Comeback Bids Come Up Short

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BEND, Ore. – The Wenatchee AppleSox (25-21, 21-20) tried to mount multiple comebacks against the Bend Elks (26-15), Saturday, but ultimately they would fall just short in an 8-7 loss.  

Bend opened the scoring in the second inning with two runs. The AppleSox would answer in the third with two runs of their own. Michael McCann assisted by helping drive in a run with an RBI bunt single on the infield.

Bend would score runs in each of the third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings. The AppleSox allowed a run to score in the fifth on two errors, in which the Elks base runner was able to circle the diamond.

The AppleSox got a solo home run from Tyler Frost in the fifth to make the score 4-3. Frost went 2-4 with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored.

Nick Brooks tried to add to the total in the eighth with a solo home run of his own. A second run would later score on a balk.

Calvin LeBrun was the AppleSox starter and he lasted five innings. Nathan Hadley saw the other three frames in relief.

A questionable double play call in the seventh ended up possibly preventing the AppleSox from cashing in on another run scoring opportunity.

Game three and the series finale is scheduled for Sunday night at 5:05 p.m. Drew Rasmussen will pitch for the AppleSox.

 

WEN   0 0 2  0 1 1   1 2 0      7  11  2

BEN    0 2 1  1 1 2   1 0 x      8  13  3

 

WP – Austin Guzzon

LP – Calvin LeBrun

S – Jesse Pratt

Defense Is AppleSox Achilles Heel

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WENATCHEE, Wash. – The Wenatchee AppleSox (25-20, 21-19) were cruising along, Friday, until a six error sixth inning gave the Bend Elks (25-15) a 7-4 lead that they would never relinquish.  

Wenatchee scored early enough on Friday night to get out to a 4-0 lead at Vince Genna Stadium. One run in the second and three in the sixth gave the AppleSox and their starter, Ian Buckles, a sizable advantage.

The AppleSox, however, were not prepared to surrender six errors in the sixth. In the bottom half, following a single, walk and double, the AppleSox were still leading 4-1.

Multiple scenarios would follow, in which the AppleSox could’ve exited the inning with a 4-2 or 4-3 lead. When the chance came for the AppleSox to head to the seventh tied at four, a fly ball was dropped in the outfield. Two more errors and two more runs would follow, tabbing Ian Buckles with a loss.

The AppleSox were led by a 2-3 night for Nate Esposito. Kyle Vanderkin walked in all four of his at bats and made some instrumental defensive plays. He was one of few on the infield not bitten by the error bug.

Kevin Sheets and Louis Cohen shut the door on the AppleSox in the eighth and ninth innings. They are two of the Elks staples in the bullpen.

The AppleSox are now four games back of Bend in the wild card race, and two games behind Yakima in the WCL East.

The three game set continues, Saturday. Left-hander Calvin LeBrun will make his second start of the season with a 6:35 p.m. first pitch.

 

WEN   0 1 0  0 0 3   0 0 0      4  8  6

BEN    0 0 0  0 0 7   0 0 x      7  6  0

 

WP – Patrick McGuff

LP – Ian Buckles

S – Louis Cohen

AppleSox Win Series; Within One of Yakima

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WENATCHEE, Wash. – The Wenatchee AppleSox (25-19, 21-18) uncorked their offense on the Kelowna Falcons (13-26), Friday en route to a 12-1 win at Paul Thomas Sr. Field.  

The AppleSox were led by their consistent starter, Brandon Bailey. Bailey has been limited in length of appearance this year, following a long freshman season for Gonzaga and a Tommy John surgery his senior year of high school.

However, Ed Knaggs, the AppleSox head coach believed that Bailey’s start on Thursday might’ve been his best of the season.

The statistics would certainly agree, as Bailey offered up four and two thirds innings of hitless baseball on Thursday.

While Bailey got it rolling, the AppleSox offense turned things up a notch. Three runs in each of the third and fourth innings helped Wenatchee to a 6-0 lead.

In the sixth inning, Ty Jackson hit his third home run of the season over the left field fence, to give the AppleSox a 10-0 lead.

Two more runs would come around to score in the eighth, as Wenatchee brought John Pomeroy into the ballgame with a 12-0 lead.

Pomeroy had a few command issues, but only allowed one run to score and struck out two batters as the AppleSox went on to win 12-1.

Simon Rosenbaum broke a streak of 13 games without a hit in league play, Thursday, as he collected a double and a single to help the AppleSox to the win. He will leave the team for the next few series as he goes overseas to play for the Israeli national team.

Hunter Wells threw well out of the bullpen for the AppleSox, also holding Kelowna scoreless.

The AppleSox will travel to Bend tomorrow to start a three game series with the Elks, as Wenatchee is now just one game away from first place in the WCL East. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.

 

KEL    0 0 0  0 0 0   0 0 1      1    5   3

WEN   0 0 3  3 0 4   0 2 x     12  14  0

 

WP – Brandon Bailey

LP – Joshua Nuernberg

S –

AppleSox Radio Flagship Back On Air

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Sunny FM, the AppleSox flagship station, is once again carrying every Sox game live on 93.9 and 97.1 FM in Wenatchee.

The games can also be heard on these frequencies throughout North Central Washington:
- Brewster: 101.3
- Omak/Okanogan: 101.9
- Chelan 95.3

Tonight the AppleSox face a rubber match game three of a home series with Kelowna. The AppleSox Pregame Show will start at 6:45 p.m. with first pitch and play-by-play action at 7:05. Trevor Williams will be on the call for the AppleSox Radio Network.

AppleSox Win Pitching Duel

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WENATCHEE, Wash. – The Wenatchee AppleSox (24-19, 20-18) fought for a 2-1 win over the Kelowna Falcons (13-25) on Wednesday.  

Tyler Frost led the AppleSox on the mound to start things off, after a rainy afternoon in the Wenatchee Valley threatened Wednesday’s game up until about two hours before first pitch.

Frost offered up three one-two-three innings in his first four frames of work on the mound.

The first run for Wenatchee came in the first inning as they got things going early. A bunt single, pushed past Sam Murphy, the Kelowna starter, got Trenton Brooks aboard. He took second on a wild pitch and stole third to set up a SAC fly RBI to center for AJ Alcantara.

Tyler Frost had the run he needed for the first four innings, as he held Kelowna scoreless. In the fifth the Falcons broke through on an RBI single from Trey Kamachi.

In the seventh, the AppleSox tried one last time to get a go-ahead run for Tyler Frost, who would exit the game in the eighth.

In the bottom half, Nick Brooks set up runners at second and third with a sacrifice bunt. The AppleSox tried a suicide squeeze, but Nate Esposito missed on the bunt attempt and Michael McCann was tagged out short of the plate.

Esposito, down 0-2 in the count, with a runner at third and two outs, was able to “filet,” (as Coach Knaggs put it) a single into right center field to give the AppleSox a 2-1 lead.

Tyler Frost left with the chance for a win, after tossing seven innings of three-hit, one-run baseball.

Shaun Vetrovec offered two innings of relief and picked up his second save of the year as he surrendered no hits and retired the side one-two-three in the eighth inning.

In the ninth, Kelowna walked, but it wouldn’t come back to bite the AppleSox, as Vetrovec shut the door.

 

KEL    0 0 0  0 1 0   0 0 0      1  3  2

WEN   1 0 0  0 0 0   1 0 0      2  6  1

 

WP – Tyler Frost

LP – Scotland Church

S – Shaun Vetrovec

Falcons Pile Runs on Drizzly Night

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WENATCHEE, Wash. – Damp conditions on Tuesday ended up raining on the Wenatchee AppleSox (23-19, 19-18) parade, as the Kelowna Falcons (13-24) ran away with the first game after the All Star Break, 17-1.

The first two innings went to Kelowna, as the Falcons scored four runs in the first and eight runs in the second to jump out to a 12-1 lead after two innings of play.

The AppleSox run came in the bottom of the first on an RBI triple for Ty Jackson. It would end up being the only RBI of the night for the AppleSox.

Drew Rasmussen and Nathan Hadley each pitched an inning out of the starting gates. Their pitching lines took a bit of a hit, as they had some trouble falling behind in counts and errors behind them also became an issue.

The AppleSox tallied seven total errors.

Every player in Kelowna’s starting lineup notched at least one hit in last night’s game. The Falcons’ top hitter was Brandon Grimsley, who went 4-7 with two runs scored and three RBIs.

The AppleSox saw a great outing from Clark McKitrick on Tuesday. He stayed on the mound for five innings, hhis longest outing of the season. Over that period, he allowed four hits and two runs, but neither run was earned.  He struck out six batters and walked one.

The starter for Kelowna, Jeremy Newton, lasted for seven innings, Tuesday.  He surrendered eight hits, but only one earned run. He struck out three and didn’t walk any batters.

Game two of the series is set for tonight at 7:05 p.m.

Potential weather issues are looming over the Wenatchee Valley. A decision on a game cancellation or delay will not be made until late into the evening, or possibly shortly before first pitch. Fans are encouraged to stay up-to-date with game information by following the team on Twitter and Facebook.

Tyler Frost will take the mound for the AppleSox.

 

KEL    4 8 0  0 2 0   0 2 1     17  20  0

WEN   1 0 0  0 0 0   0 0 0      1    8   7

 

WP – Jeremy Newton

LP – Drew Rasmussen

S –

Southpaw Helps Spin Sweep

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YAKIMA, Wash. – The Wenatchee AppleSox (23-18, 19-17) did what they haven’t done since 2012, as they swept a divisional foe, the Yakima Valley Pippins (21-15), on the road with a 4-2 win to cap the series, Saturday.

The AppleSox entered the series five games back of the Pippins and sat in third place in the WCL East. Headed to the All Star break, they are now just two games back of Yakima and hold the outright second place spot in the East.

To make it sweeter, Saturday’s win ensures that the AppleSox can obtain a season series win over the Pippins, which could be an important factor in tie-breaking, post season qualification situations.

On Saturday, Calvin LeBrun got to make his first 2014 start for the AppleSox. He was reached for a run in the first, when he had runners on the corners with no one out. He did force the Pippins leading hitter, Vince Fernandez into a 6-4-3 double play and traded two outs for a run.

Fernandez, (0 for 4) was held hitless for just the seventh time this season.

LeBrun ended up allowing one more run in the sixth, but that was all the Pippins could scratch off of him.

A beautiful hit and run between Tyler Frost (runner) and Kyle Vanderkin set up the AppleSox first run in the third inning.

Ty Jackson gave the AppleSox a 2-1 lead in the fourth with a solo home run to right center field. It was his second home run of 2014. He will participate in the WCL Home Run Derby on Monday in Klamath Falls, Ore.

After obtaining the lead, the AppleSox wouldn’t look back. They added one more in the fifth on two Pippins errors and were able to secure an insurance run in the ninth on a Vanderkin sacrifice fly, set up by a Frost double.

While John Pomeroy and Hunter Wells did allow runners into scoring position in the seventh and eighth innings, the AppleSox bullpen was able to hold.

Pomeroy totaled an inning and it was his first appearance since being injured in mid-June at Klamath Falls.

Wells picked up his second save of the season as he walked a runner in the ninth, but ended the game by striking out Shawn Wardian to secure the series sweep.

The AppleSox will send Ian Buckles, Caleb Wood and Ty Jackson to the WCL All Star Game on Monday. Additionally, Michael McCann was selected but is unable to attend.

Wenatchee returns to action on Tuesday, as Kelowna rolls into town for a three game set that kicks off at 7:05 p.m. from Paul Thomas Sr. Field.

 

WEN   0 0 1  1 1 0   0 0 1     4   8   1

YAK    1 0 0  0 0 1   0 0 0     2   9   2

 

WP – Calvin LeBrun

LP – Andrew Woods

S – Hunter Wells

Extra, Extra!

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YAKIMA, Wash. – The Wenatchee AppleSox (22-18, 18-17) found themselves in a similar situation as Wednesday night, when the Yakima Valley Pippins (21-14) forced Friday’s contest to extra innings, but the AppleSox would create a 7-4 victory in the eleventh inning.  

On Wednesday, the AppleSox stranded a whole bushel of runners in scoring position during extra frames. When Tyler Frost hit a one-out triple in the eleventh, the AppleSox decided to manufacture a go-ahead run.

With a 3-1 count to AJ Alcantara, Head Coach Ed Knaggs put on a suicide squeeze call and the bunt paid off perfectly. This was after the AppleSox missed a similar call on the road in Walla Walla in a 14 inning contest two nights ago.

Alcantara and Michael McCann were later brought around to score in the eleventh, helped by two errors against Vince Fernandez and JC Snyder.

Trenton Brooks was able to finish the game and secure his win as he allowed a walk in the bottom of the eleventh, but retired the rest of his batters.

Friday’s contest was a pitcher’s duel until the fifth inning, in which the AppleSox were able to score four runs in the top half. Five consecutive singles and a Caleb Wood two-RBI double, helped spur the quick run production for Wenatchee.

The five hits in the fifth off of undefeated starter, Eli Morgan (5-0), came after the AppleSox were held to one hit through the first four innings.

Yakima Valley would answer with one off of Ian Buckles in the bottom of the fifth, to break the shut out.

Vince Fernandez then made the game interesting in the bottom of the sixth, as he hit a two-run home run to right field to bring the Pippins within a run.

Nathan Hadley helped get the AppleSox out of the sixth and looked to have a chance to do the same in the seventh, but while attempting to play a pop up in foul territory, Hadley was unable to secure the baseball and the Pippins had new life.

Justin Jacobs then smashed a pitch to right field for an RBI to tie the game at four.

The score would hold until Wenatchee pulled off the suicide squeeze in the eleventh.

With the win, Wenatchee took the first two games of the series from Yakima Valley. They now are three games back in the WCL East and have a chance to make it two, with a sweep on Saturday night. This will all set up a major race in the WCL East headed out of the All Star break.

Calvin LeBrun will make his first start of 2014, Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

 

WEN   0 0 0  0 4 0   0 0 0   0 3     7  13  1

YAK    0 0 0  0 1 2   1 0 0   0 0     4   9   2

 

WP – Trenton Brooks

LP – Beau Kerns

S –