APPLESOX CLAIM FIREWORKS NIGHT FROM RIVER CITY ATHLETICS

WENATCHEE, Wash. – It was a perfect 6-0 homestand for the Wenatchee AppleSox, who held on to a late 5-4 win over the River City Athletics, Saturday night, for Fireworks Night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium, presented by Numerica Credit Union.

The AppleSox scored early with a 2-RBI double for Jack Machtolf in the second inning. Cody Simmons added an RBI single to make it 3-0 and Jordan Prendiz hit a sacrifice fly to make it 4-0, Wenatchee.

In front of a seaso-high 1,702 fans, Mike Townsend was impressive in his second start of the summer. He struck out four batters in the first two innings and suffered his only blip on the radar in the third on a bases-clearing double for Taylor Sellers with the bases loaded.

Townsend continued on to pitch five innings in the winning effort and struck out seven batters while walking just one.

Jacob Price was impressive in his debut. The Wenatchee local took over for three scoreless innings of relief and fanned four in what would’ve been a hold for tonight’s winning pitcher.

The AppleSox added a run way back in the third inning that gave the pitching staff plenty of support, and a 5-3 lead.

Cam Kurz entered in the ninth inning looking to shut it down for the Fireworks Show. Two batters reached on him immediately and got to second and third with nobody out. Kurz got a hard ground ball with the infield in, and Adrian Damla successfully looked off the runner at third while going to first for a force out, but the runner from second crowded third, and forced Blake Loftus to break for the plate. Loftus scored just under a tag, to make it 5-4 AppleSox.

With one out and the tying run at third base, Kurz settled down and got a big pop fly to very shallow right field. Machtolf made a leaping catch over the sliding second baseman Prater for out number two. He stayed on his feet to prevent the tying run from being sacrificed home.

Kurz struck out the final batter, Bryce Beck, for the win on a 1-2 pitch, and the AppleSox capped a perfect homestand and made it seven-straight wins.

The Fireworks went off as planned, and the AppleSox fans in attendance left happy Saturday.

Wenatchee has Sunday off and will be in Cowlitz Monday-Wednesday to complete its WCL North first half schedule. First pitch Monday is at 7:05 p.m.