AppleSox Drop Playoff Opener 7-6

A comeback effort falls short in the opening game of the best of three playoff series as Wenatchee loses to Bellingham 7-6. 

Cam Hoiland went 3-4 with a solo homer to lead off the ninth and bring Wenatchee within a run. Evan Cloyd went 2-4 with a two-run single in the seventh to make it a 7-5 game. Noah Fields went 1-4 with an RBI single to tie the game at 3-3 in the sixth. 

Easton Brooks took the L after tossing 6.1 innings giving up four runs on five hits with two walks and six strikeouts. Garrett Hagy tossed a scoreless inning and gave up three walks. 

Bellingham took a 3-0 lead through two innings. Wenatchee fought back with three runs in the 6th to tie it at 3-3. Brooks gave up a triple, an RBI double, and a two-run home run in the 7th to make it a 7-3 game. Wenatchee scored two in the seventh on Cloyd’s single, and came within a run in the ninth but fell short. 

Wenatchee has a chance to even the series in Game two of the best of three series at Bellingham at 6:35 p.m. Saturday. 

Last season, the ‘Sox lost the opening game against the Bells on the road and won the next two games to advance to the North Division Championship series.