APPLESOX SPOIL HARBOURCATS’ HOME OPENER, VELA BLASTS TWO HOME RUNS

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Photo Courtesy: Christian J. Stewart Photography

Photo Courtesy: Christian J. Stewart Photography

VICTORIA, B.C – The Wenatchee AppleSox (1-3) bats came alive in a 9-4 victory over the Victoria HarbourCats (3-2), in the ‘Cats’ 2017 home-opener at Royal Athletic Park, Monday. Adrian Vela homered twice in the game, and Cody Simmons also left the yard, in Wenatchee’s most prolific offensive game of the season.

Collin Maier (1-0) was solid through the first three innings. He didn’t surrender a hit in the opening three frames, and ended up lasting 5.2 innings while allowing just two runs. Matthew Young fired the remaining 3.1 innings to get Wenatchee and head coach Kyle Krustangel their first wins of the season.

Joel Condreay singled in a run in the fourth inning, to open the scoring for the AppleSox. Wenatchee native Cody Simmons followed up the hit with the first home run of his college career. He hit his home run over the left field fence, just below the scoreboard.

Reigning WCL Player of the Week, Evan Johnson smashed home a 2-RBI single in the fifth off of Ethan Fox (0-1), after the HarbourCats cut the AppleSox 3-0 lead to a 3-2 margin in the fourth.

Adrian Vela followed up Johnson’s single with a two-run home run to left field, to put Wenatchee up, 7-2.

The score held until Victoria plated two more runs in the seventh inning off of Young. Adrian Vela creamed his second home run in the ninth inning, clearing the foul pole in left field on a towering shot.

After Johnson hit two home runs Saturday, he and Vela are now the first two AppleSox players to have multi-home run games in the same season. Vela joins five other AppleSox in the multi-home run game club, and Monday’s performance marked the seventh time it has occurred in AppleSox history.

The AppleSox play the second game of the series, Tuesday night at 6:35 p.m. AJ Block (0-0) will start for the HarbourCats, while the AppleSox will send Hugh Smith (0-0) to the mound.

The Wenatchee AppleSox wrap up the series at Victoria, Wednesday night at 6:35 p.m. Then, the AppleSox play their home opener in Wenatchee Thursday, June 8 in a continuation of the series against Victoria. For more information, fans can visit www.applesox.com.