AppleSox Get Pickled by Portland

The Wenatchee AppleSox stumbled in their series-opener against the Portland Pickles, 17-3, on Tuesday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

In a game moved to 7:35 p.m. after a record-breaking heat wave continued to grip the Pacific Northwest, it was Portland that got hot at the plate. Temperatures hit 111 degrees at first pitch and the Pickles, who came in with the league’s worst batting average, struck while the iron was hot by plating seven runs in the second inning and five more in the fifth inning.

John Newman Jr. cleared the left-center field wall for a 404-foot solo home run to lead off the bottom of the second inning for his first home run of the season. Skylar Hales tossed three scoreless innings of relief in his first appearance at home.

Though Newman hit the first home run of the night, it wouldn’t be the games’ last. Pickles’ shortstop Jacob Jablonski cracked a grand slam in the fifth and Matt Jew followed with a two-out solo shot in the sixth.

The Sox got a sacrifice fly from Dakota Duffalo in the bottom of the seventh to plate Newman for his first two-run game. Then, one frame later, Zach Toglia drove in Michael O’Hara after O’Hara hit a double to begin the Sox’ eighth inning.

With the loss, Wenatchee drops to 8-11 with losses in seven-of-their-last-nine. Despite the funk, Wenatchee still sits just three-and-a-half games behind Yakima Valley for first place in the North Division. The AppleSox will be back for another 7:35 p.m. game against the Pickles on Wednesday night. Tickets are available at applesox.com/tickets.

BOX SCORE

AppleSox Return Home To Face Pickles

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox are back home after a six-game road trip to face the Portland Pickles for the fourth time this summer starting at 7:35 PM tonight at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

The Sox are coming off their longest road trip of 2021 featuring a series win in Cowlitz and a sweep at the hands of the Corvallis Knights. Despite the setback at Goss Stadium, Dakota Duffalo bounced back by leading the entire WCL with a .529 average over the past week. Duffalo and Luc Stuka's .381 average over the stretch away from home helped Wenatchee score five-or-more runs in four-of-their-last-six games. However, Sox pitching gave up nearly seven runs per game over the road trip and the Sox' defense committed eight errors during their time away from Wenatchee.

Wenatchee lost two-out-of-three in Walker Stadium to the Pickles when they opened WCL play. The Pickles outscored the AppleSox 19-5 during the series with all 19 of their runs being plated by the sixth inning. Wenatchee's one win came in game two of that series 4-2 with Gauge Lockhart starting four innings before Cole Hatton pitched five shutout innings of relief to earn the save. Hatton's incredible effort is still the longest by a Sox reliever this summer. Offensively, the Sox stole six bags in the win, including home twice, while Duffalo recorded the first three-hit game of five for Wenatchee this summer.

Entering tonight, Wenatchee and Portland are both in the lower half of the 10-team WCL for team batting average. The Pickles have the lowest average in the league (.202) while the Sox are 6th (.227). Another key similarity is that both teams collect a ton of walks. Portland ranks second with 97 free passes while Wenatchee is right behind them with 95. Pitching-wise, the Pickles have the third-lowest ERA (3.67), second-fewest hits (113), second-fewest walks (67) & are tied for the-fewest home runs allowed (2) while backing up their impressive pitching talent with the second highest fielding percentage in the WCL (.967). The first of the two home runs that they allowed this summer came against the AppleSox in June 6 when Ben Leid hit a solo home run to open up the third inning.

The Sox and Pickles both enter tonight third in the North and South divisions, respectively. Portland is 5.5 games behind the Corvallis Knights. Wenatchee is only 3.5 games behind first place Yakima Valley as the month of June wraps up around the WCL.

Cole Hatton will start tonight’s game for the AppleSox for his third start of the summer. Hatton hasn’t earned a decision yet through his first two starts and has not pitched past the fourth inning. He lasted four innings last Tuesday to help Wenatchee open their road trip with an 8-5 win over Cowlitz. Hatton worked around a home run and three walks by striking out two Black Bears and hurling 78 pitches. The Black Bears collected just four hits off him, but all four came with two outs in each of the four innings. Hatton’s first start came in the Friday opener vs Bellingham. Hatton struggled in the second inning of that 13-8 win for the Sox but still managed to work three innings with three walks and two strikeouts. Hatton’s debut helped the Sox beat the Pickles after he tossed five innings out of the bullpen without allowing a run to earn the first save of the season.

Ian Lawson will go out for his 1st start tonight as a Pickle. He is the 10th different arm to start a game for Portland pitching coach Brian Grant this summer. Lawson, a sophomore from Oregon State, debuted 5 days ago against Corvallis. Lawson finished off the eighth and ninth innings to last 1.1 IP and did not allow any hits or runs allowed while he struck out three and walked one off 26 pitches.

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Fans can purchase tickets for tonight’s game and any other remaining AppleSox home game by visiting applesox.com/tickets.

Tonight’s game will be broadcast live on video with a synced-up radio feed. It can be seen on playsight.com

Listen live to the action on Sunny FM at kcsyfm.com on your desktop computer or by tuning in at any of the following stations below.

• Wenatchee: 93.9 FM

• East Wenatchee/Rock Island: 98.1 FM

• Lake Chelan Valley: 95.3 FM

• Brewster/Pateros: 101.3 FM

• Okanogan Valley: 101.9 FM

• Omak/Tonasket/Oroville: 97.7 FM

• Methow Valley: 106.3 FM

Pregame coverage begins at 7:10 p.m. with the Horan Estates Winery Pregame Show and the broadcast wraps up with the Denny’s Late Night Postgame Show.

Live stats can be found on Pointstreak.

Salinas Honored With WCL Pitcher Of The Week

AppleSox right-hander Hunter Salinas has been named the West Coast League’s Pitcher Of The Week for the week of June 22-27. Salinas is the first AppleSox player to earn Pitcher or Player Of The Week honors this summer.

Salinas, an incoming sophomore at Colorado State-Pueblo, pitched once last week but dazzled in his only outing. He fired six shutout innings and struck out four in a 4-3 win over the Cowlitz Black Bears on June 24. Salinas only allowed three baserunners on one hit, one walk and a defensive error.

The win tied him for second on the AppleSox in victories with reliever Jared Engman. Salinas leads the AppleSox in strikeouts with 15 in 15.1 innings and leads the WCL with a 0.59 ERA through four games. His effort against Cowlitz was also crucial because it helped secure a series victory in the rubber match against the Black Bears.

The AppleSox return to action on Tuesday night against the Portland Pickles at home. First pitch for all five home games this week, including Saturday’s Fireworks Night, is at 7:35 p.m. Tickets for all remaining AppleSox home games are available now at applesox.com/tickets.

June 29 - July 3 Game Times Pushed to 7:35

Due to higher temperatures expected in the Wenatchee Valley this week the Wenatchee AppleSox are moving their games from June 29 - July 3 to 7:35 p.m. start times.

To help combat the heat, the AppleSox' are offering free water refills for those who purchase an AppleSox souvenir cup and $1 soda refills instead of the normal $3.50 for game June 29-July 1.

Tuesday’s series-opener against the Portland Pickles is a $2 Off Tuesday. Tickets, hot dogs, hamburgers and Coors Light are all $2 off and AppleSox merchandise is 10-percent off at the Team Shop.

Fireworks Night is Saturday against the Highline Bears. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance on Safer Seating and arrive early to avoid lines entering the ballpark that evening.

Tickets for all remaining games are now on sale at applesox.com/tickets at full capacity. Sections A and B will still have one seat in between different seating groups but all other seating is 100-percent open for all remaining AppleSox games.

Ninth Inning Rally Not Enough As AppleSox Lose to Knights

The Wenatchee AppleSox scored four runs in the top of the ninth inning but lost to the Corvallis Knights, 7-6, on Sunday afternoon at Goss Stadium.

In a game moved up to a 10 a.m. start time in hopes of beating the heat, the AppleSox nearly beat the Knights thanks to their late rally. Michael O’Hara cleared the bases with an RBI triple and Adam Grob scored him with his team-leading 15th RBI.

O’Hara led the offense by going 3-for-4 for his fourth multi-hit game in just nine games played for the AppleSox. Dakota Duffalo and Tino Bethancourt also extended their hitting streaks to five and six games, respectively.

The Knights stole nine bases, including eight in a four-run fourth inning. The AppleSox entered Sunday leading the West Coast League in stolen bases but Corvallis lapped them with their remarkable performance.

The AppleSox had a golden opportunity to open the scoring in the first inning when they loaded up the bases with one walk, but Bethancourt was picked off and John Newman Jr. struck out to end the inning. The Knights loaded the bases on three straight walks in the bottom of the first and then opened the scoring with an infield single.

Cam Liss (0-1) suffered the loss after a tough couple innings. He got the first two outs in the first inning before tossing 14 straight balls but got out of the inning with the Sox only down one. He left with two outs in the fourth inning. Jared Engman got the final out of the inning and then tossed two more scoreless innings after that. He made his team-high sixth appearance of the summer on the mound.

Enzo Apodaca tied the game with an RBI single in the fourth to score Luc Stuka from second. Stuka got the rally started with a one-out single, his first of two hits. He is batting .346 (9-for-26) over the last six games.

After the Knights erupted in the fourth, neither team scored again until the eighth when the AppleSox got a run back when O’Hara led off with his second hit of the game and scored on a fielder’s choice. Corvallis answered again with two in the bottom of the eighth.

The AppleSox are now tied with the Ridgefield Raptors for the West Coast League with 97 walks drawn, prior to game action Sunday evening. The AppleSox are off Monday before hosting the Portland Pickles for three games beginning on Tuesday night at 7:35 p.m. The game was originally scheduled for 6:35 but has been moved to 7:35 in hopes of cooler temperatures at first pitch. Tickets are available at applesox.com/tickets.

FULL BOXSCORE

AppleSox Wrap Up Road Trip This Morning

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox aim to salvage their series with the Corvallis Knights this morning at 10 a.m. According to longtime AppleSox statistician Bruce Bennett, this is the first league game to start in the morning in the 21-year history of the AppleSox. The Sox have dropped the first two games of this series.

The AppleSox enter this morning's game in the middle of a rough stretch on the mound. they have given up 49 runs over the last seven games, good for a 7.23 ERA. The AppleSox have lost five-of-their-last-seven, four of which have come on this six-game road trip. However, the AppleSox have scored four runs in each of their last eight games, something that they only did in four of the season's first nine games.

The AppleSox are looking to claim their first win against the Knights today since June 12, 2018. Last night, they fell 9-6. Dakota Duffalo went 3-for-4 but the AppleSox only collected three other hits, with Michael O'Hara, Adam Grob and Tino Bethancourt also notching hits. the AppleSox struck out 12 times, four off their season-high. If the Sox are to homer today, it will be the first time on this road trip and the first since Bethancourt's two-out, two-run shot on June 20 against Bend at home. The AppleSox took two-of-three from Cowlitz to open this road trip, but currently sit 2-3 on the season-long venture from home.

Corvallis looks to continue to hold its South Division lead and add to its season-best six-game winning streak. Five Knights collected multiple hits last night including Travis Bazzana and Nate Nankil both recording three-hit efforts. The Knights have scored four-or-more runs in the second inning in both games of this series and are outscoring the AppleSox 10-0 in the second inning through two games. The only lead the AppleSox have held in this series was for the first inning-and-a-half of Friday's series opener.

Cam Liss toes the rubber for the AppleSox this morning. He is making his second start of the summer and his third appearance overall. Liss made his first start a week ago against the Bend Elks and struck out the most batters by an AppleSox starter this summer with seven punchouts in 4.1 innings. He picked up a save in his AppleSox debut by tossing two scoreless inning against the Walla Walla Sweets on June 10.

Brock Townsend starts for Corvallis just three days after tossing a scoreless inning of relief. He is 1-0 with a 6.42 ERA through three games and is making his second start of the summer today. His first came on June 20 when he allowed four runs over five innings against Cowlitz to earn a no decision in the eventual 6-4 win.

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Listen live to the action on Sunny FM at kcsyfm.com on your desktop computer or by tuning in at any of the following stations below.

• Wenatchee: 93.9 FM

• East Wenatchee/Rock Island: 98.1 FM

• Lake Chelan Valley: 95.3 FM

• Brewster/Pateros: 101.3 FM

• Okanogan Valley: 101.9 FM

• Omak/Tonasket/Oroville: 97.7 FM

• Methow Valley: 106.3 FM

Pregame coverage begins at 9:35 a.m. with the Horan Estates Winery Pregame Show and the broadcast wraps up with the Denny’s Late Night Postgame Show.

Live stats can be found on Pointstreak.

Duffalo's Big Night Not Enough As Sox Lose To Knights

Dakota Duffalo recorded three hits but the AppleSox fell to the Corvallis Knights, 9-6, on Saturday night at Goss Stadium.

Duffalo went 3-for-4 with two runs and 1 RBI, but the AppleSox fell to the Knights for the second straight game. The effort was Duffalo’s fourth multi-hit and second three-hit game this summer.

The Knights scored four runs in the bottom of the second inning marking the second straight day that the put together a crooked inning in the second frame. They have now scored 10 runs in the second inning against the AppleSox over the first two games of this series.

Wenatchee countered with three in the top of the third and tied it on Duffalo’s RBI single in the fourth, but Corvallis took control from there, scoring twice in the bottom of the inning to take a lead that it would not relinquish.

The loss marks just the second time this season that the AppleSox have lost back-to-back games, with the other time coming last Saturday and Sunday against the Bend Elks.

The series wraps up Sunday morning at 10 a.m. as the AppleSox send Cam Liss to the mound in hopes of salvaging the series.

FULL BOXSCORE

AppleSox Send Hughes To Face Corvallis Tonight

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox look to even up their weekend series tonight against the Corvallis Knights at 6:35 p.m. at Goss Stadium. The AppleSox fell in a series-opener last night for just the second time after winning each of the last four games they played to open up a series against a new West Coast League opponent.

The loss continued a middling stretch for the AppleSox. They've alternated wins and losses in each of their last five games and are now 2-4 in their last six games. The AppleSox have not lost more than two games in a row nor won more than three consecutive this summer. They dropped the first game of a three-game series last night for just the second time in six attempts.

Michael O'Hara recorded his third multi-hit game in just six starts for Wenatchee last night but the offense stalled with the regular No. 3 and 4 hitters (Adam Grob and Tino Bethancourt) given rare nights off. The fourth inning continues to be the AppleSox most productive inning after plating three in it last night. They have now scored 16 runs in the fourth inning through their first 16 games.

The Knights were buoyed by a six-run second inning to pick up their fifth consecutive victory. Their nine runs scored tied for their third-most this summer and was only four off their season-high set on June 7 in a 13-10 win over Port Angeles. The Knights' 99 runs scored are second-most in the WCL, but their .255 team batting average is fourth. Their 4.77 ERA is down the 2.93 ERA that led the WCL in 2019.

Three different Knights recorded multi-hit efforts in the victory last night. Nate Nankil went 3-for-4 with 2 RBI and two runs and Spencer Scott went 2-for-5 with a bases-clearing 3-RBI double in the second inning. Jackson Arnsdorf tossed 3.2 scoreless innings of relief and struck out three to earn the win.

Tonight’s starting pitcher is Jacob Hughes. He’s making his third start of the summer and is an incoming freshman at Oregon. He is second on the AppleSox with 12 strikeouts and tossed one of the four games this summer (June 10) in which an AppleSox starter tossed at least five innings. He struck out six Walla Walla Sweets that night but earned a no-decision in a 3-1 win.

The last time Hughes pitched he got off to a rough start, allowing three runs on six hits in the first two innings. Hughes buckled down to retire seven of the final eight hitters that he faced before exiting after the fourth inning against the Bend Elks.

Corvallis counters with Ben Kibbe. The incoming sophomore at Utah is 0-1 with a 15.63 ERA in two games, both starts. He has allowed at least six runs in both outings, including surrendering seven runs in 3.1 innings in a 10-1 loss to Cowlitz on June 19. He has struck out five, walked three and allowed 13 hits in 6.1 innings.

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Though the AppleSox are on the road, you can still listen live to the action on Sunny FM. Listeners can tune in at kcsyfm.com on their desktop computer or by tuning in at any of the following stations below.

• Wenatchee: 93.9 FM

• East Wenatchee/Rock Island: 98.1 FM

• Lake Chelan Valley: 95.3 FM

• Brewster/Pateros: 101.3 FM

• Okanogan Valley: 101.9 FM

• Omak/Tonasket/Oroville: 97.7 FM

• Methow Valley: 106.3 FM

Pregame coverage begins at 6:10 p.m. with the Horan Estates Winery Pregame Show and the broadcast wraps up each night with the Denny’s Late Night Postgame Show.

Live stats can be found on Pointstreak.

Big Second Inning Leads Knights Past AppleSox

The Corvallis Knights scored six runs in the bottom of the second inning en route to a 9-4 win over the Wenatchee AppleSox on Friday night at Goss Stadium.

Michael O’Hara led the AppleSox by going 2-for-5 to record his third multi-hit game in just six games played for the AppleSox.

The AppleSox (8-8) struck first with a sacrifice fly in the top of the first inning by Luc Stuka, but it would be their only lead of the game. Stuka led off the fourth inning with a double to extend his season-best hitting streak to four games. Stuka is hitting .500 (6-for-12) over the last three games with a pair of doubles and 3 RBI.

The AppleSox plated four runs in the fourth inning two innings after the Knights erupted. Wenatchee stranded two runs on the basepaths with two outs and the stranded two more in scoring position with one out in the fifth. The AppleSox’ 11 men left on base marked the second-highest total this summer, two off the team-high set one Thursday.

Jacob Hughes toes the rubber on Saturday night at 6:35 looking to turn the series around. First pitch is at 6:35 p.m.

FULL BOXSCORE

Sox Return to Goss Stadium Looking to Jump on Corvallis

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox are back at Goss Stadium to face the four-time reigning WCL champion Corvallis Knights at 6:35 tonight. Wenatchee is looking to beat Corvallis in a three-game series for the first time since June of 2016. Since their last series victory over the Knights, Corvallis is 10-2 against the Sox.

The AppleSox took their third rubber match, 4-3, last night to take two-of-three from Cowlitz. Designated hitter Zach Toglia contributed 2 RBI when he hit a chopper up the middle in the eighth. Meanwhile, first baseman Luc Stuka collected multiple hits for the second straight game, score a run and recorded an RBI. Wenatchee capped their three-run eighth after Adam Grob drove in a two-out run off an infield hit.

Cowlitz answered in the last frame by scoring three runs off Tyler Chipman before Chase Grillo took over and got the game-ending strikeout. Grillo is now tied for second with three saves in the WCL. Hunter Salinas took home the win after going a sox-best 6 inn, allowing only one hit with four strikeouts and one walk. Salinas' performance gave him the league's lowest ERA (0.59).

A win tonight could move the Sox half a game back if they win and Yakima Valley loses to Walla Walla. The AppleSox currently sit second in the West Coast League’s North Division. Last night’s win for Wenatchee was the sixth time that the Sox won by three-runs-or-less.

The last time Wenatchee faced Corvallis at the end of the 2019 regular season. The Sox lost all 3 road games by a combined 20-3 margin. However, the Sox that played that series were made up of tons of newcomers and late additions. Heading into tonight, Corvallis biggest threat is INF Travis Bazzana. Bazzana won the 1st WCL player of the week award and is currently hitting .365 (fifth in WCL). On the other side, tonight's starter Ty Uber is fifth among league arms with a 1.46 ERA and his 16 strikeouts have him in the top 10 as well. Sox slugger Adam Grob is seventh in RBI (13) while Tino Bethancourt is the only WCL player with at least three home runs, 9 RBI and eight stolen bases.

Returning for his fourth start tonight is Sox southpaw Gavin Gorrell (0-2, 7.30 ERA). Facing him and the AppleSox is future Stanford Cardinal Ty Uber (1-0, 1.45 ERA).

Gorrell is coming off his best outing of the summer last Friday vs Bend. Though he didn’t get the win and pitched only 4 innings, Gorrell matched his season-high 5 strikeouts, walked just one Elk and preserved Wenatchee’s 4-3 lead by striking out Julian Kodama to leave the base paths jammed.

Uber’s last outing was June 18th against Cowlitz. In the Knights’ home opening 5-3 win, Uber pitched five innings, gave up two hits, one earned run, two walks and struck out five without earning a decision. Uber stranded four runners through his first three frames before he sat down six of his final seven batters.

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Though the AppleSox are on the road, you can still listen live to the action on Sunny FM. Listeners can tune in at kcsyfm.com on their desktop computer or by tuning in at any of the following stations below.

• Wenatchee: 93.9 FM

• East Wenatchee/Rock Island: 98.1 FM

• Lake Chelan Valley: 95.3 FM

• Brewster/Pateros: 101.3 FM

• Okanogan Valley: 101.9 FM

• Omak/Tonasket/Oroville: 97.7 FM

• Methow Valley: 106.3 FM

Pregame coverage begins at 6:10 p.m. with the Horan Estates Winery Pregame Show and the broadcast wraps up each night with the Denny’s Late Night Postgame Show.

Live stats can be found on Pointstreak.

Sensational Salinas Deliver Sox Series Win

Hunter Salinas tossed six shutout innings to give the Wenatchee AppleSox a 4-3 win over the Cowlitz Black Bears on Thursday night at David Story Field.

Salinas struck out out four and only allowed three base-runners en route to becoming the first Sox starter to toss six innings in a game. He improved his lights-out ERA to 0.59 through four games this summer.

Luc Stuka drove in the game’s first run with an infield RBI single. The Sox led 1-0 until the eighth, when Zach Toglia singled in a pair and then Adam Grob added an infield single of his own to add to the lead.

The Black Bears (5-7) made things interesting in the ninth by scoring three runs, two of them while down to their final out, by Chase Grillo came in and recorded the final out with a strikeout to pick up his third save of the summer.

The AppleSox (8-7) took two-of-three games to secure their third series victory of the summer in five attempts. They travel to Corvallis on Friday to face the Knights in a three-game set starting with a 6:35 p.m. game.

FULL BOXSCORE

Another Rubber Match Tonight For AppleSox

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox will play their fourth rubber match of the WCL season tonight as they take on the Cowlitz Black Bears at 6:35 p.m. at David Story Field.

The AppleSox fell last night 7-5 as Cowlitz evened the series following Friday's 8-5 AppleSox victory. Black Bears third baseman Brock Bozett led Cowlitz with two hits and three runs scored. The Sox saw leadoff hitter Dakota Duffalo bounce back to wrack up 2 hits including a double, 1 RBI, 1 walk and 2 strikeouts. Jacob Wyeth drove in two off a double in the eighth inning. Wenatchee scored a combined three runs in the eighth and ninth innings before falling to Cowlitz. Trey Miller took the loss in his 1st start as an AppleSox after giving up three runs in three innings with a walk and a strikeout.

A win tonight would give the AppleSox their third series victory in their last four played. The AppleSox currently sit second in the West Coast League’s North Division, two-and-a-half games back of the Yakima Valley Pippins. Last night’s loss for Wenatchee was the second time in the last three games that the Sox lost by three-runs-or-less. The other happened on Sunday when they fell to Bend, 11-8 in 10 innings.

The Black Bears' seven runs scored last night was just the third time that they scored seven-or-more in 11 games this summer. Despite the outburst, Cowlitz is still hitting just .208, 9th in the 10-team WCL. The only AVG below Cowlitz is the Portland Pickles' .190 mark. However, Cowlitz hitters have struck out just 94 times, the lowest in the entire league. Flipping the coin, Black Bear pitching ranks second in the WCL with just 48 walks issued and is tied with Portland for lead with just three home runs allowed this summer.

Hunter Salinas (1-1, 0.96 ERA) gets the ball for the AppleSox in his third start of the summer and fourth appearance overall. Cowlitz will send out Tyson Guerrero (0-0, 3.60 ERA) to face Salinas.

Salinas is making his first appearance on the mound since June 13 against Bellingham. He allowed two runs, one earned, in 2.1 innings but struck out three. His second appearance of the season came on June 8 when he made his first start and tossed five scoreless innings in a 5-0 win over the Walla Walla Sweets. He was the first AppleSox starter to toss five innings in a game and one-of-three this season.

Guerrero is appearing in his second game of the summer tonight. In his first outing, the incoming redshirt-junior at Washington tossed five inning and allowed two runs on four hits against Corvallis last Friday. He earned a no decision in the 5-3 loss.

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Though the AppleSox are on the road, you can still listen live to the action on Sunny FM. Listeners can tune in at kcsyfm.com on their desktop computer or by tuning in at any of the following stations below.

• Wenatchee: 93.9 FM

• East Wenatchee/Rock Island: 98.1 FM

• Lake Chelan Valley: 95.3 FM

• Brewster/Pateros: 101.3 FM

• Okanogan Valley: 101.9 FM

• Omak/Tonasket/Oroville: 97.7 FM

• Methow Valley: 106.3 FM

Pregame coverage begins at 6:10 p.m. with the Horan Estates Winery Pregame Show and the broadcast wraps up each night with the Denny’s Late Night Postgame Show.

Live stats can be found on Pointstreak.

Newcomers Providing Immediate Boost For AppleSox

John Newman Jr. (left) and Michael O’Hara celebrate a run on June 19 against Bend. (Photo by Macy Lowe)

As the first month of the West Coast League season winds down the AppleSox roster is about as full as it will be all summer. As of June 24, 36 players comprise the 2021 squad. Before they hit the road for a season-long six-game road trip, the AppleSox added seven new players to their roster and many have already left their mark on their new team. 

The AppleSox are bolstered at catcher with three more added and four in total on the active roster. John Newman Jr. from UC Santa Barbara, Collin Villegas from Cal Poly and Jacob Wyeth from Louisiana State all joined the Sox for the June 18-20 weekend home set against Bend and for the foreseeable future this summer.

Newman has settled in nicely as a designated hitter, appearing in the first two games against the Cowlitz Black Bears on June 22 and 23 and hitting a combined 3-for-8 at the plate with an RBI, three walks and two runs. He had collected at least one-hit in all three of his starts to that point.

Villegas and Wyeth have started a combined three games behind the dish prior to action on June 24. Villegas did an excellent job at fouling off pitches to extend at-bats on June 20 en route to a 2-for-3 day with two walks. Wyeth, fresh off LSU’s impressive season ending with a loss in the Super Regional against Tennessee on June 13, flew across the country to play for the AppleSox. He collected a hit in each of his first two games, including a 2-RBI double on June 23 against Cowlitz to draw the AppleSox within one run in the eighth inning.

Wyeth wasn’t the only AppleSox newcomer to appear in the NCAA Tournament. Justin Simpson joined the AppleSox after Central Michigan was eliminated by Notre Dame on June 6 and made his AppleSox debut in dramatic fashion on June 18. He entered as a pinch runner in the bottom of the eighth inning with the AppleSox tied with the Bend Elks, 4-4, and the go-ahead run at first base. He promptly stole second and eventually scored the game-winning run when Jackson Van De Brake drew a bases-loaded walk.

That would be the first of many runs for Simpson. Entering play on June 24, Simpson is second on the AppleSox in runs (nine) and is only one back of Tino Bethancourt for the team lead. That despite playing in seven fewer games than Bethancourt. 

In his first start of the season on June 19, Simpson attacked the first pitches he saw in his first two at-bats to collect base-hits and then added his third hit of the night in his third time up to the plate. That aggressive approach paid off for him, but it’s one that he said the next day that he doesn’t usually take at the plate.

Justin Simpson celebrates as he crosses home plate on June 20 against Bend. (Photo by Macy Lowe)

“I’m not one to swing at the first pitch” Simpson said, “but I had a good round of batting practice and I came out here to hit the baseball so I thought ‘if I get a fastball early, let’s try to do something with it.”

Patience paid off for Simpson in the ensuing games on June 20 and June 22. He finished 0-for-6 out of the leadoff spot, but drew three walks both nights and scored a combined five runs. 

Michael O’Hara from Santa Clara is also off to a blazing start at the plate. He reached base safely in each of his first five games with the AppleSox, including recording two multi-hit efforts in his first three games. 

O’Hara put on a show in each of his first three games with the AppleSox and it began with a three-hit night in his debut on June 18. Though he “only” collected one hit the next night, O’Hara swiped three bags that evening and then stole another base on the 20th while also recording his second multi-hit game in three days. He drew a combined three walks in the first two games of the road trip against Cowlitz to reach base safely in each of his first five games with the AppleSox.

The newcomers are still working to get to know their new teammates but many, including Simpson have fit right immediately.

“It’s a little different but I’m pretty good at getting along with others,” Simpson said. “I’m not too shy of a person so it makes that side a little easier. It’s nice to meet new people and hopefully I’ll get to play against some of them in the spring.”

Starting at home and getting used to Wenatchee helped them out, but they especially benefited from the AppleSox long road trip during the penultimate week of June. The time away from the field really helps players get to know each other when they aren’t trying to secure another victory.

“The road trips are where you really bond with guys,” Simpson said. “Being on the bus and in hotels is where you really get to know them and build friendships.” 

Late June to mid-July is the best time for roster depth in the summer baseball season. Most teams are out of college postseason tournaments and not enough players are at the point of usage in the summer that they have to be shut down just yet.

The AppleSox know that their depth extends from beyond just four catchers. The infield is extremely versatile. Bethancourt can play first and third base while middle infielders Garrett Cutting, Adam Grob and Jackson Van De Brake can all play second base, shortstop, and third base. Simpson is comfortable at shortstop and second base. Even Rece Stapp was asked to move from second base to first base on June 22. Luc Stuka (first base) and Zach Toglia (third base) are the only infielders who have played just one position.

The outfield is just as crowded if not more-so. Dakota Duffalo has played at all three positions, O’Hara has appeared in right field and center field and Aidan Selfridge has appeared at both corner positions. Enzo Apodaca is locked in as the regular centerfielder while Payton Flynn has also seen action in left field.  

Head Coach Ian Sanderson has more than enough depth all around. Now, it’s about figuring out who will start at each position and lock in regular playing time for the rest of the summer.

Stuka Collects Three Hits But Sox Fall to Black Bears

First baseman Luc Stuka went 3-for-4 with an RBI but the AppleSox lost Wednesday night to the Cowlitz Black Bears, 7-5.

In a back-and-forth ballgame that Wenatchee never led but came within a run of tying twice the AppleSox couldn’t muster enough hits to get over the hump. They allowed Cowlitz to score in every inning except the fourth and fifth.

Dakota Duffalo also had a strong night at the plate, batting 2-for-4 with a walk. He opened Wenatchee’s scoring in the third with an RBI double and kick-started a rally in the ninth inning.

The AppleSox scored four runs in three-of-the-final-four innings and three of those runs cam across with two outs. However, they threatened in the seventh and ninth for more action with two outs, but could not plate any runs when down to their final out of the inning.

Trey Miller (0-1) allowed one run in each of his three innings on the mound to open the game. He only walked one batter but allowed two-of-the-three runs to score when there were already two outs in the inning.

The AppleSox will play the Black Bears again at 6:35 on Thursday night. It will be their fourth rubber match of the five WCL three-game series that they have played this summer, with the only non-rubber match series finale coming on June 13, when they took the first two games of their series against Bellingham.

AppleSox Continue Road Trip Against Black Bears Tonight

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox look to take the series against the Cowlitz Black Bears with tonight’s 6:35 p.m. game at David Story Field.

The AppleSox took a series-opener last night for the fourth consecutive series and have now done so in four-of-five attempts. The AppleSox collected a team-high 16 walks to finish one short of tying their single-game record, set on July 29, 2014, against the Victoria HarbourCats. Jared Engman fired three scoreless innings of relief to become the first AppleSox hurler to record multiple wins this season. John Newman Jr. collected the AppleSox’ only RBI base-hit with a double in the first inning.

A win tonight would give the AppleSox their third series victory in their last four played and would give them wins in three-of-the-last-five. The AppleSox currently sit second in the West Coast League’s North Division, two-and-a-half games back of the Yakima Valley Pippins, who have won six straight games.

Last night’s loss for Cowlitz marked only the second time this summer that they played a game that was decided by more than two runs. The other came in their most recent win, a 10-1 triumph over the Corvallis Knights on Saturday. The Black Bears have now scored five-runs-or-fewer in eight-of-10 games this summer and are 2-6 in those games.

Despite the loss last night, the Black Bears hit multiple home runs in the same game for the first time this season. Wilson Weber drove in four runs with a double and a homer while batting ninth. Cary Arbolida hit the other long ball with an eighth-inning solo shot. The Black bears are tied for second-to-last in the West Coast League with three home runs hit this summer. Their only other home run in WCL play came on June 18 when Jaden Sheppard hit a solo shot against Corvallis.

Tonight’s starter for the AppleSox is Trey Miller. The right-hander from the University of South Carolina Upstate recorded a 4.33 ERA, struck out 23, allowed 35 hits and walked nine in 35.1 innings over 13 games as a freshman. In high school, he played at two different schools. His 2020 senior year was cancelled but Miller was lights-out in 2019, posting a 1.82 ERA while striking out 84, allowing 46 hits and walking just 13 in 12 games as a junior at Danville High School in Pennsylvania. Six of his of 11 games started were complete games. 2019: 8.40 ERA, 8 K, 11 H, 13 BB in 6 games as a sophomore at Bonney Lake HS (WA)...

Cowlitz has not announced a probable pitcher for tonight.

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Though the AppleSox are on the road, you can still listen live to the action on Sunny FM. Listeners can tune in at kcsyfm.com on their desktop computer or by tuning in at any of the following stations below.

• Wenatchee: 93.9 FM

• East Wenatchee/Rock Island: 98.1 FM

• Lake Chelan Valley: 95.3 FM

• Brewster/Pateros: 101.3 FM

• Okanogan Valley: 101.9 FM

• Omak/Tonasket/Oroville: 97.7 FM

• Methow Valley: 106.3 FM

Pregame coverage begins at 6:10 p.m. with the Horan Estates Winery Pregame Show and the broadcast wraps up each night with the Denny’s Late Night Postgame Show.

Live stats can be found on Pointstreak.

AppleSox Cash In On Walks, Defeat Black Bears 8-6

The Wenatchee AppleSox drew a season-best 16 walks and won , 8-6, over the Cowlitz Black Bears on Tuesday night at David Story Field.

The AppleSox did not drive in any runs with a base-hit, but still topped the Black Bears. John Newman Jr. had the most successful night at the plate, going 2-for-4 with an RBI double in the first inning and two walks. Their patience at the plate helped them win the first game in a three-game series for the fourth consecutive time.

Jared Engman (2-0) led the way on the mound by tossing three shutout innings of relief. He retired the final seven hitters that he faced after allowing a two-out single in the fifth. Chase Grillo picked up his second save by striking out the side in the ninth.

The AppleSox scored first for the third consecutive game but won for the first time in that span. Newman doubled in a run but the Black Bears tied it up in the second on a pair of runs. Their lead wouldn’t last long as the AppleSox loaded up the bases in the third and scored two on a double and a sacrifice fly. It was deja vu as an inning later they again scored a run on a bases-loaded sac fly and led 5-4 after four innings.

The game slowed down from there but the Black Bears drew to within one run with a solo homer in the eighth. However, the AppleSox plated two in the ninth thanks to Cowlitz’s third error of the night and the insurance runs were enough for Grillo as he slammed the door on the Black Bears.

The Sox look to take the series on Wednesday night when Trey Miller makes his first start of the summer. Cowlitz has not announced a probable starter for the 6:35 p.m. first pitch.

AppleSox Begin Longest Road Trip of 2021 Tonight

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox (6-6) will play their first road game tonight in over two weeks but will get plenty of road action over the next five days. The Cowlitz Black Bears (4-5) welcome the AppleSox for the first of three games tonight at 6:35 p.m. at David Story Field.

The AppleSox played nine consecutive home games over a 13-day span and went 5-4 during the homestand. They took two-of-three from the Walla Walla Sweets, two-of-three against the Bellingham Bells and added another win against the Bend Elks. The AppleSox opened this past weekend before losing each of the next two games, including in extra innings on Sunday to drop to .500.

AppleSox relievers, who had only allowed 23 runs through 46 innings (4.50 ERA) in the first 10 games of the season, surrendered 21 runs in 10.2 innings (17.72 ERA) in the final two games of the series

Tonight, they face a Black Bears team that also lost its series this past weekend. Cowlitz visited Corvallis and walloped the Knights 10-1 on Sunday, but lost two close games on Friday (5-3) and Sunday (6-4). The win on Saturday marked the first time that the Black Bears played a game that was decided by a margin of more than two runs. That includes each of their first six games being decided by one run.

The AppleSox are 23-16 all time against the Black Bears, including winnings four-of-the-last-five meetings between the two teams. Prior to that, the AppleSox had lost six consecutive games against Cowlitz, with five of those coming in the final meetings of the 2017 season. Wenatchee is 11-10 against the Black Bears at David Story Field, home of Lower Columbia College, where AppleSox Head Coach Ian Sanderson is the associate head coach and pitching coach at.

Tonight’s starting pitcher is Cole Hatton. The right-hander from Saint Martin’s University is making his third appearance on the mound this summer. He made his AppleSox’ debut in dramatic fashion on June 5 by tossing five scoreless innings of relief against the Portland Pickles to earn the save. He made his first start of the summer on June 11 against Bellingham and allowed three runs in three innings on the mound. He has struck out six in two outings, but has also walked six.

Hatton recorded a 7.31 ERA and struck out 26 in 44.1 innings over 11 games as a freshman this past Spring. He attended Ocosta High School in Washington and earned Pacific League First Team honors as a freshman, sophomore, and junior and was Pacific League MVP as a sophomore and junior.

Hatton will be opposed by Carson Angeroth. He making his second start in league play and his third overall. He made his season debut on June 9 by allowing one run over five innings and earning the win in the Black Bears’ 2-1 win over Bend. He also started against the Highline Bears on June 15 and allowed one unearned run in four innings.

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Though the AppleSox are on the road, you can still listen live to the action on Sunny FM. Listeners can tune in at kcsyfm.com on their desktop computer or by tuning in at any of the following stations below.

• Wenatchee: 93.9 FM

• East Wenatchee/Rock Island: 98.1 FM

• Lake Chelan Valley: 95.3 FM

• Brewster/Pateros: 101.3 FM

• Okanogan Valley: 101.9 FM

• Omak/Tonasket/Oroville: 97.7 FM

• Methow Valley: 106.3 FM

Pregame coverage begins at 6:10 p.m. with the Horan Estates Winery Pregame Show and the broadcast wraps up each night with the Denny’s Late Night Postgame Show.

Live stats can be found on Pointstreak.

Elks Down AppleSox in Extra Innings

The Wenatchee AppleSox twice rallied back from late deficits but fell to the Bend Elks, 11-8, in 10 innings in their series finale on Sunday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Tino Bethancourt launched his third homer of the season in a three-run seventh inning and the Sox later plated two in the ninth inning without any hits as a part of two late-inning rallies, but it was not enough as they fell in each of the final two games of the series to Bend.

AppleSox starter Cameron Liss allowed two runs in 4.1 innings and struck out a AppleSox’ starter-best seven hitters before being pulled. Sox relievers combined to surrender nine runs over the following 5.2 innings.

The AppleSox took a 2-0 lead into the fifth after plating a pair in the second but the Elks tied it with a two-spot of their own before Wenatchee re-took the lead in the bottom of the inning on a passed ball to plate Justin Simpson after he reached on a two-out walk.

Though he had been 0-for-2 prior to that plate appearance, it would be the start of a great night for Justin Simpson as he would draw two more walks and score all three times that he reached base. All-in-all, he reached base in seven of his 10 plate appearances this past weekend in his first pair of games for the AppleSox.

Though Wenatchee had a 3-2 lead, it would only last until the seventh inning when the Elks took a one-run lead after putting up a two-spot. Before Bethancourt’s two-run homer in the bottom of the inning, Grob hit an two-out RBI single right before him to tie the game before Bethancourt nearly brought the house down with his titanic blast.

Bend refused to let momentum shift away from them as they plated four in the top of the eighth in part thanks to the third of four AppleSox errors on the evening. Wenatchee faced four different pitchers and sent eight men to the plate but scored twice without collecting any hits. appleSox hitters were patient and drew four walks in the inning, but they stranded the bases-loaded and failed to plate the winning run after he reached base without any outs in the inning.

The Elks made the AppleSox pay by scoring three in the 10th and then the AppleSox struck out in order in the bottom of the inning to end the game.

The AppleSox have Monday off before traveling to face the Cowlitz Black Bears for the first-of-three games on Tuesday night at 6:35.

AppleSox, Elks Tangle in Father's Day Rubber Match

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox will try to close their season-long nine-game homestand by winning their third straight series, facing the Bend Elks at 5:35 tonight at Paul Thomas Sr Stadium. The AppleSox are coming off a 15-7 loss last night, but are 4-0 following a loss this season.

Last night's loss to Bend was a game of streaky offense. The Sox started off by scoring two runs in the first before Bend countered back with a three-run second inning. After Sox starter Jacob Hughes buckled down and struck out in the two ensuing innings, Wenatchee woke up again and tied their season-high with five runs in the fourth. Up 7-3 entering the fifth, Bend opened the floodgates by scoring 11 runs off nine hits. The Elks sent 10 men up to the plate before the first out was recorded.

The Elks' big fifth inning was the most runs that they had scored in an inning against the AppleSox since scoring seven in the bottom of the sixth inning bak on July 28, 2018. The AppleSox would go on to win that game, 11-8.

Justin Simpson was the 2nd debuting Sox in this series to collect three hits. Simpson also stole two bases, scored twice and drove in one. Simpson's three-hit game was the first time the Sox had two straight games where a batter smacked three hits. Meanwhile, Adam Grob smashed a double for the second straight game to extend his hitting streak to five in a row and give him four games with multiple RBI. Grob has only been hitless once since the opening road trip to Portland ended. New Sox catcher Jacob Wyeth worked through some in-game pain to finish the night 1-for-3 with a run scored.

Bend's explosion helped them finish 19-for-46 (.413) at the plate last night. Gavin Rork set the tone as the leadoff man with four hits, 2 RBI and one run. He was one-of-six Elks' starters to collect two or more hits.

Cam Liss toes the rubber in his first start of the summer for the AppleSox. He’s appeared in one game, which was on June 10. He earned the save after two scoreless innings of relief against the Walla Walla Sweets. He walked one, did not allow any hits and struck out one of the seven hitters that he faced.

Liss is an incoming junior at Washington State this fall. He spent the first two years of his college career at Spokane Falls. This Spring, Liss recorded a 4.28 ERA and struck out 78 hitters in 48.1 innings over nine games (all starts). He also pitched in two games for the Yakima Valley Pippins in the 2019 WCL season.

The Elks will start an Oregon State Beaver for the second straight game. David Case makes his WCL and Bend debut tonight in his first game against college competition. The incoming freshman wrapped his high school career at Loyola in Los Angeles this spring. A back fracture prevented him from playing his freshman year but he bounced back to play each of the next three years.

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Fans can purchase tickets for tonight’s game and any other June AppleSox home game by visiting applesox.com/tickets. Ticket information on July home games will be released in the following week.

If you cannot attend tonight’s game, then you can still listen live to the action on Sunny FM. Listeners can tune in at kcsyfm.com on their desktop computer or by tuning in at any of the following stations below.

• Wenatchee: 93.9 FM

• East Wenatchee/Rock Island: 98.1 FM

• Lake Chelan Valley: 95.3 FM

• Brewster/Pateros: 101.3 FM

• Okanogan Valley: 101.9 FM

• Omak/Tonasket/Oroville: 97.7 FM

• Methow Valley: 106.3 FM

Pregame coverage begins at 5:10 p.m. with the Horan Estates Winery Pregame Show and the broadcast wraps up each night with the Denny’s Late Night Postgame Show. Tonight’s game will also have a live video with the radio feed. It can be seen on playsight.com

Big Inning Propels Elks Past AppleSox

The Bend Elks scored 11 runs in the top of the fifth inning to defeat the Wenatchee AppleSox, 15-7, on Saturday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

The AppleSox plated five in the bottom of the fourth to take a 7-3 lead, but the Elks sent 15 men to the plate in an inning where each of the first 10 hitters reached before an out was recorded. Sam Linscott delivered the big blow with a three-run homer as the ninth hitter of the inning.

Wenatchee scored first with two in the bottom of the first before the Elks countered with a three-run second inning. Neither team scored again until the AppleSox’ five-run outburst in the fourth.

Justin Simpson shined for the AppleSox in his first start of the summer as he went 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Adam Grob drove in two, Tino Bethancourt reached base four times and Michael O’Hara stole three bases.

Jacob Hughes started and gave up three runs in the second inning after an up-and-down first but recovered to toss two subsequent scoreless innings, retiring seven of the final eight hitters that he faced. He exited after four and the bullpen was on the hook for Bend’s big inning.

The Elks picked up their first victory since June 10 to snap a five-game losing streak. They’ll face the AppleSox on Sunday at 5:35 for a rubber match on Father’s Day. Tickets can be purchased at applesox.com/tickets.

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