This Week in AppleSox Baseball: Sweeps, Walkoffs, and a Series Loss

Week nine was about as up and down as it gets for Wenatchee. They went from a sweep over the Lefties to a series loss to the Bellingham Bells. Whether it was barely edging out the Lefties in a pair of games, falling short of a comeback against the Bells, or getting blown out by them, this week in AppleSox baseball was an eventful one.

The six-game home stand began with Port Angeles on Tuesday. The ‘Sox took care of the Lefties, shutting them out 2-0 in the opening game. Clint Beck picked up his fifth save of the season, tossing the final three innings and striking out five batters while allowing no hits.

Game two was far closer than it had a right to be. The Lefties were able to tie up the ‘Sox 4-4 heading into extra innings, and began to make them sweat. But, it was Kanoa Morisaki who was the hero and got the walk-off single in the 11th to end the game.

The sweep decider was much more on brand for the ‘Sox. It was kicked off by Aidan Lopez destroying a three-run home run over the right fence in the very first inning. The ball carried 413 feet and gave the ‘Sox an early lead.

Wenatchee tacked on an insurance run later in the evening and then rode a four-inning relief outing from Derek Render across the finish line. The win secured the fourth sweep of the season for the ‘Sox. It also locked up five straight series wins to start the second half.

After that, Wenatchee welcomed their North Division rivals to the valley. In game one against Bellingham, the ‘Sox came out hot. They kept the Bells at arm's length in the 10-5 win, where Mitch Haythorn got the start and struck out eight batters through 5 ⅔. In total, the pitching staff punched out 12 Bells in the first game, setting the stage for a series win on Saturday.

However, the ‘Sox tripped at the finish line. Game two was a nail-biter, with both teams taking turns putting up big innings to trade the lead back and forth. It was a flurry of errors for the ‘Sox that really cost them, leaving their pitchers out to dry.

The ‘Sox were trailing 11-9 going into the bottom of the ninth, and it was Ryder Young who breathed life into the team. The Gonzaga Bulldog smacked an opposite-field solo home run to put the ‘Sox within one, but it was not enough to beat the Bells. They won 11-10 and forced a rubber match in game three.

It all came down to Sunday. While the series decider started as a boxing match, the final score would not reflect that. The error bug struck again, paired with nine walks from the pitching staff and 15 hits from the Bells. The ‘Sox had no answer for their rivals in the final game, losing 18-5 in blowout fashion.  

The series loss is just Weantchee’s second of the year, and snapped their five-series win streak. Now, they head on the road for six games up north of the border. They’ll start with three against Kelowna, and then head further north to play against the Kamloops NorthPaws on the last leg of the trip.

Game one of the road trip will be at 6:35 p.m on Tuesday, July 28 at Elks Stadium in Kelowna.