Big First Inning Hurts AppleSox Sunday

The AppleSox surrendered six runs in the top of the first inning and fell to the Bellingham Bells, 10-2, on Sunday afternoon at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Matt Halbach went 4-for-4 to record the AppleSox second four-hit effort of the summer and his second multi-hit effort in three days. The incoming sophomore at UC San Diego went 3-for-5 in his AppleSox debut on Friday.

Halbach helped plate both Wenatchee runs by reaching on an infield single in the first and a throwing error into the Bellingham dugout advanced him to second base to score Joichiro Oyama and get the Sox on the board. In the fifth Oyama singled with one out and then scored on a two-out single by Halbach.

Reese Ligtenberg stymied the Bells by tossing five scoreless innings of relief and struck out three batters in his longest outing of the summer.

After playing 10 games over the last nine days the AppleSox are off on Monday before traveling to Canada to face the Victoria HarbourCats Tuesday through Thursday before wrapping up the road trip against the Edmonton Riverhawks with three games next weekend.

Listen to the latest edition of the AppleSox Podcast to hear a recap of the game as well as Joel Norman’s pregame interview with Cole Miller. Subscribe to the AppleSox Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

AppleSox Wrap Up Series With Bells On Father's Day

The AppleSox wrap up their week-long series with the Bellingham Bells at 1:05 p.m. this afternoon at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Wenatchee is looking to snap it’s five-game losing streak to the Bells this afternoon. Bellingham swept the series at Joe Martin Field Tuesday-through-Thursday and have defeated the AppleSox 6-4 and 6-3 the last two nights at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Home runs have been key for the Bells in this weekend’s first two games. Cole Hage blasted two solo homers on Friday in the series opener and two different blasts yesterday drove in five-of-the-six Bells’ runs. Jacob Schroeder hit a two-run shot in the second inning before Jack Van Remortel added insurance with a three-run bomb in the fifth.

The AppleSox send Felix Schlede to the mound looking to put an end to the losing streak. Schlede made his Wenatchee debut last Sunday and struck out 10 in four innings. He gave up two runs (one earned) in four innings on four walks but did not allow any hits. Schlede is an incoming freshman at Central Arizona this fall.

Bellingham sends Austyn Coleman to the rubber looking to extend their winning streak to six games. The incoming junior at Cal State San Bernardino is 0-2 with a 4.76 ERA three appearances. Coleman’s longest outing came on May 31 in his first start, a five-inning effort in which he allowed two runs but still took the loss against Springfield. The right-hander most recently faced the Kamloops NorthPaws on June 12 and gave up three runs on five walks in 3.1 innings to suffer the loss.

There is a lot for fans to look forward to for Father’s Day Matinee. Dads who arrive early will receive a swag bag courtesy of Pepsi and Weinstein Beverage. Fans 21-and-up can purchase mimosas at the AppleSox concession stand. Kids can sign up to high-five AppleSox players as they take the field and then can run the bases on the field after the game.

Today is the AppleSox’ second baseball card giveaway of the summer. Arrive early and you’ll receive cards of Xander Orejudos, Luc Stuka and Quincy Vassar while supplies last.

It’s also the long anticipated Diamonds at the Diamond game, originally scheduled for June 10 but moved to today because that game was rained out. Two lucky fan who attend today’s game will win a free diamond necklace and watch from Harry Ritchie’s Jewelers.

Tickets are still available to be purchased for today’s game and fans can do so by heading to saferseating.com or by purchasing their tickets in-person at the gate.

Today’s game can be listened to live on kcsyfm.com on your computer or smart phone. If you live in Washington you can listen on your radio on any of the following stations…

• 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

Coverage of today’s game begins at 12:40 p.m. with the Horan Estates Winery Pregame Show. Stick around after the game to hear the postgame show with player and coach interviews.

Live stats can be found on pointstreak.

AppleSox Drop Second Game of Series To Bells

Xander Orejudos recorded his sixth multi-hit game of the season but the AppleSox fell to the Bellingham Bells, 6-3, on Saturday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

The AppleSox dropped their fifth consecutive game but just their third this summer at home. Enzo Apodaca also recorded his second multi-hit game in as many days as he went 2-for-4 in his second game of the summer.

Bellingham scored first for the fifth straight game but each time that they scored the AppleSox had an answer in the bottom of the inning. Wenatchee was never able to tie up despite their quick responses.

The Bells struck first with three runs in top of the second thanks to three straight hits to open the inning, including a two-run homer from Jacob Schroeder, to take a 3-0 lead. The AppleSox got two runs back in the bottom of the second when Xander Orejudos reached on a two-out single and scored on an RBI triple from Cole Miller. As Miller rounded second heading for third the relay from second base went into the AppleSox dugout and Miller was awarded home to cut the deficit to one.

Bellingham scored three more runs in the fifth inning on a one-out three-run home run by Jack Van Remortel to take a 6-2 lead. Two errors in the bottom of the fifth put runners at first and third with no outs when Matt Halbach grounded out to short to record his second RBI of the season and the AppleSox’ final run of the night.

Wenatchee looks to salvage the weekend series on Sunday afternoon at 1:05 p.m. at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium when it faces Bellingham for a Father’s Day matinee. Dads are encouraged to arrive early to receive swag bags from Pepsi and Weinstein Beverage. Kids coming to the game can sign up to high five AppleSox players as they take the field and then can come down and run the bases after the game. Fans who arrive early will also receive AppleSox baseball cards of Luc Stuka, Xander Orejudos and Quincy Vassar. It’s also the rescheduled Diamonds At The Diamond Night where two lucky fans will win a diamond necklace and watch from Harry Ritchie’s Jewelers just by attending the game.

Listen to the latest edition of the AppleSox below to hear a recap of the game as well as Joel Norman’s pregame interview with Halbach. Subscribe to the AppleSox Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

AppleSox Face Bells On Mascot Night

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox play the penultimate game of their season series against the Bellingham Bells at 6:35 p.m. at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Wenatchee continues its stretch of six consecutive days of games against Bellingham tonight and is look for its first win of the week. The Bells have taken each of the last four games to move into first place in the North Division at 8-4. The AppleSox began the week a half game out of first place but have now fallen to 3.5 games back and are last in the North Division 13 games into the 54-game season.

The Bells had stymied the AppleSox bats over the first 32 innings of the series but only allowed one run in three-and-a-half games. Wenatchee scored twice in back-to-back innings last night in the sixth and seventh. Newcomer Matt Halbach and returner Enzo Apodaca both provided a boost in their first game of the summer. Halbach went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored as the cleanup hitter while Apodaca locked down the three-hole with three singles, two runs and a walk.

Bellingham only scored multiple runs in one inning in the seventh but also tacked on runs in the first, third, fifth and ninth innings to pick up a 6-4 win. Similar to the AppleSox it was the Bells’ third-and-fourth hitters in the lineup who did the bulk of the damage offensively. No. 3 hitter Cole Hage homered twice in drove in four runs with a 3-for-4 night. Cleanup hitter Jack Van Remortel was pinch run for in the seventh but not before collecting his third double of the night and second RBI.

Jack Moffitt, a redshirt sophomore at Gonzaga, makes his third start of the summer and his second at home for the AppleSox. He is coming off tossing 2.1 inning last Saturday in Game 2 of the doubleheader against Springfield. Moffitt allowed three runs (one earned) on two hits, three walks and two strikeouts before being pulled. He made his summer debut on June 5 and tossed four scoreless innings against Bend. Moffitt twice pitched in and out of bases-loaded jams while allowing three hits, walking six and striking out five.

AppleSox starting pitching has been superb in this series. In each of the last three games an AppleSox starter has tossed at least five innings and allowed four or fewer runs but all three have suffered tough-luck losses.

He will be opposed by Cody Delvecchio, an incoming freshman at UCLA. The 5-11, 160-pound right-hander is making his summer debut for Bellingham. He wrapped up his prep career this spring by posting a 1.12 ERA with 131 strikeouts in 75 innings over 13 games. Delvecchio posted a 1.75 ERA in 39 games over four years of varsity at Mission Hills High School in San Marcos, Calif.

Tonight’s game is sponsored by Pepsi and Weinstein Beverage. It’s also Mascot Night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. Join Coyote and his favorite mascot buddies at the ballpark for tonight’s 6:35 p.m. game.

Tickets are still available to be purchased for tonight’s game and fans can do so by heading to saferseating.com or by purchasing their tickets in-person at the gate.

Tonight’s game can be listened to live on kcsyfm.com on your computer or smart phone. If you live in Washington you can listen on your radio on any of the following stations…

• 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

Coverage of tonight’s game begins at 6:10 p.m. with the Horan Estates Winery Pregame Show. Stick around after the game to hear the postgame show with player and coach interviews.

Live stats can be found on pointstreak.

AppleSox Late Rally vs Bells Falls Short

The Wenatchee AppleSox rallied to score four runs over the final four innings on Friday but fell to the Bellingham Bells, 6-4, at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Enzo Apodaca and Matt Halbach both collected three hits in their first game of the summer but the AppleSox’ losing streak hit four games in just their second loss at home in a West Coast League game.

Friday marked the third straight night that an AppleSox starting pitcher allowed four runs or less while tossing at least five innings. Mason Philley (1-1) allowed three runs in five innings and struck out four but picked up his first loss of the season. Wenatchee' starting pitchers have tossed five-or-more innings five times this season with three of those instances occurring in the last three games.

Trailing 3-0 entering the bottom of the sixth the AppleSox scored twice when Apodaca led off with a walk and went to third on a single by Halbach before scoring on a wild pitch. Halbach scored two hitters later on an RBI double by Cole Miller to cut the deficit to one run at the time.

Despite giving up two runs in the top of the seventh the AppleSox got those two runs right back when Halbach singled in his first run of the season with his third hit of the night and Michael Davinni grounded out to score Apodaca for his second run of the game.

The AppleSox stranded 11 men on the basepaths, including leaving the bases loaded in the fourth and three times stranding multiples runners.

Wenatchee looks to even up the weekend series on Saturday when it faces the Bells again at 6:35 p.m. It’s Mascot Night sponsored by Pepsi and Weinstein Beverage. Join Coyote and his favorite mascot buddies at the game. Tickets can be purchased at saferseating.com.

Listen to the latest edition for the AppleSox podcast to hear a recap of the game as well as Joel Norman’s pregame interview with Apodaca.

AppleSox Debut New Jerseys vs. Bells Tonight

The Wenatchee AppleSox continue their six-games-in-six-days series against the Bellingham Bells tonight with the first-of-a-three game series at 6:35 p.m. at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

The AppleSox are 5-1 at home in West Coast League action this year and are looking to build off that strong start this evening. They will sport brand-new powder blue jerseys this evening that will replace their navy blue jerseys as an alternate uniform this summer. Fans can purchase the game-worn navy blue jerseys at the AppleSox souvenir stand on the third-base side of the park.

The AppleSox are coming off dropping all three games in Bellingham to the Bells. After entering Tuesday’s series opener among the top three in the WCL in batting average and runs the AppleSox only scored once in the three games. Last night Ryan Mullan struck out seven and only allowed one run in five innings but took the tough-luck loss.

Wenatchee will attempt to contain Bellingham infielder Elijah Hainline over the next three days. The incoming sophomore at Washington State batted leadoff for all three games at Joe Martin Field and torched the AppleSox with five hits and five runs earlier this week. He has a .395 batting average and a hit in every game played this season.

Meanwhile, Michael Davinni continues to deliver at the plate for Wenatchee. He batted third for the first time this season and recorded his sixth multi-hit game of the season. Davinni’s single in the first inning stretched his hitting streak to 12 games, meaning that he has collected at least one hit in every game that the AppleSox have played this summer. 

Mason Philley returns to the starting rotation tonight for Wenatchee after a brilliant relief outing in his last appearance on the mound. He shut down the Springfield Drifters with one unearned run allowed in 4.2 innings of relief and struck out eight to pick up the victory in the AppleSox 7-4 win over the Drifters in Game 2 of the doubleheader last Saturday. The incoming senior at the University of Arkansas at Monticello bounced back from allowing seven runs (five earned) in two innings on June 3 against the Bend Elks at Vince Genna Stadium. 

Bellingham counters with Cooper Barnum, an incoming junior at Washington State. He is making his third start of the summer and is 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA. He has tossed six innings and has struck out four, walked three and allowed six hits. Barnum’s last start came on June 11 when he tossed four scoreless innings at Kamloops and struck out three to pick up the win.

Prior to tonight’s game the AppleSox will honor the Washington 2B Baseball State Champion Brewster Bears. Fans should arrive in their seats by 6:15 to catch the team recognized on the field.

Tickets are still available to be purchased for tonight’s game and fans can do so by heading to saferseating.com or by purchasing their tickets in-person at the gate.

Tonight’s game can be listened to live on kcsyfm.com on your computer or smart phone. If you live in Washington you can listen on your radio on any of the following stations…

• 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

Coverage of tonight’s game begins at 6:10 p.m. with the Horan Estates Winery Pregame Show. Stick around after the game to hear the postgame show with player and coach interviews.

Live stats can be found on pointstreak.

Mullan's Strong Start Not Enough For AppleSox

Ryan Mullan struck out seven hitters and only allowed one run in seven innings but the Wenatchee AppleSox fell, 5-0, to the Bellingham Bells on Thursday night at Joe Martin Field. 

Mullan (0-1) allowed his only run in the bottom of the first inning after plunking Elijah Hainline to start the inning. The Bells’ leadoff hitter went on to steal second and advance to third on a throwing error before scoring on an infield single.

It remained 1-0 Bellingham for the next five-and-a-half innings until the Bells sent 10 men to the plate in the bottom of the seventh to score four more runs and add some insurance. Each of the Bells’ first four hitters reached base safely with Hainline delivering a 2-RBI single with the bases loaded before two AppleSox errors later in the inning helped plate two more runs.

Michael Davinni continued his torrid start at the plate by collecting a pair of singles to record his sixth multi-hit game and stretch his hitting streak to 12 games. He finished with five hits in the three games at Bellingham.

The AppleSox were swept by the Bells for the first time since 2014 when Bellingham won all three games June 30-July 2 at Wenatchee. It was the first time that the Bells swept the AppleSox at Joe Martin Field since June 12-14 in 2013. 

Wenatchee entered this series against Bellingham among the top three in the West Coast League in runs scored and team batting average but only scored one run over 27 innings at the plate. The AppleSox went from a game over .500 to under with ground to make up this weekend.

They’ll continue their six-games-in-six-days stretch against the Bells with the first game at Wenatchee on Friday night at 6:35 p.m. The AppleSox will sport their brand-new powder blue alternate jerseys on Friday night and on Sunday for the 1:05 p.m. game to wrap up the series. Wenatchee is 5-1 at home in league play, including sweeping the Springfield Drifters last weekend. Tickets for all three games can be purchased at saferseating.com.

Listen to the latest edition of the Wenatchee AppleSox Podcast below to hear a recap of the game as well as Joel Norman’s pregame interview with Ryan Mullan. Subscribe to the AppleSox Podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

AppleSox Aim To Salvage Road Trip To Bellingham

The Wenatchee AppleSox wrap up the road portion of their six-game series with the Bellingham Bells at 6:35 p.m. at Joe Martin Field.

The AppleSox have lost the first two games of this road trip to Bellingham and will attempt to salvage this series tonight. They’ve had a tough go of things offensively, scoring just once through the first 18 innings of this series. Last night’s four hits were the fewest by the AppleSox in the first 11 games of the summer so far.

Though the AppleSox have been quiet offensively two players have had good starts to the series. Grant Sherrod collected two hits last night, including driving in the AppleSox’ only run with an RBI single in the sixth inning. Including Monday’s non-league game Sherrod has now recorded four multi-hit games in six games with the AppleSox.

Michael Davinni also had another strong night at the plate last night, doubling in his final at-bat to extend his hitting streak to 11 games. He is the only member of the AppleSox to have a hit in every game this season.

Even as the series at Bellingham wraps up tonight the AppleSox won’t be finished with the Bells yet this week. Bellingham comes to Wenatchee for the first-of-three games at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium tomorrow with the series concluding on Father’s Day this Sunday.

Ryan Mullan makes his second start of the summer for the AppleSox. The incoming freshman at Loyola Marymount made his first start last Saturday against the Springfield Drifters in the first game of the doubleheader. Mullan tossed 2.2 innings and allowed one run on two hits, three walks and three strikeouts. He tossed a scoreless inning against Springfield before allowing a leadoff double in the second. A ground out moved the runner to third and a passed ball brought in the only run against Mullan. He got off to a strong start in the third inning, retiring both of the first two hitters, but two consecutive reached against Mullan and then he was pulled.

Bellingham counters with Christopher Foster, who is making his first start this summer. He has appeared in two games as a reliever and tossed three scoreless innings both times. Foster has not allowed any runs this season in six innings and has struck out nine-of-the-23 batters that he has faced. In his most recent outing the right-hander from Green River Community College tossed three scoreless innings against the Kamloops NorthPaws on June 10. Foster allowed one hit and walked three but struck out six.

Tonight’s game can be listened to live on kcsyfm.com on your computer or smart phone. If you live in Washington you can listen on your radio on any of the following stations…

• 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

Coverage of tonight’s game begins at 6:10 p.m. with the Horan Estates Winery Pregame Show. Stick around after the game to hear the postgame show with player and coach interviews.

Live stats can be found on pointstreak.

Big Second Inning Pushes Bells Past AppleSox

The AppleSox dropped Wednesday night’s mid-week game to the Bellingham Bells, 4-1, on Wednesday night at Joe Martin Field. 

Grant Sherrod collected two hits, including an RBI single in the sixth inning, but the AppleSox lost the weekday series after also falling 7-0 on Tuesday. 

Michael Davinni doubled in the eighth to extend his hitting streak to 11 games. He is batting .391 through the season’s first 11 games.

Bellingham scored all four of its runs in the second inning on a sacrifice fly and a three-run home run. Quincy Vassar (0-1) recovered from a tough inning to shut out the Bells over the next four innings and Ryan Arredondo also tossed two scoreless innings, but the AppleSox bats could not provide enough run support. 

Wenatchee looks to get the bats going on Thursday in the series finale as they attempt to salvage the three-game series against the Bells. First pitch is at 6:35 p.m. at Joe Martin Field and Ryan Mullan will make his second start of the summer for the AppleSox. 

Listen to the latest edition of the AppleSox Podcast to hear a recap of the game as well as Joel Norman’s pregame interview with Tyler Chipman. Subscribe to the AppleSox Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

AppleSox Look To Bounce Back vs Bells

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox continue their three-game series against the Bellingham Bells tonight at 6:35 p.m. Joe Martin Field.

The AppleSox fell back to .500 with a 7-0 loss last night. It marked the first time that Wenatchee was shut out this summer. Last night was also the first time that the AppleSox lost the first game of a three-game series since falling on Opening Night at Bend on June 4.

Wenatchee was done in by a couple of big innings as it gave up three runs in the third and then three more in fifth before allowing a final run in the seventh. The AppleSox committed two errors and only collected five hits, tied for their fewest in a game this summer. Michael Davinni was one of the lone bright spots, going 2-for-4 to record his fifth multi-hit game of the year and extend his hitting streak to 10 games.

Quincy Vassar makes his second start of the summer tonight for the AppleSox as they look to even up the series. He punched out eight Port Angeles Lefties in six scoreless innings on June 7. The southpaw and incoming junior at Vanguard picked up a no decision but the AppleSox rallied to score five runs in the bottom of the seventh after he exited and they won, 5-0. Vassar made his debut on June 4 against Bend by tossing 1.2 scoreless innings before the lights went out at Vince Genna Stadium and the game was suspended and resumed the next day. Vassar finished out the eighth inning before giving up two hits in the ninth before exiting and both runners came around to score after he left.

Bellingham counters with Randy Abshier, an incoming junior at Arizona. The left-hander did not pitch this spring but posted a 2.91 ERA in 20 appearances, all in relief, in 2021. He struck out 26, allowed 22 hits and walked 11 in 21.2 innings. Abshier pitched for the Mat Su Miners in the Alaska League in the summer of 2019 and was an All-Star Game starting pitcher while recording a 1.52 ERA in 10 games.

Tonight’s game can be listened to live on kcsyfm.com on your computer or smart phone. If you live in Washington you can listen on your radio on any of the following stations…

• 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

Coverage of tonight’s game begins at 6:10 p.m. with the Horan Estates Winery Pregame Show. Stick around after the game to hear the postgame show with player and coach interviews.

Live stats can be found on pointstreak.

Bells Blank AppleSox Tuesday

One of the West Coast League’s top offenses met one of the league’s best pitching staffs on Tuesday night and it was the pitching that triumphed as the Bellingham Bells shut out the Wenatchee AppleSox, 7-0, on Tuesday night at Joe Martin Field.

The AppleSox entered Tuesday tied for the best batting average in the WCL and with the third-most runs scored but were shut out for the first time this season. Bellingham scored three times in the third, three more runs in the fifth and then one run in the seventh.

Michael Davinni went 2-for-4 to record his fifth multi-hit game of the summer but the AppleSox offense failed to collect any extra-base hits and struck out 10 times. Davinni extended his hitting streak to 10 games but the reigning West Coast League Player of the Week, Joichiro Oyama, could not extend his hitting streak to double digits.

Kota Sato (1-1) retired each of the first seven hitters in order before running into trouble. A one-out walk followed by an RBI double was all the offense Bellingham needed as they took the lead for good with their first run of the night.

The AppleSox look to even up the mid-week series on Wednesday night when they face the Bells again at 6:35 p.m. Reese Vassar makes his second start of the summer after striking out eight in six shutout innings on June 7 against Port Angeles. Listen live to the game on KCSY Sunny FM online at kcsyfm.com.

Listen to the latest edition of the AppleSox Podcast to hear a recap of Tuesday’s game as well as Joel Norman’s pregame interview with Brandham Ponce. Subscribe to the AppleSox podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

AppleSox Begin Pivotal Stretch vs Bellingham

The Wenatchee AppleSox open up a six-games-in-six-days stretch against the Bellingham Bells tonight at 6:35 p.m. at Joe Martin Field.

It is an important early-season test for the AppleSox as they go up against a Bells squad that made the postseason last year and posted the best ERA in the West Coast League. Bellingham is 4-4 so far and is a half-game back of the AppleSox for second in North Division while Wenatchee is a half-game back of first.

The AppleSox lost a non-league game last night to the Northwest Star Academy, 14-5, but have still won five-of-their-last-six games, including sweeping the Springfield Drifters this past weekend. Wenatchee swept the doubleheader on Saturday by identical 7-4 scores after Friday’s series opener was postponed due to rain. The AppleSox wrapped up the series sweep by rallying to score five times in the bottom of the fifth on Sunday and then coasted to an 11-6 win in front of 968 fans at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

The AppleSox enter Tuesday’s game tied for the best batting average in the WCL and infielder Joichiro Oyama is a big reason why. The reigning West Coast League Player of the Week’s .463 batting averages leads all WCL players who have played in at least nine games. He hit .520 (13-for-25) last week and has at least one hit in all nine AppleSox games to go along with eight multi-hit games. Oyama, Aiva Arquette, Michael Davinni, Xander Orejudos and CJ Horn have all played at least six games and are all batting over .350.

Kota Sato gets the ball for his second start of the summer for the AppleSox. He made his debut in the home opener on June 6 and gave up two unearned runs in the first inning but recovered to stymie the Port Angeles Lefties the rest of the way. He only allowed four hits and two walks over five innings and struck out six to pick up the victory. The incoming sophomore at Edmonds retired each of the final nine hitters that he faced in order.

Trevin Hope from Lewis & Clark State College is Bellingham’s probable pitcher. He allowed one unearned run in 5.2 innings on June 1 to pick up the victory in the Bells’ 2-1 triumph over the Drifters. The right-hander is in his second summer with the Bells after going 1-5 last summer with a 3.44 ERAA in nine games (six starts). Hope punched out 37 hitters in 34 innings last year while only walking 13.

Tonight’s game can be listened to live on kcsyfm.com on your computer or smart phone. If you live in Washington you can listen on your radio on any of the following stations…

• 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

Coverage of tonight’s game begins at 6:10 p.m. with the Horan Estates Winery Pregame Show. Stick around after the game to hear the postgame show with player and coach interviews.

Live stats can be found on pointstreak.

Rough First Inning Dooms AppleSox vs. NW Star Academy

Grant Sherrod collected two hits, including a two-run home run in the seventh inning, but the AppleSox fell to the Northwest Star Academy, 14-5, in a non-league game on Monday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Brandham Ponce also had a multi-hit game with an RBI single in the first and a double in the seventh.

The AppleSox allowed eight runs in the top of the first while committing four errors. They got a run back in the bottom of the first but gave up four in the top of the third and never got within seven runs from there on out.

Cole Miller impressed in his AppleSox debut, reaching base three times and scoring twice.

Will Jacobson tossed 2.1 scoreless innings and struck out three. Anthony Sendejas allowed one run on consecutive doubles in his first inning of relief in the seventh inning but buckled down to toss consecutive scoreless innings afterwards.

The AppleSox return to West Coast League action on Tuesday night when they face the Bellingham Bells at Joe Martin Field on Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. Kota Sato toes the rubber for Wenatchee in his second start of the summer after allowing two runs over five innings to earn the win in the home opener on June 6.

Listen to the latest edition of the Wenatchee AppleSox Podcast below to hear a recap of Monday’s game as well as a pregame interview with Drake Bird.

Oyama Wins WCL Player Of The Week

AppleSox infielder Joichiro Oyama has been named the West Coast League Player Of The Week for the week of June 6-12.

Oyama’s .463 batting average leads all WCL players who have played at least nine games this year. He has collected at least one hit in all nine AppleSox games so far this year and has recorded eight multi-hit games, two of which have been three-hit nights. The Okinawa, Japan, native has been a big reason why the AppleSox have won five-of-their-last-six games and is hitting .520 (13-for-25) during that stretch.

Oyama is committed to UC Irvine this fall and is coming off a tremendous sophomore year at Merced. He won the Central Valley Conference Player of the Year award after leading the conference with a .409 batting average. He posted 25 multi-hit games for the Blue Devils and recorded 29 extra-base hits in 42 games.

Oyama and the AppleSox wrap up their first hometand of the summer tonight as they face the Northwest Star Academy at 6:35 p.m. at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. The AppleSox will honor the Chelan High School varsity baseball team before the game after they finished fourth in state and won the Caribou Trail League. All Chelan baseball players, high school or youth, will receive free admission if they wear their Chelan baseball jersey to the game. Tickets can be purchased at saferseating.com.

AppleSox Wrap Up Homestand Against NW Star Academy

The Wenatchee AppleSox wrap up their first homestand of the summer tonight as they face the Northwest Star Academy Nighthawks at 6:35 p.m. at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

This is Wenatchee’s first-of-four non-league games this summer, all of which will be at home. The AppleSox went 7-2 in non-league games last season, including winning each of their final seven. Wenatchee is 9-4 against the Northwest Star Academy but split last season’s four-game series. The Nighthawks spoiled the AppleSox’ first two games of the 2022 season by defeating Wenatchee 8-3 and 7-6 June 1 -2, 2021. The AppleSox bounced back by taking the final two games against the Northwest Star Academy on July 30-31 by scores of 15-4 and 5-3.

Luc Stuka mashed non-league pitching last summer. Including his cycle against the Highline Bears (now Dub Sea Fish Sticks) Stuka hit .409 in six non-league games. He was 2-for-10 in three games against the Nighthawks.

The AppleSox enter tonight’s non-league game rolling with wins in five-of-their-last-six, all at home. Wenatchee took two-of-three from the Port Angeles Lefties to begin the homestand and then swept the Springfield Drifters this past weekend.

The AppleSox are raking at the plate to begin the season. Their .312 batting average (tied first), 99 hits (second), 74 runs scored (third) and 134 total bases (fourth) all rank among the top five in the West Coast League. Joichiro Oyama’s .463 batting average leads all WCL players with at least nine games played.

The AppleSox send Chelan native Connor Wilson to the mound for his first start of the summer and his second appearance. Wilson’s AppleSox debut came in relief against the Bend Elks on June 4, when he allowed two runs in a third of an inning. Wilson picked up the victory against the AppleSox last season in relief on June 2 when he struck out two in 2.1 scoreless innings.

Prior to this evening’s game the AppleSox will honor the Chelan High School varsity baseball team on the field. All members of the varsity team receive free admission if they wear their Chelan jersey to the game.

Tonight’s game can be listened to live on kcsyfm.com on your computer or smart phone. If you live in Washington you can listen on your radio on any of the following stations…

• 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

Coverage of tonight’s game begins at 6:10 p.m. with the Horan Estates Winery Pregame Show. Stick around after the game to hear the postgame show with player and coach interviews.

Live stats can be found on pointstreak.

AppleSox Sweep Drifters Thanks To Big Fifth Inning

The Wenatchee AppleSox rallied to score five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to sweep the Springfield Drifters on Sunday afternoon at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

CJ Horn hit a grand slam in the fifth for his second home run in as many games and Joichiro Oyama delivered an RBI single to plate the fifth run of the inning to give the AppleSox for good. Oyama collected two other hits to record his second three-hit games and eighth multi-hit game of the summer.

Brandham Ponce hit a two-out 2-RBI double double in the first inning as part of a three-run opening frame to give the AppleSox an early edge. Ponce drew a walk with the bases loaded in the sixth inning for his third RBI of the game to add an insurance run.

Eight-of-nine AppleSox starters recorded at least one hit and five posted multi-hit efforts. Grant Sherrod reached base four times, three times via base hits. Michael Davinni singled in the first inning to extend his hitting streak to nine games. He and Oyama are the only AppleSox players with at least one hit in every game so far.

The AppleSox took a 3-2 lead into the top of the fifth inning but gave up two runs to surrender the advantage before responding in the bottom of the frame on Horn’s 410-foot blast of the flag pole in center field and Oyama’s second RBI of the summer.

Felix Schlede made his AppleSox debut on the mound and the incoming freshman at Central Arizona struck out 10 and only allowed two runs (one earned) over four innings.

The AppleSox have won five-of-their-last-six games, all on this homestand. The first stretch of consecutive home games ends on Monday when Wenatchee hosts the Springfield Drifters at 6:35 p.m. in a non-league game before hitting the road on Tuesday to start a three-game series against the Bellingham Bells. Tickets are available at saferseating.com.

Listen to the latest edition of the AppleSox Podcast below to hear a recap of the game as well as highlights and postgame interviews with Horn, Schlede and associate head coach Aaron Vaughn.

AppleSox Sweep Doubleheader vs. Drifters

The AppleSox took both games of their doubleheader against the Springfield Drifters by identical 7-4 scores on Saturday at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Wenatchee has now won four-of-five games on this seven-game homestand and has won back-to-back series to get back to .500 at 4-4.

The AppleSox took a 3-1 lead into the top of the fifth inning in Game 1 but gave up three runs in the top of the fifth, all with two outs. Springfield could not hang onto its 4-3 lead though as Michael Davinni doubled in Joichiro Oyama, who reached on a leadoff single, to tie the game. Aiva Arquette singled past a drawn-in infield two batters later and then Adam Fahsel added insurance with a two-run double.

Chase Matheny entered with two outs in the third inning and went the distance to earn the win. The right-hander from South Carolina Upstate tossed the final 4.1 innings and only allowed three runs.

In Game 2 another reliever came through with a brilliant effort. Mason Philley allowed one unearned run in 4.2 innings and struck out eight hitters to earn the victory. It marked the second consecutive game that the AppleSox’ lone reliever entered in the third inning and finished up the game.

The AppleSox scored seven runs in the first inning thanks to four consecutive singles to open up the inning. Grant Sherrod and Arquette drove in the first two runs with RBI singles and then Xander Orejudos hit a sacrifice fly to make it 3-0, Wenatchee. Fahsel singled with two outs and then Lydon reached on an error that scored Arquette and Fahsel. CJ Horn followed with a two-run opposite field home run to make it, 7-0 AppleSox.

Oyama and Davinni continued their incredible starts to the season by collecting hits in both games and have now collected at least one hit in the season’s first eight games. Oyama went 2-for-3 in Game 1 with three runs before going three-for-four in Game 2, including collecting two hits in the big first inning.

The AppleSox have already guaranteed themselves a winning record on this homestand and back-to-back series wins but are looking to take all three games against the Drifters when they face them again at 1:05 p.m. on Sunday.

Sunday’s game is the first Sunday afternoon home game of the summer. Fans who arrive early will receive AppleSox baseball cards as well as rally towels, sponsored by the IBEW-191. Kids can sign up before the game to high-five AppleSox players as they take the field and then can run the bases on the field after the game. Fans 21-and-older can stop by the AppleSox concession stand to purchase mimosas for the afternoon ballgame. Tickets are available at saferseating.com.

Listen to the latest edition of the AppleSox Podcast for a recap of Saturday’s doubleheader sweep and for postgame interviews with Philley, Orejudos and head coach Mitch Darlington as well as pregame interviews with Ryan Mullan and Luc Stuka.

AppleSox' Series Opener vs Springfield Rained Out

Friday night’s 6:35 p.m. game against the Springfield Drifters has been postponed due to inclement weather.

The two teams will play a single-admission doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 3 p.m. Both games will be seven innings and fans with tickets to Friday or Saturday’s games will be welcome to attend.

The rainout is the first in Wenatchee since June 18, 2016, when the AppleSox’ non-league game against the San Francisco Seals was canceled and not made up.

The last time any AppleSox game was rained out was June 10-12 against the Portland Pickles. All three games never began and the two teams played a doubleheader on June 13 and the other game was made up in Wenatchee as the two teams played another doubleheader on July 19.

AppleSox Play First-Ever Game vs. Drifters Tonight

The Wenatchee AppleSox’ first home weekend series of the 2022 season begins tonight at 6:35 p.m. against the Springfield Drifters at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. This is the first time that the AppleSox will ever face the Drifters. Springfield was announced an expansion team last summer and is in its inaugural season.

The AppleSox took two-of-three games against the Port Angeles Lefties earlier this week to open up a seven-game homestand. Wenatchee won 16-2 in the home opener on Monday night before picking up a 5-0 shutout win on Tuesday. Brandham Ponce hit a grand slam in an eight-run second inning Monday while Quincy Vassar and Conner Ashworth combined to blank the Lefties with 16 strikeouts on Tuesday. Wenatchee did not hit a grand slam last summer until August and finished one strikeout away from matching their team single-game high.

The Drifters come to Wenatchee after picking up consecutive walkoff victories against the Bend Elks the last two nights. First it was a 4-3 triumph in 13 innings on Wednesday night for their first walkoff win in franchise history when Ryne Hays delivered a two-out game-winning single. Last night the Drifters again won with two outs, this time via a 10th-inning double by Nate Stevens in the bottom of the 10th.

Over the course of their three-game series with Bend from Tuesday through Thursday the Drifters used 14 different pitchers to take two-of-three from the Elks. The AppleSox used eight pitchers in their series victory over the Lefties and had Thursday off.

The AppleSox will send Ryan Mullan, an incoming freshman at Loyola Marymount University, to the mound to make his debut tonight. He graduated from Damien High School in California this past spring and his older brother, Bradley, is at Gonzaga and pitched for the Corvallis Knights last summer.

Springfield counters with Dylan O'Connor, who is making his second start of the summer. He allowed five runs (two earned) on nine hits, three walks and three strikeouts over 4.1 innings and earned a no decision on June 3 against Cowlitz.

It’s Wenatchee and Eastmont Youth Baseball Weekend at the ballpark as all members of Wenatchee or Eastmont Youth Baseball receive free admission Friday through Sunday if they wear their jersey to the game. Tonight’s game is also Diamonds at the Diamond Night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. One lucky fan will win a diamond necklace and another will win a watch thanks to Harry Ritchie’s Jewelers in East Wenatchee.

Tonight’s game can be listened to live on kcsyfm.com on your computer or smart phone. If you live in Washington you can listen on your radio on any of the following stations…

• 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

Coverage of tonight’s game begins at 6:10 p.m. with the Horan Estates Winery Pregame Show. Stick around after the game to hear the postgame show with player and coach interviews.

Live stats can be found on pointstreak.

Youth Baseball Weekend Highlights AppleSox' First Home Weekend of 2022

The Wenatchee AppleSox play their first home weekend series of the season this Friday through Sunday as they host the Springfield Drifters at 6:35 p.m. the first two nights before wrapping up the series Sunday at 1:05 p.m. The seven-game homestand wraps up on Monday against the Northwest Star Academy at 6:35 p.m.

This will be Wenatchee’s first three games against Springfield in their inaugural season in the West Coast League. The Drifters are one of four other expansion teams to join the WCL in 2022. Monday will mark the fifth time in the last two seasons that the AppleSox will face the Northwest Star Academy.

It’s Wenatchee and Eastmont Youth Baseball Weekend at the ballpark as all members of Wenatchee or Eastmont Youth Baseball receive free admission Friday through Sunday if they wear their jersey to the game. The Chelan varsity baseball team will be honored prior to Monday’s game for placing fourth at state and for winning the Caribou Trial League for the third straight year. All players wearing their Chelan jersey will receive free admission.

Friday’s game is also Diamonds at the Diamond Night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. One lucky fan will win a diamond necklace and another will win a watch thanks to Harry Ritchie’s Jewelers in East Wenatchee.

The series with Springfield wraps up on Sunday with the first AppleSox afternoon game of the summer. The AppleSox take on the Drifters at 1:05 p.m. and fans of all ages have plenty to look forward to. This Sunday’s game is sponsored by the IBEW-191 and they are sponsoring a rally towel giveaway. Kids can sign up before the game to go down on the field and high-five AppleSox players as they take the field and then head back down to the field after the game to run the bases. Arrive early and you will take home AppleSox baseball cards of three players from this summer’s roster. Fans can also stop by the third-base concession stand to purchase mimosas.

The AppleSox’ concession stand is serving brand-new concession items for every game. Fresh fruit and cake pops are two new items now available to purchase any game this summer as well as Sox Seltzer, a new adult beverage from Eastmont Seltzer Works.

Listen to the latest edition of the Wenatchee AppleSox Podcast below to hear Joel Norman’s interviews with former Wenatchee Valley College athletic director Sandy Cooprider and AppleSox outfielder Corey Jarrell from in the middle of last night’s game.