APPLESOX RALLY IN NINTH, TAKE SERIES-OPENER WITH SWEETS

WALLA WALLA, Wash. – Thanks to a furious, four-run ninth inning rally, the Wenatchee AppleSox (11-13) defeated the Walla Walla Sweets, 7-6, on Friday night at Borleske Stadium.

The AppleSox trailed, 6-3, entering the ninth inning but refused to quit. This was the second time in the last three games in which the AppleSox rallied from at least three runs down to tie or take the lead and the third time that they did so this season.  

Cory Meyer lead off the ninth with a solo home run to left field to draw the Sox within two runs. Jake Taylor followed with a single and two batters later, Evan Williams also singled. On a throwing error by Sweets centerfielder Danny Sinatro, both runners went to second and third.

Joey Magro singled up the middle to plate both runners and tie the game. With two outs, the AppleSox took their first lead of the game when Johnny Sage singled in Magro for his fifth RBI in the last three games.

Though the Sox had the lead, the bottom of the ninth would still have its own drama. After a couple deep flyouts to left field, the Sweets had runners at first and third with two outs. Karver Pate (2-1) was replaced by Jeremy Yelland to get the final out.

After Yelland’s first pitch was a ball, the two runners attempted a double steal. Behind the plate, Meyer faked a throw to second, but gunned down the tying run that was diving back to third base.

The AppleSox were down by as many as five runs in Friday’s game. After the Sweets sent eight men to the plate and scored two runs in the second, they plated three more in the third with an RBI single and a two-run homer.

Neither team scored in the fourth and fifth innings, but the Sox scored three in the top of the sixth. Connor McCord, Jacob Prater and Meyer all singled with one out to load the bases. Dawson Day doubled to right-center to clear the bases. Day was thrown out at third, but the score was now 5-3.

Nick Nyquist homered with two outs in the bottom of the sixth to push the lead to two runs, but that was the final run they would get.  

Including Wednesday’s 5-2 victory over Yakima Valley, the AppleSox have now won consecutive West Coast League games for the first time this season. They look to take back-to-back series for the first time in 2018 when they face the Sweets again at 6:35 p.m. on Saturday night.

Full boxscore: http://westcoast.wttbaseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=445146