APPLESOX CAN’T COMPLETE COMEBACK BID, SWEPT BY PIPPINS

YAKIMA, Wash. – The Wenatchee AppleSox (21-18, 6-6 second half) were swept by the Yakima Valley Pippins (20-19, 7-5), after nearly coming back from an early 6-0 deficit in a 6-5 final, Friday night at County Stadium.

The AppleSox bats were off to a cold start in the game, and Wenatchee was unable to work a hit off of Josh Tedeschi (2-3) in the first four innings of the contest.

Meanwhile, the Pippins struck for three runs in the first inning off of McKabe Cottrell (0-2) on a 2-RBI double for Daniel Cope and a throwing error, E9 that scored a third run for Yakima Valley.

The Pippins added another three in the third inning to complete their scoring, on a bases-loaded 2-RBI double by Mitch Ellis. He was caught trying to move to third base on a throw to the plate to end the inning.

The AppleSox defense committed four errors in the game, but Cottrell settled down to hold the Pippins to just one hit over the next three inning, to complete a resectable six-inning outing.

He gave his offense a shot, which fought back for two runs in the fifth inning, after Jack Machtolf got the team its first hit with a steamed double over the Pippins’ left fielder. Jack Reisinger and Jacob Prater each drove in runs with RBI singles.

In the sixth, off of reliever Liam Herlihy, Wenatchee added another two runs, after an error and a Jalen Garcia single. This time Michael Spellacy drove in one on an RBI single, and Reisinger drove in his second in as many innings, to cut the deficit to two.

In the seventh, Wenatchee tallied one more run of of Herlihy, after a leadoff single for Prater. A wild pitch and a groundout got him into position to score on a Jake Taylor single.

Wenatchee struggled to get the offense going in the eighth and ninth innings against Pippin closer Connor White, who retired six of the seven batters he faced. He only allowed a one-out walk in the ninth to Evan Johnson.

White earned the save (7) to tie Travis Kuhn (Victoria) for the most in the West Coast League.

Hugh Smith was also dominant in the seventh and the eighth innings for the AppleSox. He surrendered just one hit and walked a man over the two frames.

The Victoria HarbourCats lost Friday night at Bellingham, so the AppleSox remain 1.5 games out of first place in the WCL North Second Half, and are a game ahead of the Bellingham Bells, who come to Wenatchee Saturday to start a three-game series with the AppleSox at 7:05 p.m.