Wenatchee Trying to Finish Off Port Angeles

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox are looking to close out Port Angeles for a clean 3-game set tonight at 6:35 in Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

The AppleSox got their third home series victory last night in walkoff fashion, 5-4. After Adam Grob reached base on an error in the ninth, pinch hitter Collin Villegas smashed a game-tying triple to right field. Two hitters later, first baseman Tino Bethancourt knocked an inside fastball over to right field that finished off the ‘Sox two-run comeback.

Alex Brady's gutsy relief performance helped him earn his only Sox win in his final game of the summer. After the heroics, Tino Bethancourt has five RBI in the last two days and two memorable hits. The win keeps Wenatchee 4.5 games behind Bellingham overall and just 3.5 games back in the second half standings.

Wenatchee is back to .500 when they score five or more runs. This team doesn't quit and their late inning offense proves it. This summer from the sixth frame through the ninth, they have outscored their foes by nine runs, 106-97. The AppleSox offense, still ninth in the West Coast League with a .226 batting average, has scored 21 runs in their first two games this month.

One reason for this explosion has been Wenatchee's aggressive baserunning. The Sox have stolen 12 bases without being caught in their first two games against Port Angeles. This was expected as Wenatchee is second in steals among all ten WCL teams. Building off that, the Sox have unleashed the power ball lately. They have homered safely in their last five league games, the longest streak of the summer. Even more impressive, Wenatchee has neutralized Port A's power. The Lefties have only one home run against Wenatchee through five contests despite currently ranking third in the entire league with 27 big flies.

Looking for one last thrill, incoming Oregon sophomore Logan Mercado will toe the rubber in his final outing of the summer. Mercado is 2-2 with a 4.59 ERA, has struck out 29, walked 13 and held hitters to a .258 batting average. This will be Mercado’s second start against the Lefties. The Pasco, Washington native is looking for a repeat of July 7th when he struck out a season-high eight Lefties at Civic Field in his first five-inning start of the summer.

Port Angeles has not announced a starter for today’s final meeting between the Lefties and the AppleSox.

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Tickets are available for tonight’s game as well as each of the final four home games and can be purchased on your computer at applesox.com/tickets or at the ballpark. Gates open at 5:30 tonight.

If you cannot make it over to Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium tonight, the AppleSox will provide a live video broadcast with a synced-up radio feed. It can be seen on playsight.com. Joel Norman and Reily Chestnut will provide play-by-play coverage.

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 6:10 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.

AppleSox Walk Off Lefties

The Wenatchee AppleSox scored twice in the bottom of the ninth to walk off the Port Angeles Lefties, 5-4, on Wednesday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. 

Tino Bethancourt drove in the game-winning run with an RBI single to right field. Collin Villegas scored the game-winning run after tying the game with a triple.

The AppleSox trailed 4-3 entering the bottom of the ninth but Adam Grob reached on a throwing error by Lefties third baseman Coleman Schmidt to lead off the inning. Villegas, pinch hitting for Aidan Selfridge, hit a ball to right field that outfielder Anthony Kodama was debating whether to let drop in front of him or sprint for when he slipped on the grass. The ball rolled all the way to the fence to score Grob.

John Newman Jr., who homered in the seventh inning to cut the deficit to one run, walked and that set the stage for Bethancourt with no outs. He lifted a 1-0 pitch into right field that even the drawn-in outfield had no chance at catching.

Alex Brady (1-0) picked up the win in relief in his final AppleSox appearance this summer. Although he allowed three inherited runners to score, he buckled down to toss three shutout innings without any runs charged to him. Brady struck out a season-best five in a season-long effort in relief.

The AppleSox did not score until the sixth inning but it shouldn’t be a surprise that their offense woke up late. Wenatchee is outscoring opponents 106-97 in the sixth-through-ninth innings. Garret Cutting led off the sixth with a triple off the center-field fence and then Michael O’Hara drove him in with an infield single. Grob doubled in O’Hara to give the AppleSox a 2-1 lead.

The Lefties responded with three in the top of the seventh. Newman’s homer immediately following the seventh-inning stretch drew the AppleSox closer before they walked it off two innings later.

The AppleSox look to take all three games of this mid-week series against the Lefties when they face them again at 6:35 p.m. on Thursday night. Logan Mercado (2-2, 4.59 ERA) gets the start in his final game of the summer. Tickets are available at applesox.com/tickets.

BOXSCORE

Listen to postgame interviews with Head Coach Ian Sanderson, Bethancourt and Brady below.

AppleSox Go For Series Win on Cherry Creek Media Night

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox look to build off last night's 10-run victory and take the series against the Port Angeles Lefties tonight at 6:35 at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. The AppleSox defeated the Lefties last night, 16-6, thanks to a 12-run seventh inning. Despite trailing by three entering the inning, each of the AppleSox first seven hitters reached base before an out was recorded. Tino Bethancourt tied the game with a 2-RBI single and Jackson Van De Brake plated the final four runs of the inning with the AppleSox' first grand slam of 2021.

The AppleSox set multiple single-game offensive highs last night including in runs, stolen bases (10), walks (17) and hit by pitches (4). Van De Brake's grand slam was the 20th in team history in league play, according to former AppleSox scorekeeper Bruce Bennett.

The AppleSox have now scored at least 15 runs in a game in three of their last five home games, including non-league games. They are second in the WCL in steals (83) and walks (214) and have the sixth-best on-base percentage (.353). Port Angeles has the worst batting average (.211), on-base percentage (.313) and on-base-plus-slugging percentage (.632). The Lefties are third in the WCL with 27 home runs. IF that continues through the end of the season, it will mark the third consecutive year that Port Angeles has finished among the top three teams in the WCL in home runs in their four years of existence.

Last night's win marked just the fourth time in 23 instances where the AppleSox were out-hit by their opponent but still picked up the win. The AppleSox have out-hit or collected the same number of hits as their opponent in 17 games and are 11-6 in those games. with their 13 runs in the seventh and eighth innings last night, the AppleSox are now outscoring opponents 82-69 in the seventh-through-ninth innings.

Tonight’s starting pitcher for the AppleSox is Cole Hatton. He leads the team with 34 strikeouts and is also making his team-leading eighth start of the summer. No other AppleSox pitcher has started more than five games. Hatton is 1-2 with a 5.11 ERA and has struck out 34 in 31.2 innings.

The Lefties have not announced a probable pitcher for tonight’s game.

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Tonight’s game is being sponsored by Cherry Creek Media. They are partnering with the Salvation Army and anyone who brings a non-perishable food item to their studio on 231 N. Wenatchee Avenue or to Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium will receive a free ticket to the game.

If you cannot make it to tonight’s game, the AppleSox will provide a live video broadcast of tonight’s game with a synced-up radio feed. It can be seen on playsight.com. Joel Norman and Reily Chestnut will provide play-by-play coverage.

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 6:10 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.

Huge Seventh Inning Leads AppleSox Past Lefties

The Wenatchee AppleSox scored 12 runs in the seventh inning to rally back from a 6-3 deficit and defeat the Port Angeles Lefties, 16-6, on Tuesday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Trailing 6-3 entering the seventh-inning stretch, the AppleSox dug into the batter’s box and went to work. Wenatchee sent 18 men to the plate and scored 12 runs on five hits, nine walks and a hit by pitch. Each of the first seven hitters reached base before an out and all seven came around to score.

The big blow came from Jackson Van De Brake. With eight runs already across he came to bat with the bases loaded. It marked the fifth time that the AppleSox batted with the bases loaded. While the AppleSox had scored all four previous times with a pair of sacrifice flies, a walk and a wild pitch, they had not plated any runs via a base-hit when batting with the bases loaded.

That all changed with Van De Brake. He launched his first home run of the season and gave the AppleSox the final four runs of their huge seventh-inning rally.

Van De Brake plated another run with a sacrifice fly in the ninth to give him 5 RBI, the most by an AppleSox hitter this summer. His home run marked the first by an AppleSox hitter against a West Coast League opponent that was not a solo home run or two-run shot.

Van De Brake wasn’t the only hitter with a big night. A.J. Guerrero was the only AppleSox hitter to reach safely in every plate appearance. He went 4-for-4 with two singles, two doubles and two doubles. Aidan Selfridge went 1-for-4 with two walks, three runs and a single to stretch his hitting streak to six games.

Tino Bethancourt drove in four runs with a 1-for-3 night. He scored three runs, was hit by two pitches and walked, but his only hit of the night came at the right time. He singled up the middle four batters into the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at 6-6.

2018 Cashmere High School graduate Tyler Chipman (2-1) entered the ballgame with the AppleSox trailing but tossed two scoreless innings while the bats got hot and earned the victory.

The AppleSox go for the series win on Wednesday night as they host the Lefties again at 6:35 p.m. It is Cherry Creek Media Night at the ballpark. They are partnering with the Salvation Army and anyone who brings a non-perishable food item to their studio on 231 N. Wenatchee Avenue or to Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium will receive a free ticket to the game.

BOX SCORE

Listen to postgame interviews with Van De Brake and Guerrero below.

AppleSox Welcome Lefties to Wenatchee Tonight

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox host the Port Angeles Lefties for a three-game series with the first game coming tonight at 6:35 at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

The AppleSox just took both non-league games this past weekend against the Northwest Star Academy with a 15-4 win on Friday and a 5-3 win on Saturday. Enzo Apodaca led the way, batting 3-for-6 with two triples, three runs, two stolen bases and 3 RBI.

Apodaca is rolling at the plate, entering tonight's game on a seven-game hitting streak in WCL action. The redshirt freshman at Gonzaga has collected a hit in nine straight games, league and non-league, after collecting a trio of hits this past weekend.

Aidan Selfridge is also swinging a hot bat as of late. He has hits in each of his last five games and went 2-for-2 with a walk, 1 RBI, three runs and a triple on Friday.

The AppleSox face a Port Angeles team who they took two-of-three from on the road a month ago at Civic Field. Wenatchee lost the series-opener despite taking a 7-5 lead into the seventh-inning stretch thanks to a four-run top of the seventh. The Lefties scored one run in the bottom of that inning and then two more in the eighth to pick up the series-opening win.

Logan Mercado stifled the Lefties the next night by striking out eight and only allowing one run in five innings. Hunter Salinas followed up the next night with two runs allowed and eight strikeouts in six innings to lead Wenatchee to a series victory.

The AppleSox return to action after having each of the last two days off. It marked the first time that the AppleSox had consecutive days off since July 4-5. Wenatchee's only other multi-day break came June 14-17. In between the last two multi-day breaks, the AppleSox played 23 games over 26 days.

Cam Liss makes his fifth start in WCL play and sixth overall tonight. He is 0-2 with a 4.73 ERA in five WCL games but is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA in a pair of non-league games. In his seven combined appearances, Liss has only pitched on the road and that will remain the case as he steps on the mound tonight at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. His last appearance came on July 25 against Yakima Valley when he allowed three runs in four innings. It marked the fourth time in five starts that he allowed three runs or less but he walked a season-high five batters and was on the hook for the loss in the Pippins 5-1 victory.

Port Angeles has not announced a probable pitcher for tonight.

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Tonight is the final $2 Off Tuesday of the 2021 season. Fans can purchase tickets for tonight’s game for as low as $5 and select food and drink items at the AppleSox' concession stand are $2 off. Tickets can be purchased at the gate or online at applesox.com/tickets.

Tonight is also Scout Night. Any kid wearing their scout uniform to the game will receive a free ticket.

If you cannot make it to tonight’s game, the AppleSox will provide a live video broadcast of tonight’s game with a synced-up radio feed. It can be seen on playsight.com. Joel Norman and Reily Chestnut will provide play-by-play coverage.

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 6:10 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.

Banning Pitches For AppleSox; "A Dream Come True"

In the midst of the AppleSox’ six-run outburst in the sixth inning on July 30 against the Northwest Star Academy a right-hander began to loosen in the left-field bullpen at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. He wore the number 32 but was not Collin Villegas, the AppleSox designated hitter who homered earlier in the inning and typically wears that number.

While only a few fans noticed the pitcher getting his warmup tosses in because of the offensive barrage on the field, he would elicit the loudest cheer of the night once he stepped on the rubber for the top of the seventh inning.

“God’s Gonna Cut You Down” blared from the speakers as the right-hander stepped on the mound to begin the inning. The pitcher’s name was announced and the crowd erupted louder than it had for any of the AppleSox’ 15 runs scored that night.

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Non-league games may not count in the AppleSox’ record books but key members of the AppleSox organization have found ways to pitch in for them, sometimes literally.

On July 16, AppleSox scorekeeper Terry Aiton stepped out of the press box and onto the field to call balls and strikes as the home plate umpire for the Sox’ game against the Cascade Collegiate League All-Stars.

Guest services worker Ky Morris traded in his polo for a jersey as he came on in relief as an emergency pitcher for the CCL All-Stars on July 17.

Most recently, AppleSox Manager of Ballpark Operations Lucas Banning tossed a clean 1-2-3 top of the seventh inning for the AppleSox to wrap up a victory over the Northwest Star Academy. With the AppleSox coming off a long road trip against the Bend Elks and looking to give a couple arms the night off, Banning volunteered to pitch in and toss for the AppleSox.

It marked another remarkable moment in Banning’s tenure with the AppleSox and an evening he said that was “a dream come true.”

“I was a little kid out there, just having fun” Banning said. “I loved every minute of it.”

Banning joined the AppleSox in 2019 after his sophomore year at Eastmont High School. He was working at Dutch Bros but wanted to stay involved with baseball in the summer since his spring season had just wrapped up. Banning became part of the AppleSox guest services crew and took a special interest in helping his friend and now his fellow Eastmont graduate Makenna Schwab at the AppleSox souvenir stand. That summer exceeded Banning’s expectations.

“I just expected just make friends and have fun,” Banning said in 2019. “But I didn’t just make friends, I made a family. Everyone here was open and accepting of me and it was a great first summer job.”

AppleSox guest service workers are a lot like a family. For 33 games this summer they have worked together to ensure that fans have a fun night at the ballpark and have fun while doing. Banning helps facilitate that as the man in charge of these workers. He helped hire staff members and also assigns different game-night roles to all of them.

It’s been another summer for Banning to make friends and have fun but with added responsibilities. He played baseball at Eastmont but won’t be playing it this coming season when he heads to Washington State. Instead, Banning will pursue a career in counseling with a focus on men’s mental health.

Banning and the Wildcats had a tremendous Spring. Eastmont’s 10-4 overall record marked the third-best winning percentage among Big 9 teams. Banning excelled as a midweek starter and tossed a complete game shutout against Ephrata on April 27.

That would be the final game that he pitched. Due to COVID-19 contact tracing, Banning was not eligible to pitch on his senior night a week later and thus ended his high school baseball career.

As soon as the summer began and Banning He noticed that the AppleSox were hosting nine non-league games, he began to dream of getting to toe the rubber at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium in one of them. If the opportunity was available, he wanted to suit up for the AppleSox and live out a dream.

There were openings July 16-18 when the Cascade Collegiate League All-Stars were in town. With the CCL lacking in pitching options, the AppleSox reached out to local options. Banning’s Wildcat teammates Kade Kuske and Logan Schneider were two among several local options to toe the rubber for the visitors. Morris, a 2020 Eastmont grad, left the AppleSox guest services crew to pitch in the second game for the CCL. Banning did not pitch, because he was out of town.

He hungered for that opportunity to pitch for the first time since his high-school career came to an abrupt end. Maybe for one last time he could step out onto the field and compete in the kid’s game one more time. On July 30, he got it.

“I showed up today and set everything up,” Banning said. “Then I talked to (Head Coach) Ian (Sanderson) and he said I could suit up and come to the dugout. I went to the dugout for about two innings and then just went out to the ‘pen and waited for my call. I got told the seventh inning was mine and I started warming up in the top of the sixth.”

Banning only needed eight pitches to induce three ground balls to second that all went for outs. The AppleSox dugout stood for the entire top of the seventh and erupted to congratulate Banning as he helped cap the victory in the shortened game.

Players this summer have famously taken a “squad pic” outside of the dugout after each home victory. As they posed for it, Banning stepped to the side but pitcher Jack Lee grabbed him and wanted him to partake in the team tradition.

“They hyped me up,” Banning said. “It was great, it was just like I was one of the boys out there. They did a great job of welcoming me and I really appreciate that.”

In the end, Banning got a moment with the spotlight on him. It wasn’t a senior night where he had a chance to stand on the field with his family and his fellow high school teammates. Instead, Banning pitched under the lights three months later across the Columbia River and helped seal a victory for his hometown team in his first college baseball game.

No, it wasn’t a senior night, but it was still Banning’s moment in the spotlight that he had earned.

“I always wish I got that senior night,” Banning said. “Tonight felt really good to get back out there. It felt like a second chance to continue my baseball journey. I had everyone on my side tonight.”

As fans began filing out of the ballpark, Banning hugged and took pictures with family and friends. Soon, the players had left the ballpark and there was Banning, still in uniform and still hugging and taking pictures. Eventually Banning was the only one left in the ballpark because he still had to lock it up and turn off the lights. He still had his AppleSox jersey, hat, baseball pants and cleats on.

For one night, Lucas Banning lived out his dream of playing for his hometown team. For one night, he was still just a kid.

Sox Rally Late To Beat NW Star Academy

Enzo Apodaca tripled in the go-ahead run in the fifth inning and the Wenatchee AppleSox defeated the Northwest Star Academy, 5-3, on Saturday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Apodaca, who picked up his second triple in as many days, drove in Aidan Selfridge and then stole home after Zach Toglia danced off first to draw a throwing error. The Nighthawks committed four errors and the AppleSox scored two runs in a two-error second inning.

The Northwest Star Academy scored first with two in the top of the first thanks to five straight hitters reaching base but they left more men on base (7) than the AppleSox did (3) and it came back to haunt them in a tight loss.

Cole Bertram, an incoming sophomore at Lower Columbia, struck out two in a scoreless top of the seventh inning to wrap up the game and give the AppleSox the win in his debut on the mound. Rance Pittman earned the win in his final game this summer for the AppleSox after striking out three in 1.2 innings. The game concluded after seven innings because the Nighthawks will limited in pitching options.

Saturday’s victory was Wenatchee’s seventh consecutive against a non-league foe. The AppleSox conclude the 2021 season 7-2 in non-league action.

The AppleSox are off until Tuesday, Aug. 3, when they face the Port Angeles Lefties for the first of a three-game series. Tuesday’s game is the final $2 Off Tuesday of the season. Tickets are available for as low as $5 and select concession items are $2 off. Only six home games remain in the 2021 season and time is running out to catch the AppleSox. Tickets are available at the gate or at applesox.com/tickets.

BOX SCORE

AppleSox Look For Back-To-Back Wins Vs NW Star Academy

The Wenatchee AppleSox wrap up a two-game set against the Northwest Star Academy at 6:35 p.m. tonight at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

The AppleSox are coming off a night in which they matched their season-high for runs scored in a 15-4 win over the Nighthawks. The AppleSox have now scored 15 runs in two-of-their-last-three home games.

The win marked the Sox’ first in three meetings against the Northwest Star Academy. The Nighthawks opened Wenatchee’s 2021 season by defeating them on June 1 and 2. Last night’s victory was the AppleSox’ sixth in non-league play this summer.

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Tonight’s game is being sponsored by Confluence Health. Tickets can be purchased at the gate or online at applesox.com/tickets.

If you cannot make it to tonight’s game, the AppleSox will provide a live video broadcast of tonight’s game with a synced-up radio feed. It can be seen on playsight.com. Joel Norman and Reily Chestnut will provide play-by-play coverage.

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 6:10 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.

Sox Offense Strikes Early, Often to Beat NW Star Academy

The Wenatchee AppleSox opened up their final homestand of the season with a 15-4 win over the Northwest Star Academy on Friday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Friday’s game marked the first of an eight-game homestand to end the 2021 home slate and the AppleSox began it with a big night offensively. Collin Villegas homered and drove in four and Jacob Wyeth drove in three runs as well to lead the Sox to victory.

Enzo Apodaca (seven games) and Aidan Selfridge (five games) both entered the weekend on two impressive multi-game hit streaks. Though stats from this non-league series won’t be included with their strong recent WCL work, they both continued to get it done at the plate. Apodaca went 2-for-3 with a triple, two walks, two runs and 2 RBI. Selfridge went 2-for-2 with a triple, two walks, three runs and 1 RBI.

The AppleSox scored five in the first inning and added six more in the sixth inning. The 15 runs scored matched their season high for runs in a game this summer, in league or non-league play. Wenatchee also picked up their sixth straight non-league victory to improve to 6-2 this summer against non-WCL foes.

Despite all the offense the biggest cheer of the game came in the top of the seventh inning. Midway through the game the AppleSox and the Northwest Star Academy decided to play a seven-inning game so that the Nighthawks would have enough pitching for Saturday’s game. Eastmont High School graduate and AppleSox’ Manager of Ballpark Operations Lucas Banning toed the rubber to get the final three outs. As fans cheered him on, Banning recorded a 1-2-3 inning to end the game and give the AppleSox a victory.

The AppleSox look to take both games of the series with the Nighthawks when they host them again on Saturday night at 6:35 p.m. It is Confluence Health Night at the ballpark and tickets are available at applesox.com/tickets.

AppleSox Return Home to Face NW Star Academy

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox return home tonight to face the Northwest Star Academy at 6:35 p.m. at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium in the first game of their final homestand of the season. The Sox will face the Nighthawks again tomorrow at 6:35, get two days off then play six straight games to round out the 2021 home schedule.

Wenatchee welcomes the Northwest Star Academy to town for the second time this summer. The Nighthawks spoiled the start of the AppleSox season by picking up wins in Wenatchee on June 1 and 2. The first game was sloppy all around as the two teams combined to commit 14 errors. The AppleSox got a late rally going the next night but could not pick up the victory.

The AppleSox return home after dropping all three games of their road trip against the Bend Elks. Last night, the Sox struck first on a solo home run by Adam Grob in the bottom of the first inning for his third homer of the summer. However, the Elks cashed in on five AppleSox errors to win, 8-4. AppleSox pitchers allowed eight runs but only one was earned.

Wenatchee is 5-2 in non-league play and has won every non-league game since losing to the Northwest Star Academy twice to open the season. The AppleSox have a +39 run differential in non-league games against the Nighthawks, the Highline Bears and the Cascade Collegiate League All-Stars. The majority of the non-league games have come this month with the two previous games against the Northwest Star Academy the only ones to come in June.

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Tonight’s game is being sponsored by Weinstein Beverage. Tickets can be purchased at the gate or online at applesox.com/tickets.

If you cannot make it to tonight’s game, it can also be seen live on The NCWLIFE Channel. You can watch the game the following ways…

• On their Facebook page

• On NCWLIFE.com

• Charter Channel 19

• Local Tel Channel 12

The AppleSox will also provide a live video broadcast of tonight’s game with a synced-up radio feed. It can be seen on playsight.com. Joel Norman and Reily Chestnut will provide play-by-play coverage.

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 6:10 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.

AppleSox Swept in Bend

Wenatchee fought hard but fell to Bend in 8-4 loss at Vince Genna Stadium. The Elks got a quality outing from starter Jack Slominski as the righty gave up one earned run in five innings before Cole Wilkinson and Eli Ankeney brought the win home.

For the first time this season Wenatchee hit a home run three days in a row. Adam Grob slugged a 412-foot blast to left field that gave the AppleSox the first run for the second straight game. The Sox offense would strike again as Enzo Apodaca hit a grounder that second baseman Aidan Welch couldn’t hold onto. The error plated Aidan Selfridge in the top of the seventh.

The AppleSox added two more run in the ninth while down to their final out. Wenatchee managed to bring in two more runs with two outs. Zach Toglia reached on a throwing error that brought Michael O’Hara home then Tino Bethancourt drove in Apodaca on a bases-loaded walk.

Apodaca had his fourth two-hit game while A.J. Guerrero also enjoyed another multi-hit night. Despite the loss, first-time starter Michael DeFelippi struck out three Elks and held down their offense for the first two innings.

Wenatchee will enjoy a two-game weekend back home as they face the Northwest Star Academy Nighthawks. First pitch is Friday night at 6:35 and tickets are available at www.applesox.com/tickets.

BOX SCORE

Wenatchee Will Try to Take One Tonight in Bend

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox are back tonight at Vince Genna Stadium looking to avoid their second road sweep of the summer as they battle the Bend Elks at 6:35.

Wenatchee lost the series last night after Bend put up a series-rivalry record 21 runs to take win. The Sox got early offense to take the 1-0 lead on Zach Toglia's single. But to set the tone, Bend scored five runs in the first to take the lead and never look back. Bend scored multiple runs in third (three), fifth (four) and seventh (nine). A.J. Guerrero went deep in the top of the fourth while Aidan Selfridge delivered a two-run double in the top of the sixth. Guerrero's homer tied Tino Bethancourt for longest home run by a 'Sox hitter in WCL play this summer after it traveled 417-feet.

Entering tonight, Wenatchee is 3.5 games behind Bellingham for second place in north division for the second half. With Wenatchee currently third in overall record (14-24) for northern units, the ‘Sox still have time to catch up to Bellingham for the second half wild card spot. But it must start tonight as they look to avoid their first road sweep in Bend since late July of 2013.

Wenatchee's offense is still second in the west coast league with 190 walks. On the other side of the coin, Bend's performance last night has kept them in second place with a .268 batting average and first among WCL teams with a .384 on-base clip. The 'Sox pitching staff has dealt with control issues as they have hit eleven Elks in the first two games of this series to move into a tie for second with 40 hit batters this season.

Wenatchee has not announced a starter for the last game in Bend this summer.

The starter tonight for the Elks is rising Grand Canyon University junior Jack Slominski. Slominski is 0-3 with an 8.16 earned run average over five appearances and three starts this summer. This will be his start against Wenatchee, but not his first outing. In the AppleSox last win over Bend on June 18th, Slominski earned the loss out of the bullpen after walking Jackson Van De Brake to give away the winning run in a 5-4 contest.

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. Reily Chestnut will provide the play-by-play coverage.

• 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 with the Denny’s Late Night Postgame Show.

Live stats can be found on Pointstreak.

Wenatchee Falls in Series Decider to Bend

The AppleSox lost the series tonight in Bend by a score of 21-4. The loss gave Bend the series win over Wenatchee on Wednesday night at Vince Genna Stadium.

Early on, first baseman Zach Toglia gave the AppleSox the first run of the game on an single to drive in Enzo Apodaca in the top of the first. Toglia, who will join Utah this fall, has eleven runs batted in over just 15 games. But he wasn’t alone as designated hitter A.J. Guerrero clocked a 417-foot home run out to left center field to tie Tino Bethancourt for the longest home run of the season in the top of fourth. Finally, left fielder Aidan Selfridge clocked a two-run double into the right field corner in the top of the sixth to extend his hitting streak to four games in a row.

Unfortunately, Bend scored five runs in the first, three in the third, four in the fifth and then nine in the seventh to take home the win.

Tomorrow night at 6:35, Wenatchee will try to salvage the series in Vince Genna Stadium as they battle Bend one more time this summer.

BOX SCORE

Wenatchee Meets Bend for Game Two of Three-Game Set

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox have round two against Bend tonight at 6:35 from Vince Genna Stadium. In front of a raucous crowd of 1,138 Tuesday night, Bend beat Wenatchee 10-2 after getting 13 hits off AppleSox pitching. Right fielder Enzo Apodaca continued to impress with his second home run in WCL play and a ground ball that allowed A.J. Guerrero to score the ‘Sox last run in the 8th. Bend managed to score 8 of their 10 runs over the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.

In the last three losses to the Elks, Wenatchee has given up over ten runs in all three contests. their lone win over Bend back on June 18th, they gave up multiple runs in only one inning. Over the four games against Bend so far, the Elks' offense has scored two or more runs in ten of the 37 innings played.

The AppleSox enter tonight eighth in the league with a .227 batting average. The Sox are also fifth with a .346 on-base percentage. Meanwhile, Bend is first in the west coast circuit with a .377 on-base clip and second in league batting average (.266). Looking back to the AppleSox, they are currently second in WCL stolen bases with 69 and second among league teams with 185 walks.

Pitching wise, Wenatchee has the highest earned run average in the league (5.69). Bend is fifth with a 4.26 earned run average. Enzo Apodaca is tied for second among league hitters with 26 walks. Apodaca also has a share of the team lead for runs scored (17) with Tino Bethancourt.

Today’s Wednesday starter is Oregon sophomore Logan Mercado. Mercado has become a regular mid-week option for Wenatchee. The Pasco, Washington native is 2-0 over his last three starts. In that span, Mercado has tossed 12 innings, given up three earned runs, struck out 18 and walked four. He has also thrown at least 89 pitches in all of his July starts.

Facing off against Wenatchee tonight is Tulane sophomore Turner Thompson. This will be his second straight start after he went four innings last Wednesday at Yakima Valley. In that start, Thompson gave up a season-high five earned runs but also struck out seven Pippins.

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. Reily Chestnut will provide the play-by-play coverage.

• 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 with the Denny’s Late Night Postgame Show.

Live stats can be found on Pointstreak.

AppleSox Struggle to Hit in Series Opener at Bend

The Wenatchee AppleSox collected five hits and fell to the Bend Elks, 10-2, on Tuesday night at Vince Genna Stadium.

Right fielder Enzo Apodaca was the offensive force for the AppleSox. Apodaca hit his second home run of the summer over the right field fence to cut Bend’s lead down to 2-1 in the top of the fourth. Apodaca also hit a ground ball in the top of the eighth that allowed A.J. Guerrero to come home before Apodaca was tagged out by the pitcher. Apodaca has now hit safely in 21 of his last 29 games.

Bend scored two runs in the bottom of the first, four in the fifth, one in the sixth and three more in the eighth.

The AppleSox are back at Vince Genna Stadium Wednesday night at 6:35 for game two to try and even the series.

BOX SCORE

Wenatchee Hits the Road For Penultimate Road Trip

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox are back on the road to face the Bend Elks at Vince Genna Stadium tonight at 6:35.

The AppleSox took one-of-three games against the North division-leading Yakima Valley Pippins last weekend with Saturday’s win marking their season-high for runs scored (15) and hits collected (16). Skylar Hales kept Yakima Valley at bay with 4.1 scoreless innings of relief and struck out 10 Pippins for a new Sox season-high to seal the victory. Former AppleSox righty Seth Kuykendall stymied the AppleSox in a 5-1 Pippins win in Sunday’s rubber match.

In the past seven days, Wenatchee hit .261 with Michael O'Hara, Luc Stuka and Jackson Van De Brake collecting 19 combined hits. The .261 mark is 33 points higher than the team's .228 batting average overall. This boost helped Wenatchee score seven or more runs in half of their games last week.

In the last meeting between the AppleSox and Elks, the Sox took an exciting game one before losing the next two games to Bend at home. Bend got 41 hits off the AppleSox pitchers that weekend. Meanwhile, guys like former AppleSox infielder Justin Simpson set the Elks on fire as Simpson's first weekend in Wenatchee saw him score six runs in just three games.

With Wenatchee currently two-and-a-half games behind Bellingham for second place in the second half, the guys will look to take start their second-to-last roadtrip of 2021 in style. Bend enters this game behind the Sox in WCL runs scored with 175 (seventh) to Wenatchee's 180 (sixth). Currently, Bend is dead last with just seven home runs this summer. However, the Elks have the fewest offensive strikeouts in the league (267).

The Wenatchee AppleSox will send out Cole Hatton for another series opener on the road. In July, Hatton is 1-0 with 3.40 earned run average, 18 strikeouts and just five walks. The Grayland, WA, native has pitched more innings in each successive start this month. Hatton is coming off his first win last Tuesday at Walla Walla.

Jacob Kmatz gets the nod for Bend. The incoming freshman at Oregon State is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in one appearance. He has pitched in two non-league games but allowed three runs (two earned) in four innings against Yakima Valley on July 20 to suffer the loss. He struck out seven Pippins and walked three.

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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. Reily Chestnut will provide the play-by-play coverage.

• 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 with the Denny’s Late Night Postgame Show.

Live stats can be found on Pointstreak.

Kuykendall Shuts Door On AppleSox

Former AppleSix right-hander Seth Kuykendall only allowed one run in eight innings and the Yakima Valley Pippins defeated the AppleSox, 5-1, on Sunday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Kuykendall, who earned West Coast League Honorable Mention honors in 2019 with Wenatchee, struck out five in a season-high eight innings before another former AppleSox righty, Landon Schirer, pitched a scoreless ninth. 

Wenatchee’s only run came on a sacrifice fly by Jacob Wyeth in the second inning.

Yakima Valley scored one in the first inning before plating two in the fourth and two more in the fifth.

The AppleSox are off on Monday before heading to Bend to take on the Elks for the first of a three-game set beginning at 6:35 p.m. on Tuesday at Vince Genna Stadium.

BOX SCORE 

Sox Look To Steal Series From Pippins

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox look to take the series against the Yakima Valley Pippins at 5:35 p.m. tonight at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

The AppleSox are coming off a 15-7 win over the Pippins after losing 15-5 on Friday. Last night's win marked season-highs for the AppleSox in runs and hits as nine-of-10 players collected at least one hit and six players recorded multi-hit efforts.

The real story of the game was Skylar Hales. The right-hander from Santa Clara tossed 4.1 scoreless innings of relief to earn the win. He struck out 10 batters to set a Sox single-game high this summer. Hales improved his ERA to a Sox-best 1.59. Saturday's appearance was his fourth scoreless multi-inning relief appearance of the summer.

Zach Toglia led the AppleSox at the plate by going 3-for-4 with four runs and 3 RBI. Dakota Duffalo also drove in three with a game-tying bases-clearing double in the sixth. Garrett Cutting gave the AppleSox the lead with a two-run single in the seventh before the Sox scored six runs in the eighth to blow it open. It was the second straight day that the AppleSox collected at least 12 hits. The AppleSox offense had only scored 24 runs in their previous six games but they have plated 20 in the last two days.

The AppleSox sit three games back of the Pippins for first place in the second half. The Pippins won the North Division in the first half and have thus clinched a playoff spot already.

If the Pippins win the North in the second half, the playoff spot goes to the team with the second-best overall record. The AppleSox enter tonight's game 2.5 games back of Bellingham for the second best mark. The Bells have won three in a row and are looking to sweep Ridgefield today at 1:05 p.m.

Tonight’s pitching matchup is a battle of two pitchers going against their former teams. Cam Liss pitched in two games for Yakima Valley in 2019, including tossing 4.1 scoreless innings in relief against the AppleSox on June 8. He has a 2.74 ERA through six games this summer (including two non-league appearances). Liss has tossed back-to-back five inning starts and has only allowed one run across them while striking out eight both times.

Liss will be opposed by Seth Kuykendall. The right-hander earned All-WCL Honorable Mention honors with the AppleSox in 2019 and is 2-2 with a 3.09 ERA in seven games (all starts) this summer for the Pippins. He has struck out 33 and walked just eight in 40.2 innings.

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Tickets can be purchased at the gate or online at applesox.com/tickets. The first 100 fans at tonight’s game will receive a Cam Liss baseball card while the first 150 will receive an AppleSox cowbell. Gates open at 4:30 p.m.

The AppleSox will also provide a live video broadcast of tonight’s game with a synced-up radio feed. It can be seen on playsight.com. Joel Norman and Reily Chestnut will provide play-by-play coverage.

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 5:10 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.

Hales Shuts Down Pippins, Bats Rally to Give Sox Win

Skylar Hales tossed 4.1 scoreless innings in relief and the Wenatchee AppleSox set a single-game high this summer for runs scored as they defeated the Yakima Valley Pippins, 15-7, on Saturday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Hales (1-1) turned in his second superb outing of the summer and kept the Pippins at bay while the AppleSox rallied late. He struck out 10, a Sox single-game high this summer, and recorded his fourth scoreless relief outing of three-or-more innings.

Dakota Duffalo, Collin Villegas, A.J. Guerrero, Zach Toglia, Garrett Cutting and Jackson Van De Brake all recorded multi-hit games in the victory. Toglia collected three hits and drove in three as well. Their 15 runs and 16 hits set single-game highs in both categories this summer. Duffalo tied the game with a bases-clearing double in the sixth. Cutting gave Wenatchee the lead with a two-run single in the seventh.

The Pippins scored first with two runs in the second but the AppleSox responded with four in the bottom half thanks to an RBI single from Toglia, a wild pitch to score Guerrero, an RBI double from Michael O’Hara and a sac fly by Van De Brake.

Yakima Valley scored five runs over the next three innings to take a 7-4 lead but that was all that they would get offensively for the rest of the game. The AppleSox added six runs of insurance in the eighth to pick up perhaps their finest win of the summer to date.

The AppleSox look to take the series on Sunday night when they face the Pippins at 5:35 p.m. Cam Liss tosses for the AppleSox against former Sox right-hander Seth Kuykendall. Fans will receive a Liss baseball card as well as an AppleSox cowbell for the first 150 fans.

AppleSox Searching for Win Against the Pippins Tonight

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox will try to even the series tonight at home against the Yakima Valley Pippins with a 6:35 first pitch. The Sox fell 15-5 yesterday in the second highest scoring contest between the AppleSox and Pippins ever. Last night's 20 runs was 13 less than June 12th, 2017's 33 run display powered by Wenatchee's single game record 25-run explosion.

The Pippins scored in six innings with the tone set early by their four-run first inning. Still, Wenatchee kept the fight against Kenny Johnson. Wenatchee scored four times in the bottom of the sixth. The onslaught forced Johnson's start to end as the Sox collected five hits, including four straight singles. Jackson Van De Brake joined Michael O'Hara in the three-hit club with his first this season. Tino Bethancourt also had two hits with the first RBI knock by a Sox in the second frame.

Outside of Wenatchee, northern rivals Bellingham and Walla Walla both picked up wins last night. Now, the AppleSox need to build up some victories as they sit two game behind Walla Walla for second place.

Heading into tonight's second game of the weekend, Wenatchee sits at eighth in the league with a .224 batting average after tallying 12 hits yesterday. Yakima Valley is only one step higher with their .229 mark. The Sox are still second in stolen bases around the West Coast circuit. Wenatchee has stolen 65 bags this summer.

The Pippins have stolen 42 altogether, but are tied with Cowlitz for fewest failed attempts (six). Yakima Valley and Wenatchee possess the second and third most offensive strikeouts respectively. Pitching wise Wenatchee is tied for fourth with 148 walks allowed this summer while the Pippins are tied for seventh with Bellingham.

Starting tonight for the AppleSox is starter Trey Miller. Miller will try to earn his first win of the summer against the North division leading Yakima Valley Pippins. Miller is 0-2 with 6.30 ERA. His last outing was July 16th against the CCL All-Stars. Miller lasted four innings while he gave up five runs off ten hits. But, Miller did walk just one batter and struck out six, both season-bests.

Opposing Miller is Yakima Valley’s Tyler Frieders. Frieders has allowed just two earned runs in the month of July. The Yakima Valley College Yak is sporting a 3-2 record complemented by a 2.61 earned run average, 34 strikeouts and nine walks.

Tickets can be purchased at the gate or online at applesox.com/tickets. Tonight is “Christmas in July” night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium so be sure to bring your spirits and grab some ‘Sox ornaments for the best time of the year!

The AppleSox will also provide a live video broadcast of tonight’s game with a synced-up radio feed. It can be seen on playsight.com. Reily Chestnut will provide play-by-play coverage.

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 6:10 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.