season for Wenatchee.

Shirer and Johnson each extended their hitting streaks on the season. Shirer has a hit in each of his first nine games this year, and Johnson now has a hit in all 10 games.

Every player in the AppleSox order either reached base or helped produce a run, Sunday.

Game two of the series is Monday night at 7:05 p.m. Griffin Davis (0-1) will pitch for Wenatchee against Josh Tedeschi (1-1) for Yakima Valley. The AppleSox will be playing for their third-straight series win.