AppleSox pitching shines in the All-Star game!

Last night, under the bright lights of Wilson Group Stadium in Victoria, the Wenatchee AppleSox had five names representing them in the WCL All-Star Game. Landon White, Raphael Dunne, Joe Thornton, Clint Beck, and Kainoa Santiago all ventured the six-hour drive north to represent the ‘Sox on the league’s biggest stage.

White and Dunne were in the starting lineup, batting fifth and sixth, respectively. Both got two at-bats, and both ended the night hitless. Dunne struck out in both his cameos, and White just could not sneak anything past the infield.

Flash forward to the fourth inning, and Thornton got his chance to shine. The two-time All-Star summited the mound and proceeded to do what he has done all year… shove.

Three-up and three-down went the South Division, with Thornton striking out Matthew Major swinging and Payton Knowles looking to end his shutdown inning.

Heading into the fifth inning, both White and Dunne took a seat on the bench, and ‘Sox fans had to wait until the eighth to see Beck take the mound. While his outing was less efficient than Thornton's, the future Gonzaga Bulldog showed exactly why he was an All-Star. Beck spun a scoreless frame, allowing only one hit that he managed to strand on first base.  

Earlier, in the sixth, Santiago took over for Ethan Reynolds in right field. With three at-bats, Santiago similarly went hitless in the evening.

Late in the eighth inning, he did manage to smoke a ball on a line to second base. However, Yakima Valley’s Daichi Furuhata dove to snatch the ball out of the air and take a hit away from the Gonzaga kid.

The game itself was a neck-and-neck affair all the way into the ninth. In the final frame, the South clawed a run across, giving them a 5-4 lead.

With their backs against the wall, the North was down to their last three outs. A quick pair of putouts seemed to crush any remaining hope. However, an error from Troy Sanders rekindled hope for a potential comeback.

Bottom of the ninth, two outs, a runner on, and down by a run. No better stage for Santiago to perform on. However, the lights proved too bright, as Santiago struck out on three pitches, handing Rafael Espinoza from the Portland Pickles the save.

While the ‘Sox may have gone hitless, the pitching was lights out all evening. Beck and Thornton each showed why the ‘Sox have the best ERA and are the best pitching squad in the WCL.

Now that the All-Star festivities have concluded, the ‘Sox will be joining their All-Stars in Victoria to take on the HarbourCats for three games. Game one starts at 6:35 p.m on Friday, July 17, at Wilson Group Stadium.