COWLITZ SWEEPS WENATCHEE, APPLESOX STAY IN SECOND PLACE IN NORTH SECOND HALF

WENATCHEE, Wash. – The Wenatchee AppleSox (18-15, 3-3 second half) were swept by the Cowlitz Black Bears (16-17, 5-1 second half), after Cowlitz erased a 2-0 deficit in the ninth inning, and the AppleSox forced extra innings, in a 4-3, 10-inning loss at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium, Thursday night.

Connor McCord delivered a strong seven-inning quality start, and shut out the Black Bears, while his defense picked up a season-high four double plays behind him, including inning-ending double plays in each of the top of the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings.

McCord only gave up one hit in the first four innings, a leadoff single for Andy Armstrong, back in the first inning. He struck out three Cowlitz batters.

Wenatchee struck first in the third inning on Austin Merrill, with an RBI single for Jake Taylor with the bases loaded.

In the fourth, Wenatchee added a second run, on a 2-out solo home run for Jordan Prendiz. It was Prendiz’s first home run of the season.

That score held until the ninth inning. Connor Leedholm pitched the eighth, and got a double play on a popped up bunt that he threw back to second base to double up the only Black Bear base runner.

In the ninth, with a chance for a save, three runs scored after the AppleSox lost a ball in the sky, and Kona Quiggle delivered an RBI single followed by a 2-RBI triple by Mark Pearson.

The AppleSox tied the game in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings. Prendiz singled with one out to complete a 3-for-3 night. A Dugan Shirer double set up an RBI sac fly for Michael Spellacy to even the score at three and force extras.

Hugh Smith pitched the 10th inning, but gave up a run after a walk and an error at first base that allowed corner runners with only one out. Armstrong delivered a go-ahead groundout back to the pitcher for a 4-3 lead.

Kragon Kechely got the win for Cowlitz, while Jimmy Fouse pitched the bottom of the 10th to earn the save. He retired the AppleSox in order, including two strikeouts.

The AppleSox take to the road to face the Kelowna Falcons, Friday night. Wenatchee is still one game out of first place in the WCL North Second Half, behind Victoria. First pitch in Kelowna, Friday, is at 6:35 p.m. at Elks Stadium.

APPLESOX FENDING OFF SWEEP, THURSDAY VERSUS COWLITZ

GAME NOTES
MEDIA GUIDE

Presented by Washington Trust Bank
APPLESOX (18-14) - (3-2, 2nd Half) VS COWLITZ BLACK BEARS (15-17 - (4-1, 2nd Half)
7:05 pm
Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium
Wenatchee, Wash.

EXTENDING THE RECORD
Last night, the AppleSox hit their 23rd and 24th home runs of the season, and with Connor McCord’s ninth-inning solo blast, the AppleSox have expanded on their team-record for players to hit a home run in a single season, as now 13 different AppleSox players have homered this year.

FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING
The Cowlitz Black Bears won the three-game series last night, and also have staked a claim to the season series...the road series win was Cowlitz’s first all-time at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium...Cowlitz swept the AppleSox in the two teams’ only meeting last year, at Story field...this year, they lead the season series 4-1 and have won 8 of the last 10.

JOHNSON CLOSING IN
Evan Johnson added another to his WCL RBI total last night...with 39, he is now 9 RBI away from tying the Wenatchee single-season record of 48 in a season, set by Mitchell Gunsolus in 2012...Johnson is 12 away from Vince Fernandez’s 2014 record of 51 runs batted in. 

AVOID THE SWEEP
The last time the AppleSox were swept was the season-opening series at Walla Walla...Wenatchee lost the third game of that set in extra innings at Borleske Stadium. 

GET TO THE ‘PEN
Two of Wenatchee’s top relievers are available tonight in Connor Leedholm and Hugh Smith...Smith is a 6-8 right-hander with a 92-94 mph fastball and Leedholm has 14 hitless innings this summer.

COWLITZ SURGING
The recent rise of the Black Bears, is evident...Cowlitz has hit six home runs in the series (team had 7 all year coming into the series in Wenatchee)...in the last 10 games their offense is hitting .282 and in the last five games, the average swells to .312...at the same time, the pitching staff has only given up 14 runs in its last 44 innings.

BLACK BEARS HAND APPLESOX GAME-TWO LOSS

WENATCHEE, Wash. – The Wenatchee AppleSox (18-14, 3-2 second half) lost 12-4 to the Cowlitz Black Bears (15-17, 4-1 second half), to take a 2-0 lead in the series, and earn their first road series win at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium, all-time, Wednesday night.

Wenatchee scored first, with a solo home run in the second inning for Josh Zamora. It was Zamora’s second home run of the season.

The AppleSox added on in the third inning against Cowlitz started Christian Cosby (3-1), with an RBI single for Evan Johnson. It was good for a 2-0 AppleSox lead, and was Johnson’s league-leading 39th RBI of the year. He is now 9 RBI away from the AppleSox single-season record.

Hunter Boyd (3-1) was fantastic in his first three innings, only surrendering one hit, and he had retired 8-straight batters into the fourth inning. That is when Cowlitz capitalized on two Wenatchee errors, and another two passed balls, for a 4-2 lead.

In the fifth, Cowlitz added another on a sacrifice fly, and Boyd’s night was done after five innings. He did register seven strikeouts and now leads the league in strikeouts (45).

Steen Fredrickson was first in relief. He gave up three home runs in the next three innings, as Cowlitz totaled its sixth home run of the series. The Black Bears entered the series with only seven home runs in total on the season.

Delvin Granberg hit his second home run of the series during the flurry. Another two Cowlitz runs scored in the ninth off of Mike Townsend, on two AppleSox errors, following a walk.

Wenatchee did plate two runs in the ninth inning off of Kevin West. Connor McCord hit a solo home run. It was his first home run of the season. Dugan Shirer also added an RBI single.

McCord (3-1) will get the start for the AppleSox Thursday. The series finale wraps up with a 7:05 p.m first pitch at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

APPLESOX AIM TO EVEN SERIES, WEDNESDAY, COUGAR NIGHT

GAME NOTES
MEDIA GUIDE

Cougar Night With the AppleSox
APPLESOX (18-13) - (3-1, 2nd Half) VS COWLITZ BLACK BEARS (14-17 - (3-1, 2nd Half)
7:05 pm
Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium
Wenatchee, Wash.

 

END OF A STREAK
Last night, the AppleSox had a streak of nine-straight game-one wins snapped by the Black Bears...Wenatchee had not lost the opening game in a series since Opening Night, June 2 at Walla Walla.

ON THE LINE
The Cowlitz Black Bears have never won a series at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium...tonight, the AppleSox have a chance to keep Cowlitz out of the series win column.

BRUSH IT OFF
When Marco Valenzuela hit his eighth inning home run off of Jacob Price, Cowlitz did something no other WCL team has against the AppleSox...hit three home runs in one game...Delvin Granberg and Nyles Nygaard also homered.

GETTING SOME HELP
Even though the AppleSox dropped game one, Tuesday, all other WCL North teams who were in play, dropped their contests to South foes...Wenatchee retains it’s first-place lead over the rest of the division, thanks to the success of the South Tuesday night. 

GARCIA BLAST
Jalen Garcia hit his second home run of the season last night...it was the AppleSox 23rd home run of the season...the 23 home runs are fourth-most in the WCL...Cowlitz, with its 8th, 9th, and 10th home runs, became the last WCL team to acheive a double-digit home run total.

BOYD BACK
Hunter Boyd is 2-0 at home and allows just over four runs per game at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium...Boyd is now fourth in the WCL with 38 strikeouts...five strikeouts will tie him for first in the WCL, with 43.

BACK FOR MORE
Christian Cosby beat the Wenatchee AppleSox in his last start, allowing just one run over the course of five innings...Hunter Boyd lost in his last start to Cowlitz, giving up six earned runs over four innings.

COWLITZ PUTS ABRUPT END TO APPLESOX GAME-ONE STREAK

WENATCHEE, Wash. – The Wenatchee AppleSox (18-13, 3-1 second half) fell 7-2 in the series opener to the Cowlitz Black Bears (14-17, 3-1 second half), to put an end to nine-consecutive game one wins and a six-game home league winning streak, Tuesday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

In his second outing against the AppleSox of the season, Cowlitz starter Trevor Conn (1-2) was difficult to figure out. He held Wenatchee scoreless into the seventh inning, surrendering his only two runs of the night on a Jalen Garcia two-run home run to left field that cut into a 5-0 deficit.

It was Garcia’s second home run of the season.

Other than that lone scoring inning, and a three-hit night from Jake Taylor, the AppleSox offense was stymied.

Wenatchee starter McKabe Cottrell (0-1) also worked a quality start, only allowing two runs over six innings. Cottrell allowed a solo home run to Nyles Nygaard in the first inning, and then another run scored via an error in the fifth.

Cowlitz added three more in the top of the seventh off of AppleSox reliever Cam Kurz. Delvin Granberg hit a two-run home run off of Kurz, following an RBI single for Andy Armstrong.

In the eighth, Marco Valenzuela homered off of Wenatchee reliever Jacob Price, and Andy Armstrong collected a second RBI single, to put the game out of reach at 7-2.

Cobi Johnson got the final three outs, in his first appearance in over a month for Cowlitz.

With the loss, Wenatchee saw it’s nine-game home winning streak (six league game home winning streak) come to an end, and now falls to 1-3 on the year against Cowlitz. The Black Bears have won eight of the last 10 meetings in the all-time series.

The AppleSox go for the rebound game-two win, Wednesday night on Cougar Night with the AppleSox. The WSU Cougar Cruiser will be at the 7:05 p.m. game. Hunter Boyd (3-0) will start for the AppleSox.

APPLESOX OPEN HOME SERIES WITH COWLITZ, TUESDAY

GAME NOTES
MEDIA GUIDE

Icicle Brewing Co.
APPLESOX (18-12) - (3-0, 2nd Half) VS COWLITZ BLACK BEARS (13-17 - (2-1, 2nd Half)
7:05 pm
Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium
Wenatchee, Wash.


COMEBACK KIDS
After Sunday, the AppleSox have now come-from-behind in eight-of-18 victories this season...Sunday night’s win was the team’s first when trailing after eight innings of play.

BEST WITH REST
The AppleSox enjoy their days off...Wenatchee has now won all four of its post off-day games this season...(two at home and two on the road).

STARS OF THE SHOW
The Wenatchee AppleSox landed three players on the 2017 West Coast League North All Star team...Evan Johnson, who is on patrol to become the most prolific hitter in team history, Dugan Shirer, who leads the team in stolen bases, and Collin Maier, the WCL wins leader.

KEEP CLIMBING
The AppleSox are now up to the 2nd-best record in the West Coast League for the entire season...Wenatchee has won 60 percent of its games...Corvallis leads all WCL teams with a 23-11 record and had won 10-straight games before last night’s loss to Kelowna...Wenatchee now holds the WCL’s longest-active win streak at 3.

A RARITY
The Cowlitz Black Bears pulled off something that only two other teams were able to do this year against the Wenatchee AppleSox, when the AppleSox wrapped up first-half play in a 2-1 series loss at David Story Field in Longview...for the Black Bears, it was an improbable series win...Walla Walla (3-0) and Bend (2-1) were the only other two teams to beat the AppleSox in a series this year. 

BEEN AWHILE
Cowlitz is making its first trip to Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium since Aug. 3, 2014...a game the AppleSox won 9-4...since that meeting, Cowlitz is 7-2 in the series, and has won 7 of the last 10 meetings...the last AppleSox series win over Cowlitz was Aug. 1-3 of 2014, when the AppleSox won games one and three...Cowlitz has won each of the last three series meetings. 

BUSY APPLESOX HOMESTAND WRAPS UP WITH EXCITING GAMES AND EVENTS, TUESDAY-THURSDAY

The Wenatchee AppleSox are off to a 3-0 start in the second half of WCL play, and currently are atop the standings in the WCL North Division, vying for the second playoff spot in the North. This week, they are home for another big three-game series, Tuesday-Thursday against the Cowlitz Black Bears. First pitch for all three games is at 7:05 p.m.

Tuesday's game is sponsored by the Icicle Brewing Company. You can stop by the community booth at the ballpark and meet the folks from Icicle Brewing Company, Tuesday. They are providing the great craft beers at the ballpark this season!

Wednesday is Cougar Night with the AppleSox! WSU alums get a dollar off their tickets when they wear their Coug gear to the ballpark.  The Cougar Cruiser will be there with some great prizes.  Show your crimson at Cougar Night at the AppleSox!

Thursday is sponsored by Washington Trust Bank, and they've got a lot planned! You could win one of two great jersey prizes.  Washington Trust will give away a Jason Hammel Kansas City Royal jersey, who played for the AppleSox in 2001, and a game-worn AppleSox championship jersey!

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APPLESOX AUTOGRAPH PARTY, THURSDAY, 1PM, PYBUS MARKET

Join us at Pybus Market and get your FREE autographed AppleSox team poster.  Sponsored by Weinstein Beverage, Sunny FM, Parsons Photography and Pybus Market.

Meet the 2017 Wenatchee AppleSox team and get your poster signed by all of the players and coaches! You won't want to miss your chance to take home a valuable keepsake from the 2017 AppleSox season!

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HAWAIIAN NIGHT, JULY 18, WIN A HAWAIIAN TRIP FOR TWO!

he Wenatchee AppleSox, Journey Travel and Tours, and Sunny FM, are proud to Celebrate Hawaiian Night with the AppleSox, Tuesday July 18 against the Highline Bears. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m., and throughout the game, fans in attendance will have the opportunity to win the opportunity to compete for a trip for two to Hawaii, including air fare, hotel, car rental and more!

In each of the nine innings, we’ll draw a ticket.  Then, those nine contestants will compete after the game, on field, in a contest hosted by Sunny FM's Dave in the Morning! Each contestant will toss a coconut from the pitcher’s mound to home plate.  Closest to the base (and a nearby Palm Tree) wins!

Enjoy Hula demonstrations, courtesy of Momi Palmieri, a Windermere Real Estate Broker and Hula instructor, pictured with her beautiful dogs, below.

Wear your best Hawaiian shirt and come see the AppleSox win! Oh, and yeah, you can be one step closer to your inclusive dream-Hawaiian vacation! 

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THREE APPLESOX NAMED 2017 WCL ALL STARS

WENATCHEE, Wash. – The Wenatchee AppleSox will have three players represent them at the 2017 West Coast League All Star Game at Yakima County Stadium, July 18. Evan Johnson, Collin Maier, and Dugan Shirer will each play for the North All Stars, and Johnson will compete in the Home Run Derby.

Johnson, a senior outfielder from Sammamish, Wash., and Northern Colorado University, currently leads the WCL in RBI, with 38. He is 10 runs batted in shy of the AppleSox single-season record (48, Mitchell Gunsolus, 2012) and 13 away from tying the WCL single-season record (51, Vince Fernandez, Yakima Valley, 2014), with still 24 games to play. Johnson also is tied for first in hits (46), is second in doubles (11), ranks third in average (.380), and third in home runs (7).

Maier, a redshirt-senior pitcher from Billings, Mont., and Washington State University, has recorded the most wins of any WCL pitcher this season (5-1). His 40.2 innings are second-most in the league and he has registered 26 strikeouts this summer, after redshirting for the Cougars last spring.

Shirer, a senior from Chehalis, Wash., and Washington State University, has the fifth-best average in the WCL at .352. He is tied for second in stolen bases, with 10 this year, and has driven in 15 runs on 32 hits this summer.

Maier and Shirer join three other WSU players, JJ Hancock (North) and Derek Chapman and Dillon Plew (South) on this year’s WCL All Star Rosters. Johnson is the only selection from Northern Colorado, while Connor Leedholm was notably missing from the final rosters. Leedholm had a 0.00 ERA in 14 relief innings, without allowing a hit in relief this summer.

Full All Star Game Rosters for the North and the South are below:

NORTH
C – Chase Illig of West Virginia (Bellingham Bells)
C – Brody Kato of Arizona Western (Port Angeles Lefties)
1B – Austin Shenton of Florida International (Bellingham Bells)
2B – Matt Bottcher of Illinois-Chicago (Kelowna Falcons)
3B – Nick Nyquist of Gonzaga (Walla Walla Sweets)
SS – Ernie Yake of Gonzaga (Bellingham Bells)
SS – Taylor Wright of Maryland (Kelowna Falcons)
OF – Evan Johnson of Northern Colorado (Wenatchee AppleSox)
OF – Jake Suddleson of Harvard (Walla Walla Sweets)
OF – J.J. Hancock of Washington State (Walla Walla Sweets)
OF – Dugan Shirer of Washington State (Wenatchee AppleSox)
OF – Hunter Vansau of Mississippi State (Victoria HarbourCats)
P – Jack Owen of Auburn (Victoria HarbourCats)
P – Indigo Diaz of Iowa Western CC (Victoria HarbourCats)
P – Darius Vines of Oxnard College (Walla Walla Sweets)
P – Nick Bonniksen of Dixie State (Port Angeles Lefties)
P – Collin Maier of Washington State (Wenatchee AppleSox)
P – Holden Powell of UCLA (Bellingham Bells)
P – Zach Pettway of UCLA (Bellingham Bells)
P – Adam McKillican of British Columbia (Victoria HarbourCats)
P – Cal Hehnke of Nebraska-Omaha (Kelowna Falcons)

SOUTH
C – Zak Taylor of Oregon State (Corvallis Knights)
C – Daniel Cope of Cal State Fullerton (Yakima Valley Pippins)
1B – Lucas Denney of Seattle (Yakima Valley Pippins)
2B – Matt Kelly of Portland (Corvallis Knights)
3B – Dillon Plew of Washington State (Yakima Valley Pippins)
SS – Mitch Ellis of Western Illinois (Yakima Valley Pippins)
INF – Collin Runge of Portland (Bend Elks)
OF – Jordan Qsar of Pepperdine (Corvallis Knights)
OF – Kona Quiggle of Grand Canyon (Cowlitz Black Bears)
OF – Derek Chapman of Washington State (Bend Elks)
OF – Steve Sordahl of St. Martin’s (Yakima Valley Pippins)
OF – Devlin Granberg of Dallas Baptist (Cowlitz Black Bears)
P – Louis Crow of San Diego (Corvallis Knights)
P – Cason Cunningham of Linfield (Corvallis Knights)
P – Chase Kaplan of Kansas (Corvallis Knights)
P – Tanner Howell of Dixie State (Corvallis Knights)
P – Dakota Donovan of Oregon State (Corvallis Knights)
P – Connor White of Columbia Basin (Yakima Valley Pippins)
P – Khalil Rivera of Treasure Valley CC (Bend Elks)
P – Zak Baayoun of Long Beach State (Gresham GreyWolves)
P – Corbin Powers of Portland (Cowlitz Black Bears)

APPLESOX SCORE SIX UNANSWERED, DIG OUT OF 5-0 HOLE FOR SERIES SWEEP

WENATCHEE, Wash. – The Wenatchee AppleSox (18-12, 3-0 second half) delivered a come-from-behind walkoff win, Sunday night, to sweep the Kelowna Falcons (17-16, 0-6 second half) by scoring the final six runs, unanswered, in a 6-5 win at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

The AppleSox trailed 5-0 at the seventh inning stretch, after Cal Hehnke had thrown six innings of two-hit baseball. The AppleSox looked like they’d be put down in order in another inning, before Michael Spellacy delivered a two-out double, and Cole McKenzie drove him in with an RBI single.

Trailing 5-1 in the eighth, the AppleSox scored two runs after loading the bases against Kelowna reliever Brayden Price. Josh Zamora, who hit a Grand Slam in game two, was hit by a pitch, and then a wild pitch made it a 5-3 game.

Mike Townsend threw a scoreless eighth inning, before Cameron Kurz (1-0) tossed a scoreless ninth.

Still against Price in the ninth, the AppleSox got a runner on via a walk. Then, Kelowna put in Jake Roes (0-1). Jack Reisinger singled off of Roes to make it first and second with nobody out after the McKenzie walk.

Dugan Shirer then lifted an RBI single to left center field, which made it a 5-4 game with runners still at first and second base.

Jacob Prater attempted to put down a sacrifice bunt, but the throw from Roes to first was wide of the first baseman and out of play down the right field line. That error forced home a run to tie the game, 5-5.

With Shirer at third, Prater at second, and the WCL’s RBI leader, Evan Johnson, at the plate with 0 outs, Kelowna elected to intentionally walk Johnson. That set up a game-winning opportunity for third baseman Jake Taylor.

Taylor crushed a 1-1 pitch off the center field fence to win the game. The ball hit above the 406-marker in straight away center field, just missing a walkoff Grand Slam by inches. With the RBI, the AppleSox swept the series and completed their second comeback win of the three-game set, and eighth of the season.

Kelowna’s early runs came on solo home runs for Chris Arpan and JT Williams in the second and third innings off of Collin Maier (no decision).

Kelowna scored another two runs in the fifth on an RBI double and a throwing error. The Falcons final run came in the top of the seventh off of Hugh Smith, on a bases-loaded, broken bat infield single. Smith surrendered the 5-0 lead with no outs and the bases loaded, but struck out the next two batters and got a flyout to right field to keep the AppleSox within striking distance.

With the win, Wenatchee stays undefeated in the WCL North Second Half (3-0), and is in sole possession of first place in the division.

The AppleSox homestand continues Tuesday against Cowlitz at 7:05 p.m., after an off day Monday.

6:05 P.M. SPAGHETTI SUNDAY, APPLESOX PLAYING FOR FIRST BACK-TO-BACK HOME SWEEPS SINCE '13

Current WCL Baseball wins leader, Collin Maier (5-1) will get the start for the Wenatchee AppleSox, Sunday, July 9 against the Kelowna Falcons.

GAME NOTES
MEDIA GUIDE

Spaghetti Sunday
APPLESOX (17-12) - (2-0, 2nd Half) VS KELOWNA FALCONS (17-15 - (0-5, 2nd Half)
6:05 pm
Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium
Wenatchee, Wash.

TOP APPLES
For the first time this season, the AppleSox are in sole possession of first place in the WCL North Division...the AppleSox have spent three other days with a share of the Division lead, including tied with Bellingham for first, yesterday...with a 2-0 record in the WCL second half, the AppleSox are the only team in the North with a 1.000 winning percentage, allowing them the top spot in the standings.

GRAND MILESTONE
The AppleSox also set a new team record last night, by hitting their second Grand Slam of the season...Parker Price hit the team’s other back on June 17 at home against Victoria...never before had Wenatchee hit two in league play in the same season...that was before Josh Zamora parked his first league home run of the summer over the left field fence...in total, the AppleSox have hit 16 grand slams all-time and hit three in 2004 (two in non-league play)...the AppleSox are 13-2 in which the team hits a grand slam.

A HOME RUN RECORD FALLS
Wenatchee also saw another home run record fall last night, when Jack Machtolf hit his sixth-inning solo home run...12 AppleSox players have now homered this year, which breaks the team record of 11 from 2014. 

FOLLOW THE LEADER
Collin Maier will be on the mound for the AppleSox tonight...he is Wenatchee’s leading pitcher, and also owns a WCL-best 5 victories in 2017...the AppleSox single-season wins record is 7.

BACK-TO-BACK HOME “SWEEPS”
The last time the AppleSox “swept” back-to-back Home WCL series was in 2013...however one was only a two-game sweep (game three rained out vs. Walla Walla)...the AppleSox won two over the Sweets July 30-31, 2013 and another three over Victoria, Aug. 5-7 for a five-game sweep...the last back-to-back home sweeps of the six-game variety were the same season, 2013, from June 21-23 over the Kitsap BlueJackets and July 2-4 over the Victoria HarbourCats.

APPLESOX WIN FIFTH-STRAIGHT HOME SERIES, ZAMORA DELIVERS GRAND SLAM

WENATCHEE, Wash. – The Wenatchee AppleSox (17-12, 2-0 second half) were able to stake out an early first-place spot in the WCL North second half, with a 9-3 win over the first-half champion Kelowna Falcons (17-15, 0-5 second half) Saturday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

The big AppleSox inning came in the fifth, when Wenatchee broke a 1-1 tie. The AppleSox scored first on an Evan Johnson RBI single in the first inning, to bring home Jacob Prater, who doubled to get the offense going.

After Kelowna tied the game with a single run off of starter Steen Fredrickson (no-decision) in the top half of the inning, Johnson delivered a go-ahead RBI single to score Cole McKenzie who was aboard on an error.

Johnson now has 38 RBI to lead the West Coast League. He is just 10 shy of tying Mitchell Gunsolus’ 2012 single-season record 48 runs batted in.

After one of Jake Taylor’s three walks on the night, Josh Zamora came to the plate with two outs, a 2-1 lead, and the bases loaded.

Zamora got all of the second pitch in his at bat, and hit a Grand Slam to left field to give the AppleSox plenty of breathing room, and a 6-1 cushion. It was Zamora’s first league home run, after he hit two in non-league play last week.

The Grand Slam was also the AppleSox second of the season. Connor McCord (3-1) was handed the big lead and worked the next 3 1/3 innings, only surrendering a two-run home run to Kelowna’s Alex McGarry in the eighth.

Wenatchee tacked on single runs in the sixth, on Jack Machtolf’s first WCL home run, a solo shot to right field (second home run on the summer – non-league), and in the seventh on a throwing error.

One more run crossed in the eighth on an RBI single for Prater, who enjoyed a three-hit night.

Michael Spellacy got the final outs of the game, tossing a quick 1-2-3 ninth inning.

Wenatchee has now jumped to 2-0 series leads in each of its five home series. The AppleSox are a combined 10-0 in games one and two at home, and now are 11-3 in home WCL games (14-3 at home, overall), which is the league’s best home record.

The AppleSox play for the sweep on Spaghetti Sunday, when gates open early at 5 p.m., for the 6:05 p.m. first pitch. Collin Maier (5-1), the West Coast League’s wins leader, will be on the mound for Wenatchee.

APPLESOX SET UP SERIES-WINNING OPPORTUNITY TO START HALF, SATURDAY

GAME NOTES
MEDIA GUIDE

Presented by the Wenatchee Valley Mall
APPLESOX (16-12) - (1-0, 2nd Half) VS KELOWNA FALCONS (17-14 - (0-4, 2nd Half)
7:05 pm
Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium
Wenatchee, Wash.

ALMOST A MONTH EXACTLY
The AppleSox nearly spaced their two home walkoffs by exactly a month...Parker Price hit a game-winning RBI single for the AppleSox in their only other walkoff win of the season, June 8 versus the Victoria HarbourCats in the team’s home-opener...Cole McKenzie delivered 29 days later on July 7, to win the series-opener against Kelowna last night...coincidentally the first walkoff was the first of Wenatchee’s nine-straight game-one wins, and last night’s was to keep the streak going.

SPEAKING OF GAME 1
Wenatchee is an outstanding 9-1 in game ones this season and 5-0 at home, wearing the traditional white diamond logo uniforms.

WINNING SERIES
With a series win tonight, the AppleSox would surpass last year’s season-series win mark of six...the AppleSox tied the 2016 team’s mark in the first half, after sweeping Port Angeles.

HOME WINNING STREAK
Wenatchee is now 13-3 at home, including non-league games, and has won seven-straight home games (four-consecutive in league play)...the AppleSox 10-3 home record (.769) is better than any other team in the WCL...Walla Walla is second with an 11-5 mark (.688).

CLOSE GAMES
No one in the WCL has played more one-run games than the AppleSox (12), who are 7-5 in those contests.

JUST HOW STRONG IS THE WCL NORTH?
Let’s put it this way...three of the WCL’s top-record teams for the season reside in the WCL North...none of those three teams won the first-half title in the North, and only one of those three will make the WCL Playoffs come August...seems unfair.

WHERE THE RECORD STANDS
Wenatchee’s 16-12 mark is the third-best in the WCL...the only teams with better records are Corvallis (21-10) and Bellingham (17-11)...Victoria, Walla Walla, and Kelowna, have the next best overall season records in the WCL...leaving 5-of-6 WCL North teams in the top-6 of the league standings.

APPLESOX OPEN SIX-STRAIGHT HOME GAMES, STARTING WITH KELOWNA, FRIDAY-SUNDAY

The Wenatchee AppleSox are home for six-straight games against the WCL North's first-half champion Kelowna Falcons. Wenatchee starts with a fresh 0-0 second-half record, Friday night, and will try to lock up the second playoff spot in the North over the next 27 league games. 

The three-game series Friday-Sunday will feature 7:05 p.m. first pitches Friday and Saturday, and a 6:05 p.m. first pitch on Spaghetti Sunday.

Friday night is Moses Lake Night, sponsored by KBSN-AM and KDRM-FM Radio.

Members of the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce will receive vouchers good for FREE admission to the game Friday night.  Several Moses Lake organizations will be there soliciting donations and merchandise for sale, including Moses Lake High School Cross Country Booster Club, The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Columbia promoting their Family Fest and Duck Derby happening the next day, on Saturday, July 8th. Also, New Hope for the Man Up Crusade of Moses Lake will be at the game.

Saturday is sponsored by the Wenatchee Valley Mall. Find out more about the Wenatchee Valley Mall’s Kid’s Club, and take home some very cool prizes for the youngsters! 

Sunday is an Alley Café Spaghetti Sunday! Get a plate of Alley Café spaghetti and garlic bread for just $7.50 when the gates open early at 5 p.m., for the 6:05 p.m. first pitch.

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COYOTE TO PARTICIPATE IN WATERVILLE DAYS

Coyote will be visiting Waterville to ride in the Waterville Days Parade at 10 a.m., Saturday!  After the parade, you can visit Coyote at the park.  Don’t miss this fun event in Waterville, including a terrific car show featuring over 40 Porsches, from around the Northwest!

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APPLESOX YOUTH CAMPS COMING UP JULY 11-13

Wenatchee AppleSox instructional clinics are for kids who want to enhance their baseball skills. Participants will learn techniques to improve hitting, fielding, pitching and catching from AppleSox players and coaches. The AppleSox camps are led by our head coach Kyle Krustangel and assisted by his coaching staff and players.

The July 11-13 camp is focused on hitting instruction. The camp costs $89 and runs from 9 a.m. to noon all three days. Registration is at www.applesoxcamps.com - Late Registration will take place at 8:30am at the field, on the first day of the clinic. Add $10 for late registration at the field, on the first day of clinic.

AppleSox players come from a wide range of nationally renowned college baseball programs and are among the best players in their class. They are still developing their skills and techniques, which creates a tremendous learning atmosphere.

We are proud of the quality instruction in all the fundamentals of the game that the AppleSox clinics provide. We look for self-improvement with each player. The coaches will be dedicated to helping young players come closer to reaching their baseball dreams. Our goal is for each player to walk away with a positive experience, better baseball fundamentals, and a smile on their face.

APPLESOX COME BACK AND CLAIM EXTRA-INNING VICTORY FROM KELOWNA TO START SECOND HALF

WENATCHEE, Wash. – The Wenatchee AppleSox (16-12, 1-0 second half) opened their second half of play with a bang, by erasing a 5-2 deficit in the eighth, and continuing on to beat the Kelowna Falcons (17-14, 0-4 second half) 6-5 to open the series, Friday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

The AppleSox took the early lead for starter Jacob Price (no decision), on an RBI double for Jake Taylor in the third inning off of James Brooks (no decision).

Brooks turned in a solid seven innings for Kelowna and only allowed a second run in the fourth inning on an RBI single for Dugan Shirer. That single tied a 2-1 score, after Kelowna scored a pair in the top of the fourth inning on an RBI triple and RBI single.

The Falcons cashed-in a two-run home run in the fifth inning off of Mike Townsend to break the 2-2 tie. It was the first home run of the season for Matt Bottcher.

Taylor Wright clubbed his WCL-leading eighth home run to deep right field in the seventh inning off of Cam Kurz. Kelowna led 5-2 through seven innings.

Wenatchee mounted its comeback in the eighth inning, on singles for Josh Zamora and Michael Spellacy, that got them in position to score on a two-out 2-RBI triple for Jordan Prendiz. That cut the deficit to 5-4, and Prendiz ended up scoring later on a wild pitch to tie the game at 5.

With runners on the corners and two outs, following an error, Kelowna called on Shea Barry to strike out Evan Johnson to keep the game tied.

Wenatchee turned to red-hot reliever Connor Leedholm in the ninth inning. He fired a scoreless frame, and matched the effort in the 10th to complete 14 hitless innings of relief to start his summer.

He was pitching in relief of Michael Spellacy, who was a position player originally, which required Leedholm to hit to lead off the bottom of the tenth. He drew a five-pitch walk to get aboard, and moved first-to-third on a Jordan Prendiz single to left-center field.

After one more pitching change, Cole McKenzie, who was a late replacement for Dugan Shirer, knocked the first pitch from Chase Wiger into left field for the game-winning single. It completed the comeback and the AppleSox first win of the WCL second half.

Leedholm earned the win, to improve to 3-0 with 2 saves on the season.

The AppleSox also won a ninth-straight series-opening game, and are now 9-1 in game ones this year.

Game two of the series is Saturday night at 7:05 p.m, at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

APPLESOX OPEN WEEKEND, SECOND HALF OF SEASON WITH KELOWNA ON MOSES LAKE NIGHT

GAME NOTES
MEDIA GUIDE

Moses Lake Night
APPLESOX (15-12) - (0-0, 2nd Half) VS KELOWNA FALCONS (17-13 - (0-3, 2nd Half)
7:05 pm
Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium
Wenatchee, Wash.
WEN: R- Jacob Price

MOSES LAKE NIGHT WITH THE APPLESOX - Sponsored by KBSN-AM and KDRM-FM
Members of the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce will receive vouchers good for FREE admission to the game.  Several Moses Lake organizations will be here, including Moses Lake High School Cross Country Booster Club, The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Columbia promoting their Family Fest and Duck Derby, Saturday, July 8th, and also New Hope for the Man Up Crusade of Moses Lake.

KELOWNA GOING TO PLAYOFFS
As the first-half champions in the WCL North, Kelowna has already locked up a spot in the WCL Playoffs, come August...the Falcons have never won a WCL Championship and it is the team’s first playoff appearance since 2015.

LEADERS AT THE HALF
The AppleSox hold leads in four of the six major WCL statistical categories at the halfway mark...Evan Johnson is tied for the league lead with 7 home runs, and holds the outright advantage with 36 runs batted in...Collin Maier solely leads the league with 5 pitching victories...Hunter Boyd has tossed the league’s highest strikeout total with 38.

GAME-ONE FUN
The AppleSox are a tremendous 8-1 in first games of series, and have won eight straight after losing the 2017 season-opener back on June 2 at Walla Walla...during that stretch, Wenatchee has had four game ones at home in league play, and has won each of those first games wearing the white, diamond logo uniforms.

REDHAWK POWER SURGE
Jake Taylor (2) and Jacob Prater combined to hit three of the AppleSox four home runs at Cowlitz (Adrian Vela)...the two Seattle U players are a combined 10x24 over the last five games and Prater is the hottest on the team, with a .500 average over the last five games.

FIRST VS THE FALCONS
Wenatchee has not yet faced Kelowna this season...the AppleSox are 5-5 in their last 10 meetings with Kelowna...last year in six meetings, neither team was able to win two-consecutive games and the series ended in an even 3-3 split...Wenatchee will visit Kelowna later this month, July 14-16 for a three-game series up north...Kelowna is the all-time most frequented opponent for the AppleSox (68-27).

APPLESOX GAME WEDNESDAY AT COWLITZ MOVED TO 5:35

LONGVIEW, Wash. - The Wenatchee AppleSox series finale against the Cowlitz Black Bears has been moved to a 5:35 p.m. first pitch at David Story Field. 

The game, originally scheduled for first pitch at 6:35 p.m. will start one hour early. Fans can hear the action at www.applesox.com/listen-live - Travis Van Noty, the Black Bears' broadcaster will be on the call tonight, as the AppleSox broadcaster Trevor Williams is out sick. 

APPLESOX CLAIM FIREWORKS NIGHT FROM RIVER CITY ATHLETICS

WENATCHEE, Wash. – It was a perfect 6-0 homestand for the Wenatchee AppleSox, who held on to a late 5-4 win over the River City Athletics, Saturday night, for Fireworks Night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium, presented by Numerica Credit Union.

The AppleSox scored early with a 2-RBI double for Jack Machtolf in the second inning. Cody Simmons added an RBI single to make it 3-0 and Jordan Prendiz hit a sacrifice fly to make it 4-0, Wenatchee.

In front of a seaso-high 1,702 fans, Mike Townsend was impressive in his second start of the summer. He struck out four batters in the first two innings and suffered his only blip on the radar in the third on a bases-clearing double for Taylor Sellers with the bases loaded.

Townsend continued on to pitch five innings in the winning effort and struck out seven batters while walking just one.

Jacob Price was impressive in his debut. The Wenatchee local took over for three scoreless innings of relief and fanned four in what would’ve been a hold for tonight’s winning pitcher.

The AppleSox added a run way back in the third inning that gave the pitching staff plenty of support, and a 5-3 lead.

Cam Kurz entered in the ninth inning looking to shut it down for the Fireworks Show. Two batters reached on him immediately and got to second and third with nobody out. Kurz got a hard ground ball with the infield in, and Adrian Damla successfully looked off the runner at third while going to first for a force out, but the runner from second crowded third, and forced Blake Loftus to break for the plate. Loftus scored just under a tag, to make it 5-4 AppleSox.

With one out and the tying run at third base, Kurz settled down and got a big pop fly to very shallow right field. Machtolf made a leaping catch over the sliding second baseman Prater for out number two. He stayed on his feet to prevent the tying run from being sacrificed home.

Kurz struck out the final batter, Bryce Beck, for the win on a 1-2 pitch, and the AppleSox capped a perfect homestand and made it seven-straight wins.

The Fireworks went off as planned, and the AppleSox fans in attendance left happy Saturday.

Wenatchee has Sunday off and will be in Cowlitz Monday-Wednesday to complete its WCL North first half schedule. First pitch Monday is at 7:05 p.m.

APPLESOX SET FOR FIREWORKS NIGHT, 7:05 PM, TONIGHT

GAME NOTES
MEDIA GUIDE

APPLESOX (14-10) VS RIVER CITY ATHLETICS
7:05 pm
Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium
Wenatchee, Wash.
WEN: R- Mike Townsend

THE PLAYOFF HUNT
To catch the current WCL leader, the AppleSox need to win their final three first-half games (at Cowlitz, Monday-Wednesday) and have the Kelowna Falcons lose two of their last three games July 3-5 to the Yakima Valley Pippins...if the AppleSox lose one of the next three, Kelowna must lose all three to the Pippins (Falcons hold tiebreaker)...in that scenario, Bellingham must also win three of the last five games against Walla Walla.

THAT’S A WINNING STREAK...
Wenatchee has now won its last four league games (six overall)...the 6-straight wins is now the longest such streak for the AppleSox since 2013.

ZAMORA IN NON-LEAGUE PLAY
Josh Zamora is swinging a hot bat in non-league play...the AppleSox middle infielder has two home runs this week in non-league play...one against the Everett Merchants, and another last night against the River City Athletics.

HOME WIN TOTAL
Including non-league play, the AppleSox won 14 home games last season...the hometown nine is already up to an 11-3 record at home this year, with 17 home games still left to play. 

TURN THE PAGE
The AppleSox went 16-10 record in June (non-league included)...the sixth time in 18 seasons they have won 16 or more in June...the team record was 22 June wins in 2012.

GOING FOR 100
Tonight’s game could mark the team’s 100th home non-league win...on Fireworks Night to boot!

ON FIREWORKS NIGHT
The AppleSox are 8-9 all-time on Fireworks Night and 3-1 against non-league opponents...Wenatchee has won its last two (last year against Kelowna and 2015 versus Klamath Falls)...this is the earliest for a Fireworks Night in team history...in 2014 the game was played on July 2...every other year, the game was played on July 3.

FIREWORKS NIGHT, SATURDAY!

Come see the Wenatchee AppleSox light up the scoreboard and the sky, Saturday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium against the River City Athletics on Fireworks Night, presented by Numerica Credit Union.

Great baseball action between the AppleSox and the River City Athletics gets going at 7:05 p.m., Saturday, at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium on the campus of Wenatchee Valley College. After the game, there will be a postgame fireworks show for fans in attendance.

General admission tickets ($7) can be purchased online at www.applesox.com/tickets or directly by clicking: https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/3704859/fireworks-nightapplesox-vsriver-city-wenatchee-wenatchee-applesox-baseball .

For children’s tickets ($6 – kids under 12) or premium seats ($10 or $9 – kids under 12), fans can purchase them directly at the box office, Thursday, Friday, or Saturday, when gates open at 6 p.m.

A limited number of premium seats are still available for Saturday’s game!

The AppleSox are currently 13-10 and only 1.5 games out of first place in the WCL North Division. The River City Athletics are the AppleSox second non-league opponent of 2017.  

AppleSox Home on Fireworks Weekend to Face River City Athletics

Photo by Alyssa Taylor

GAME NOTES
MEDIA GUIDE

APPLESOX (14-10) VS RIVER CITY ATHLETICS
7:05 pm
Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium
Wenatchee, Wash.
WEN: R- Steen Fredrickson

THE PLAYOFF HUNT
To catch the current WCL leader, the AppleSox need to win their final three first-half games (at Cowlitz, Monday-Wednesday) and have the Kelowna Falcons lose two of their last three games July 3-5 to the Yakima Valley Pippins...if the AppleSox lose one of the next three, Kelowna must lose all three to the Pippins (Falcons hold tiebreaker).

THAT’S A WINNING STREAK...
Wenatchee has now won its last four league games (five overall)...the mark ties the AppleSox longest league winning streak from a season ago, when the team won four-straight (Corvallis and Walla Walla) from June 11-15, after an 0-7 start.

EMPTY THE DUST PAN
Last night’s sweep for the AppleSox was their first since July 2-4 of 2015...727 days separated the two sweeps for Wenatchee, and the last team they swept, the Klamath Falls Gems, is no longer a member of the West Coast League.

JOHNSON’S GAME-WINNER
When he knocked his two-out double to left-center field last night, Evan Johnson secured his 8th RBI of the three-game set against Port Angeles...Johnson went 7-for-12 in the series and hit four doubles...his two-out RBI in the eighth is also his team-leading 8th 2-out RBI of the year...he is also now tied for second in the league with 9 doubles this season and his .412 batting average ranks second.

WHERE HE RANKS
The AppleSox can now also boast the WCL leader in strikeouts, after Hunter Boyd K’d eight last night for his league-leading 35th punchout of the season...both Boyd and fellow starter Collin Maier are also tied for the league lead with 4 wins each.