This Week in AppleSox Baseball: Double-headers, Grand-Slams, and Seven Straight Series

Week four was anything but boring for the AppleSox. Whether it was double-header walk offs, double-digit blowouts, or seven straight series wins, fans were treated to one of the most exciting weeks of AppleSox baseball all year.

The week started against Edmonton on Tuesday. The ‘Sox were down by three runs heading into the seventh inning, and all hope seemed lost. However, reigning player of the week Kainoa Santiago climbed to the plate and delivered a two-run tank to light the fire for the AppleSox.

Then, the ‘Sox took the lead in the eighth and never looked back.

The next day, Wenatchee hosted the Riverhawks for a double-header. Game one was a makeup for their matchup that was rained out in Edmonton at the start of the season. Both games were shrunk to seven innings to account for time.

With an opportunity to notch their fifth straight series win, the ‘Sox took care of business, winning 9-5 in the belated series decider.

Game two of the doubleheader was not quite the same tune. The two teams stared each other down until the fourth, when the Riverhawks hung a four-spot to take a convincing lead.

The ‘Sox had mustered only two runs heading into the seventh, putting every AppleSox fan on the edge of their seat. However, with the stage set and the lights bright, the ‘Sox stunned the world.

Santiago delivered a two-run single to tie the game. Then, Landon White banged a double off the right field wall to score the winning run and walk off the game.

Now with the sweep locked and loaded, the ‘Sox were one win away from their second sweep of the season. But the AppleSox ran into a brick wall when they pulled into game four.

That wall was named David Sheppard, a lefty arm who won pitcher of the week for the WCL after his shutout performance against the ‘Sox. He spun seven scoreless frames against Wenatchee with six strikeouts and two walks.  

Edmonton rode that start to a 7-0 win over Wenatchee and dodged the sweep.

With the momentum squashed, the ‘Sox did not let it affect them. They welcomed Nanaimo to the valley for game one of the series, and they sent a message right away.

Wenatchee slapped 13 hits against the NightOwls, winning 15-3 and setting the tone. Lefty Joe Thornton got the start for the ‘Sox and took care of business. The southpaw threw six-scoreless innings with seven strikeouts and only three hits.

Nikko Paoletto backed him up at the plate, going 2-for-4 with five RBIs, a double and a triple.

With the series on the line, the ‘Sox wanted to lock up their seventh straight series win. But their path to it was less than linear.

Despite striking first, the ‘Sox fell behind 8-4 heading into the fifth. It was then that Wenatchee hung an eight-spot to snatch back the lead. That inning was highlighted by an opposite-field grand slam by Cooper Brass to take the lead.

Wenatchee was not content with just 12 runs. They went on to tally nine more runs to inevitably win 21-11 in blowout fashion.

While Brass’ grand salami was impressive, it was dwarfed by James Castagnola, who crushed two home runs and six RBIs in his player-of-the-game performance.

Now with deja vu, the ‘Sox were similarly set up for the sweep against Nanaimo. However, the AppleSox bats must have been put in the freezer the night before, with the team getting just three hits total in the sweep-decider.

The NightOwls cruised comfortably to a 2-0 win and eluded the sweep.

While Nanaimo left a bad taste in Wenatchee’s mouth, they still have seven straight series wins under their belt. The ‘Sox have yet to lose a series this season and boast an impressive 15-6 record about midway through the year.

This team continues to entertain. Their ability to win at home and feed off the home crowd is something not every team can do.

But the ‘Sox are packing their bags and heading on the road for this coming week. They have a six-game road stretch due up starting against Yakima Valley and concluding against Walla Walla on the weekend.