AppleSox Look For Fourth Straight Series Victory On Fireworks Night

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox continue the holiday weekend by facing the Bend Elks at 7:05 p.m. on Fireworks Night presented by Numerica Credit Union.

The AppleSox are rolling offensively and looking to add to it tonight in the penultimate game of the first half. Wenatchee has scored 64 runs in the last six games for an average of just over 10.5-runs per game and has won five-of-the-last-six games. They have hit nine in the last seven games after going nine straight games without a home run. This recent surge represents 69-percent of the AppleSox’ season total of 13.

The long ball was a huge part of last night’s victory as the AppleSox smacked three home runs in a 14-3 win over the Elks. Luc Stuka led off the second inning with his first of the season while Brandham Ponce and CJ Horn each hit their third of the year in a seven-run sixth inning. The AppleSox also scored four runs in the fifth inning and have now scored four-or-more runs in an inning 17 times this season including four times in the last four games.

Wenatchee cannot capture a first-half playoff spot because the Bellingham Bells have already clinched it. If the season ended today, then the AppleSox would make the playoffs as the third seed and face the Kamloops NorthPaws in the North Division Series. Wenatchee sits 1.5 games back of Kamloops for second place and having home-field advantage in the first round.

Jack Moffitt makes his team-leading fifth start of the summer tonight. The right-hander from Gonzaga is coming off his first victory of the season when he allowed two runs in 4.1 innings last Saturday against the Edmonton Riverhawks. Moffitt struck out two, walked two and allowed six hits in the win.

This is the second time that he will face Bend this season. Moffitt fired four scoreless innings against the Elks at Vince Genna Stadium on June 5 but picked up a no decision. He struck out five, walked five and allowed three hits while also stranding the bases loaded twice. Moffitt is 1-1 this summer with a 4.90 ERA. In 14.2 innings he has struck out 13, walked 13 and allowed 16 hits.

Cole Wilkinson faces the AppleSox for the second time this summer and fifth time in his career. The lefty from Linn-Benton has pitched against Wenatchee in each of the last three West Coast League seasons and has a 4.38 ERA over 12.1 innings in four games against the Sox. His best appearance versus Wenatchee came on Aug. 11, 2019, when he tossed six shutout innings to pick up the victory for the Corvallis Knights in the regular-season finale.

Wilkinson started for the Elks on Opening Night, June 3, but allowed eight runs (six earned) on seven hits, three walks and two strikeouts in 3.1 innings. He is 2-0 with a 4.57 ERA in four games (all starts) this summer. In 19.2 innings Wilkinson has struck out 14, walked five, and allowed 17 hits. He allowed three runs in six innings last Saturday to earn the victory in Bend’s 10-8 win over Cowlitz.

Premium seating is nearly sold out for tonight’s game but general admission tickets remain available for purchase. Fans are encouraged to beat the long lines at the gate by purchasing their tickets in advance at saferseating.com and by arriving at the park as early as possible. Gates open at 6 p.m.

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.

AppleSox Smack Three Homers To Beat Elks

Luc Stuka, Brandham Ponce and CJ Horn all went deep and the Wenatchee AppleSox defeated the Bend Elks, 14-3, on Friday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. 

Wenatchee scored four times in the fifth and seven times in the sixth to pick up their seventh win in their last nine games. 

For the second straight day the AppleSox set their new single-game high for hits with 18. Their three home runs were also a single-game high for 2022. 

Stuka extended his hitting streak eight games with a leadoff home run to open the second. That made it 2-1, AppleSox, and they never trailed from that point on. Ponce and Horn each hit their third home runs of the season in the sixth and drove in four runs apiece. 

Chase Matheny (3-0) allowed two runs (one earned) in five innings to pick up the win in his second start of the summer. Davis Spencer struck out two in the sixth in his AppleSox debut and Hunter Gibson struck out five in the the final three innings to pick up his first save of the summer.

Halbach and Horn finished a home run and triple shy of hitting for the cycle, respectively. Five different hitters recorded multi-hit games and the AppleSox scored double-digit runs for sixth time this season. Wenatchee is 5-1 when scoring 10-or-more runs.

The AppleSox look to win their fourth consecutive series on Saturday night in front of a packed house for Fireworks Night sponsored by Numerica Credit Union. Gates open at 6 p.m. and tickets can be purchased at saferseating.com.

Listen to the latest edition of the Wenatchee AppleSox Podcast below to hear a recap of the game, highlights and interview with Horn, Matheny, head coach Mitch Darlington and Xander Orejudos. Subscribe to the AppleSox Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

AppleSox Host Elks on Fourth of July Weekend

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox continue their six-game homestand by welcoming the Bend Elks to Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium tonight for a 6:35 p.m. game.

The AppleSox are coming off a 13-0 win over the Kelowna Falcons to give them their sixth win in the last nine games and their third consecutive series victory. Grant Sherrod hit a home run and scored all four times that he reached base and Wenatchee recorded its second shutout victory of the summer.

This is the first time that the AppleSox have faced the Elks since losing all three games a month ago to begin the season at Vince Genna Stadium. The AppleSox were twice walked off after holding leads late in both instances.

Offense was the theme of that season-opening series. Bend outscored Wenatchee 37-27 in the series and have kept scoring ever since then. The Elks leads the West Coast League with 248 hits, are tied for first with 178 runs and are second with a .285 batting average. Elijah Jackson is leading the way for the Elks and is sixth in the WCL with a .373 batting average. He picked up the walkoff hit against the AppleSox in the season-opener and was 4-for-10 at the plate against the AppleSox.

Chase Matheny makes his second start of the summer tonight for the AppleSox. He was brilliant two Thursday in his debut out of the rotation, only allowing one run in six innings of work to pick up the win in the AppleSox’ rubber-match victory over the Victoria HarbourCats. He is 2-0 this summer with a 4.50 ERA and 11 strikeouts over 12 innings in three appearances.

In a unique twist Matheny will face the team he played for in the West Coast League last summer. The right-hander from South Carolina Upstate did not pitch for the Elks a year ago but hit .304 in 35 games to post the third-best batting average on the team.

The Elks will send Reid Madariaga to the bump for his fourth start of the summer. The right-hander pitched twice against the AppleSox in the first two games of the season, both times in relief. He picked up the win in relief in the season-opener by giving up one run in the top of the ninth inning before the Elks rallied to score four times in the bottom of the ninth. Madariaga allowed three runs on five hits in two innings of relief in Game 2 to pick up a no decision. Since then he has only allowed three runs in 17.2 innings over his next five outings. The right-hander from Pierce College is 2-0 with a 3.04 ERA and 23 strikeouts over 20.2 innings over seven games.

The weekend opener is being sponsored by the Comfort Suites Wenatchee Gateway. Tickets are available at saferseating.com and gates open at 5:30 p.m.

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.

AppleSox Win Third Consecutive Series

Aiva Arquette and Cole Miller both collected three-hit efforts while Luc Stuka and Andrew Haight both extended their hitting streaks to seven games as the AppleSox picked up a 13-0 win over the Kelowna Falcons on Thursday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

The win marked Wenatchee’s second shutout victory of the season and their third consecutive series victory. The AppleSox have have taken two-of-three games from the Victoria HarbourCats, Edmonton Riverhawks and Kelowna Falcons in the last week-and-a-half to give them wins in six-of-their-last-nine games.

Evan Canfield (2-0) tossed 2.2 scoreless innings of relief to pick up the win in his first home appearance of the summer. He struck out four consecutive hitters for four-of-his-last-five outs. Ryan Mullan started and did not allow any runs in 4.1 innings while stranding seven men in the first three innings. Connor Wilson tossed a scoreless ninth inning.

The AppleSox collected a season-high 17 hits on Thursday night and never trailed after a three-run second inning in which Matt Halbach drove in two with a bases-loaded single before Arquette plated his first run of the night with a single.

All of the runs in the first inning scored with two outs and was only kept possible by two crucial at-bats. Joichiro Oyama preceded Halbach with a walk to load up the bases after Grant Sherrod picked up a two-out single to prolong the inning. Sherrod reached base four times Thursday and scored all four times, including hitting a solo home run to lead off the fourth inning. Xander Orejudos plated the AppleSox’ other run in the fourth with a two-out RBI single for his first of two hits.

The AppleSox scored in each of their final three innings at the plate. They got singular runs in the sixth and seventh innings thanks to a Kelowna error each inning before scoring six times in the eighth. Miller, Oyama and Arquette all delivered RBI singles in the frame as 10 hitters came to the plate.

Wenatchee faces a tough test this weekend as the Bend Elks come to Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium to wrap up the season series. The AppleSox were swept to open the season June 3-5 at Vince Genna Stadium but twice blew saves in the series. The Elks sit one game back of the Corvallis Knights for first place in the South Division and, like the AppleSox, wrap up the first half of the season this weekend. Purchase tickets at saferseating.com.

Listen to the latest edition of the AppleSox Podcast below to hear a recap of the game, highlights and postgame interview with Sherrod and Canfield as well as the pregame interview with Ezra Samperi. Subscribe to the AppleSox Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts to check out previous episodes.

AppleSox Take On Kelowna In Third Straight Rubber Match

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox hit the midpoint of their six-game homestand tonight as they face the Kelowna Falcons at 6:35 p.m. at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

The AppleSox took the first game of this series on Tuesday night with a 9-4 victory but lost last night, 11-7. While a six-run sixth inning proved the difference in the series opener it was surrendering six runs in the sixth inning on Wednesday that evened up the mid-week series.

Offense has not been an issue for the AppleSox lately despite last night’s loss. They rallied to score all seven of their runs in the final three innings to mark the fourth consecutive game that they have scored at least seven runs. The AppleSox are outscoring opponents, 37-20, in that span.

Luc Stuka has been a big contributor to the AppleSox’ recent surge. He reached base three times and score twice last night to extend a pair of different streaks. His first-of-two hits, a fourth-inning double, extended his hitting streak to six games and his eighth-inning walked extended his consecutive-game walk streak to five. Stuka has started at first base in each of the last eight games and is hitting .366 (11-for-30) with all three of his multi-hit efforts in that span.

Tonight is the AppleSox’ last of 15 consecutive games against North Division foes. They stared 0-6 after dropping each game against Bellingham but have bounced back to go 5-3 since then and have a chance to win their third consecutive series if they can take tonight’s game.

Only four games remain in the first half and the AppleSox have been eliminated from winning the first half title but sit a half game out of a playoff spot. Wenatchee entered last night’s game in sole possession of fourth place for the last playoff spot but dropped down to six in a tight eight-team North Division. Bellingham sits four games ahead of Kamloops and has already clinched the first-half North Division playoff berth.

Ryan Mullan toes the rubber for his fourth start of the summer. He is coming off a brilliant effort last Friday in which he tossed the first complete game by an AppleSox pitcher in nearly four years. The incoming freshman at Loyola Marymount allowed two runs in the second inning but also retired each of the final 17 hitters that he faced in order.

Kelowna sends Brock Keller to the bump for his third appearance of the year and second start of the summer. He is 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA over five innings and has struck out six, walked three and allowed five hits. He tossed two scoreless innings relief in his last time out on June 17 against the Kamloops NorthPaws, striking out three of the eight hitters that he faced.

Tonight’s game is Armed Forces Night. All active or retired military members receive free admission by showing their military ID at the gate for the 6:35 p.m. game. Tickets are available at saferseating.com and gates open at 5:30 p.m.

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.

Stuka Extends Hitting Streak But Sox Fall To Falcons

Luc Stuka picked up a pair of hits but the Wenatchee AppleSox fell to the Kelowna Falcons, 11-7, on Wednesday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Stuka recorded his third multi-hit game of the summer and extended his hitting streak to six games but the AppleSox could not overcome allowing six runs in the top of the first inning.

Joichiro Oyama hit his first home run of the season with a leadoff shot to open up the bottom of the ninth.

The AppleSox did not get on the board until putting up a three-spot in the seventh inning. Five straight hitters reached based and Adam Fahsel picked up an RBI single to plate the first run before plating another run with an RBI groundout in the next inning. They scored all seven of their runs in the final three innings.

Wenatchee will play its third consecutive rubber match in the winner-take-the-series game on Thursday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. It’s Armed Forces Night and all active or retired military members receive free admission by showing their military ID at the gate for the 6:35 p.m. game.

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

AppleSox Face Falcons On Educator's Night

GAME NOTES

Game 2 of the AppleSox’ six-game homestand is tonight as Wenatchee faces the Kelowna Falcons at 6:35 p.m. at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

The AppleSox are coming of a series-opening 9-4 win last night. Aiva Arquette led the way by finishing a home run away from hitting for the cycle and driving in four. Wenatchee exploded for six runs in the bottom of the sixth to pick up its third consecutive victory and fifth in the last seven games.

The six-run frame was three runs shy of becoming the AppleSox’ highest-scoring inning this season. Regardless, it is the 13th time this summer that the AppleSox have scored four-or-more runs in a single inning. The AppleSox are 8-2 in games in which they have scored four-or-more runs in at least one inning.

Brandham Ponce homered to plate the third run of the big sixth inning and it not only marked his second of the season but the fourth homer by an AppleSox hitter in the last four games. The AppleSox played nine consecutive games without launching a ball over the fence and went 2-7 in that time but have now won three of the last four while hitting a home run in each game.

The recent offensive surge has come at a good time for the AppleSox. Their offensive has had hot and cold stretches to begin the 2022 season. Wenatchee opened the season by scoring 80 runs over their first nine games for an average of 8.8 runs per games and went 5-4 to open the summer. In the ensuing six games the AppleSox only scored 10 runs and lost every game. They have responded by scoring 50 runs in the last seven games for an average of 7.1 runs per game and winning five games.

Quincy Vassar makes his fourth start of the summer tonight and fifth appearance overall. He will pitch at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium for the first time since June 7 when he tossed six shutout inning and struck out eight Port Angeles Lefties. Vassar has pitched at least five innings all three starts this summer and has limited opponents to four runs or less each time. He allowed four runs (all earned) and struck out three in 5.1 innings last Wednesday against the Victoria HarbourCats at Royal Athletic Park.

Kelowna will counter with Derek Bearisto, who is making his second start of the season. The Centralia native allowed three runs (two earned) and struck out four in five innings against the Kamloops NorthPaws on June 17, a 6-5 Kamloops win.

Tonight’s game is Educator’s Night and all teachers who show a valid school ID at the gate receive free admission. It’s also a WINatchee Wednesday meaning that all fans in attendance are eligible to win prizes from local Wenatchee businesses from the third-through-sixth innings. Tickets are available at saferseating.com and gates open at 5:30 p.m.

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.

AppleSox Open Homestand With Win vs Kelowna

The Wenatchee AppleSox scored six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to pick up a 9-4 victory over the Kelowna Falcons on Tuesday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Aiva Arquette went 3-for-4 with 4 RBI for his sixth multi-hit game of the summer. Two of his hits came in big six inning as he doubled and scored to open the inning and then drove in the last two runs of the frame with an RBI single. Arquette plated his second run in the third inning on an RBI groundout and he brought in Wenatchee’s first run with an RBI triple in the first inning to tie the game up before scoring two batters later on a single by Luc Stuka.

Two-out runs were the name of the game for the AppleSox on Tuesday as seven-of-their-nine runs scored with one out remaining in the inning. Stuka’s knock in the first inning extended his hit streak to five games and gave the AppleSox the lead for good.

Riley Sinclair took a big step forward in his second start of the summer. He pitched into the fifth inning and only allowed two runs while striking out five. Jake Putnam (1-0) came on in relief in the fifth with two on and no outs and allowed a sacrifice fly to cut Kelowna’s deficit to one run but then induced an inning-ending double play before tossing an 1-2-3 sixth inning.

Wenatchee looked like it would take its 3-2 lead into the seventh-inning until Arquette scored when CJ Horn hit a groundball to second that was thrown away into the first-base dugout. Horn went to second and scored after a couple of wild pitches before Brandham Ponce launched a solo home run over the right-center field fence for his second long ball of the season.

Xander Orejudos continued the long inning by walking and stealing second and then scored on a Grant Sherrod RBI single to make it 6-2, AppleSox. Joichiro Oyama and Matt Halbach drew back-to-back walks to load up the bases and then Arquette drove in his final two runs of the night.

The AppleSox have now won five-of-their-last-seven games and can win their third consecutive series with a win on Wednesday or Thursday. Wednesday’s game is Educators Night and all teachers who show a valid school ID receive free admission. It’s also a WINatchee Wednesday meaning that all fans in attendance are eligible to win prizes from local Wenatchee businesses from the third-through-sixth innings. Tickets are available at saferseating.com and first pitch is at 6:35 p.m.

Listen to the latest edition of the Wenatchee AppleSox Podcast below to hear a recap of the game, highlights and postgame interviews with Ponce, Mason Philley, head coach Mitch Darlington and Adam Fahsel. Subscribe to the AppleSox Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts to receive the latest episodes as they are posted.

AppleSox Begin Six-Game Homestand Tonight vs Kelowna

Following a six-game road trip north of the border, the Wenatchee AppleSox make the trek home from Edmonton to kick off an almost week-long homestand beginning with a 6:35 p.m. game tonight against the visiting Kelowna Falcons.

The AppleSox come into the week riding the momentum of two consecutive series wins coming against the Victoria HarbourCats and the Edmonton Riverhawks. Their wins came on the heels of strong nights at the plate as they scored at least eight runs in each of their four wins over the last week. However, the pitching staff played a large part in their success over the weekend as they held off the Riverhawks by allowing only seven total runs in three games at Edmonton. A much needed off-day on Monday gives the AppleSox a bit of rest before tonight’s first pitch after their first ever trip to Edmonton.

Kelowna will travel to the states for only the second time this year and they will be the AppleSox’ third consecutive matchup with a team from our neighbor to the north. They have won two of their last seven games, but their bats came alive on Sunday as they put up 12 runs in a win against the Nanaimo NightOwls to improve to a 7-9 record on the season. This gives them a slight edge over the AppleSox in the standings with the AppleSox a half-game behind the NightOwls going into Tuesday.

The Sox will have to be careful with Kelowna’s leadoff hitter, Jacob Steels, an outfielder from Santa Maria, Cali. who leads the team in doubles, tied for the team lead in runs scored, and is hitting at a .353 clip this year in 13 games. The Falcons also have some power in the middle of their lineup with CJ Richmond, an outfielder from Indianapolis, Ind. who is slashing .283/.411/.522 and leads the team with three homeruns and 11 RBI in 14 games played.

Multiple AppleSox batters found their groove this week and look to stay hot going into the homestand. Matt Halbach and Andrew Haight have been impressive in their short time with the AppleSox so far and continued to show that in the last few games. Halbach tallied four multi-hit games in Canada and brings his season batting average to .395 with a three-for-five performance on Sunday afternoon in the 9-3 AppleSox win over the Riverhawks. Haight has been an excellent backstop and has hit safely in six straight games, going 8-for-22 on the road trip while launching two balls over the fence in back-to-back games against Edmonton.

Adam Fahsel has also been swinging a hot bat as he recorded five hits in the series at Edmonton with a double and a home run. The AppleSox added a pitcher in Evan Canfield who has yet to make his debut at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. The Bothell, Wash. native tossed 5.2 innings since joining the team and has struck out five batters while only walking one to the tune of a 3.17 ERA.

The AppleSox have won four straight against the Falcons dating back to July 4th, 2019 with a 16-8 win at home where 14 runs were scored by the Sox in the seventh and eighth innings to secure the victory. They did not play the Falcons in 2021, making today’s game the first time the two teams have played in almost three years with their last matchup coming on July 18th, 2019 in Kelowna where the AppleSox came away with an 11-8 win.

Offensive firepower has been the strength of the AppleSox as they come into play Tuesday with the West Coast League’s fourth-highest team batting average. The bats will need to stay hot with Kelowna touting one of the best pitching staffs in the league with a 3.91 team ERA, which ranks fourth best in the WCL.

The starting pitcher tonight for the AppleSox is Riley Sinclair. Originally from Camas, Wash., Sinclair has spent two years at Seattle University in which he has amassed 20 total appearances and will be entering his junior year there this fall. He has made two appearances with one start this summer and is looking for a bounce-back performance after allowing three runs in two innings last week at Victoria.

Come out and cheer on the AppleSox and your community heroes as we honor first responders tonight at the ballpark. Current and former first responders can show valid ID cards for free entry into the ballpark.

It’s also a $2 Off Tuesday with $2 off general admission and premium tickets, $2 off hot dogs, burgers, and Coors Light draft pours! Tonight is also a Taco Tuesday where you can get three tacos for $7. While you're at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium, stop by the souvenir stand for the chance to grab your own souvenir fillable AppleSox beer bat for a special discounted price of $5 and take an additional 20-percent off select merchandise items tonight only.

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.

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 today’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.

Two Three-Run Innings Give Sox Series Win

The Wenatchee AppleSox won four-of-six games on their Canadian road trip with a 9-3 win over the Edmonton Riverhawks on Sunday afternoon at RE/MAX Field.

Wenatchee scored twice in the second inning and three more times again in the fifth inning to take the series from the Riverhawks. Matt Halbach went 3-for-5 with 2 RBI and Adam Fahsel also went 3-for-5 with a stolen base and two runs.

It was another impressive effort from a depleted AppleSox team. Every available position player on the road trip that was healthy played and that included pulling Garrett Gores from the bullpen to the play third base for the second straight day. Wenatchee lost Cole Miller and Michael Davinni to injury on Thursday and then Enzo Apodaca was hurt on Friday and none of those three were available to play on Saturday or Sunday but the AppleSox won both games. Eight-of-nine starters recorded at least one hit and all nine reached safely at least once.

Halbach picked up both of his RBI in the second inning after three straight AppleSox hitters reached base with two outs before Joichiro Oyama drew a bases-loaded walk to put the AppleSox on the board first. Halbach followed with a 2-RBI single.

Wenatchee got another 2-RBI single three innings later. After the Riverhawks cut the deficit to two by scoring in the bottom of the third Andrew Haight drove in a pair with a single in the fifth. Prior to Haight’s second hit of the game Ezra Samperi reached on an error with the bases loaded to score the first run of the inning.

Fahsel manufactured a run on his own in the seventh after doubling to lead off the inning. He advanced to third on a wild pitch and the throw over there went into left field and Fahsel came in to score to make it 7-2, AppleSox.

Samperi drove in two more in the ninth inning with a two-out 2-RBI single. It marked the second straight day that Samperi drove in two-or-more runs in the ninth inning after clearing the base with a double on Saturday.

The AppleSox move out of last place in the North Division and into sixth place with Sunday’s win along with Edmonton and Port Angeles’s losses. The AppleSox can continue to climb as they face the fifth-place Kelowna Falcons on Tuesday night at 6:35 p.m. at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. Tickets can be purchased at saferseating.com.

Tuesday’s game is First Responder’s Night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. All current first responders can enter the park by showing a valid ID card with their name and title or any certification for free admission. Family members and friends accompanying first responders are subject to standard ticket admittance prices. Retired first responders are welcome to show their Retiree ID card for free admission as well.

Listen to the latest edition of the Wenatchee AppleSox Podcast below. Hear a recap of the game as well as highlights, the postgame interview with head coach Mitch Darlington and a pregame discussion with Reese Ligtenberg. Subscribe to the AppleSox Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Fahsel's Grand Slam Leads Sox Past Riverhawks

Adam Fahsel and Andrew Haight both homered as the Wenatchee AppleSox defeated the Edmonton Riverhawks, 12-2, on Saturday night at RE/MAX Field.

Haight gave the AppleSox a 3-2 lead with a solo shot to lead off the fifth inning. The home run marked his second in as many days and his second of the season. He is now tied with fellow AppleSox catcher CJ Horn for the team lead.

Fahsel hammered a no-doubter over the left field fence for his first home run of the season immediately after a pitching change to add to the AppleSox’ lead in the sixth. Fahsel drove in five runs for the second time this season after previously hitting a sacrifice fly in the fourth to score the second of two runs in the fourth inning.

The AppleSox did more than just hit a couple of home runs in Saturday night. Aiva Arquette picked up three hits, including a 2-RBI single in the ninth. Matt Halbach recorded his fifth multi-hit game with Wenatchee in his eighth game in an AppleSox uniform. Ezra Samperi cleared the bases with an 3-RBI double in the ninth for his first hit of the season. Luc Stuka put down two successful sacrifice bunts, one to advance Arquette in the fourth and again to load up the bases before Fahsel’s heroics in the sixth.

Jack Moffitt (1-0) earned his first win of the summer by only allowing two runs in 4.1 innings. Both runs scored in a four-hit first inning for the Riverhawks but Moffitt only allowed five more runners in his final 3.1 innings.

Reese Ligtenberg picked up the save in relief after tossing his second brilliant effort of the week out of the bullpen. The right-hander from North Dakota State followed up tossing five scoreless innings last Sunday against Bellingham by tossing 4.2 scoreless on Saturday to earn the victory. He only allowed one hit and struck out two while retiring the side in order three times.

Wenatchee has guaranteed itself at least a .500 record on the six-game Canadian road trip and can take the series from the Riverhawks on Sunday in the finale at 12:05 p.m.

AppleSox Look For First Win vs Edmonton

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox look to even up their weekend series against the Edmonton Riverhawks as they face them again tonight at 6:05 p.m. at RE/MAX Field.

The AppleSox are coming off a series-opener that marked the shortest nine-inning game played this season by Wenatchee. The 2:06 game was made possible thanks to a pitcher’s duel as both starters tossed at least seven shutout innings. KJ Ward allowed on four hits, two walks and two strikeouts in seven innings for Edmonton while Ryan Mullan tossed eight innings and allowed two runs on one hit, one walk and six strikeouts.

Mullan’s complete-game gem was the longest outing by an AppleSox pitcher this season and the second consecutive outing of six-or-more innings by an AppleSox in the last two days. AppleSox starters have tossed five-or-more innings eight times this season but are 3-5 in those games.

Friday was the latest in a strange stretch in which the AppleSox have largely struggled to score runs. They have scored 30 runs in their last 10 games after opening the season by scoring 76 runs in the their first nine games.

Jack Moffitt makes his fourth start of the season tonight and his second on the road. Moffitt pitched last Saturday at home against Bellingham and allowed five runs (all earned) in four innings on five hits, two walks and four strikeouts. Two of the runs that he allowed scored after he exited the game. The right-hander from Gonzaga is 0-1 with a 5.22 ERA in three appearances, all starts, and as struck out 11, walked 11 and allowed 10 hits over 10.1 innings.

Edmonton has not announced a probable starter.

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 the 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 reaction to the game.

Live stats can be found on pointstreak.

Mullan's Complete Game Not Enough For AppleSox

Ryan Mullan tossed the AppleSox’ first complete game in nearly four years but Wenatchee fell to the Edmonton Riverhawks, 2-1, on Friday night at RE/MAX Field. 

Andrew Haight hit a two-out solo home run in the eighth to bring the AppleSox within one run and gave them their first home run in their last 10 games for Wenatchee’s lone run. 

Mullan only gave up one hit, walked one and hit one batter with a pitch. The incoming freshman struck out six and retired each of the final 17 hitters that he faced in order and tossed the AppleSox’ first complete game since Hunter Boyd went the distance against Portland on July 12, 2018 in Wenatchee. 

Mullan gave up two runs in the second inning when the first two hitters reached on a walk and a hit to put runners at first and third. He induced a ground all to first that Luc Stuka gloved and fired home. His throw was ahead of the runner but a collision knocked the ball out of Haight’s glove. The Riverhawks added another run on a sacrifice fly by the next hitter to take a 2-0 lead. 

Joichiro Oyama followed Haight up in the eighth inning with a single to stretch his hitting streak to a season-high-matching nine games and represent the tying run. Edmonton made a pitching change and promptly recorded the final out of the inning. 

The AppleSox again threatened with two outs in the ninth as Luc Stuka singled and Aiva Arquette reached on an error to extend the game. They both advanced 90 feet on a passed ball but the game ended a slow roller to the right side that Adam Fahsel nearly turned into an infield single. 

Wenatchee has split its first four games of this six-game road trip and plays the penultimate game of it on Saturday at 6:05 p.m. against the Riverhawks. 

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

AppleSox Fly To Edmonton For First-Ever Meeting With Riverhawks

The Wenatchee AppleSox embark on the second leg of their six-game road trip by facing the Edmonton Riverhawks this weekend, beginning tonight at 6:05 p.m. at RE/MAX Field.

It’s the AppleSox first-ever meeting with the Riverhawks, who are in their inaugural season. Tonight is also the first time that the AppleSox have ever left the Pacific time zone to West Coast League game. The AppleSox have not left the West Coast to play a game since traveling to Wichita, Kan. for the National Baseball Congress World Series in 2003. It’s been 6,892 days since the AppleSox played a game not at Pacific Standard Time.

The AppleSox head to Edmonton winners of two-of-the-first-three games on this road trip thanks to winning the series against the Victoria HarbourCats. Wenatchee won, 8-6, in 10 innings on Tuesday before falling, 12-2, on Wednesday and then taking the series last night with a 9-4 victory. Joichiro Oyama had a strong series, going 7-for-14 with three walks, four runs and six stolen bases.

Edmonton did not play last night but return home tonight for the first time since June 12. They just completed an eight-game road trip in which they took two-of-three from Ridgefield, got swept in a doubleheader at Portland after the first two scheduled games were rained out and won two-of-three Cowlitz. The Riverhawks are 2-4 at home thus far after losing two-of-three to Portland and Port Angeles earlier this month. Edmonton is tied with Port Angeles for fourth place in the North Division but are only a half game back from the AppleSox for last in the division.

The AppleSox send Ryan Mullan to the mound for his third start of the year. The incoming freshman at Loyola Marymount is 0-1 with a 2.34 ERA but is coming off a fantastic outing on June 16 against the Bellingham Bells. Mullan allowed one run on four hits and one walk while striking out seven in five innings on the bump. He suffered the tough-luck loss after the AppleSox were shut out.

The Riverhawks have not announced a probable pitcher.

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 the 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 reaction to the game.

Live stats can be found on pointstreak.

AppleSox' Big First Inning Delivers Series Victory

The Wenatchee AppleSox scored six runs in the first inning on Thursday to take two-of-three games this week from the Victoria HarbourCats at Royal Athletic Park.

Chase Matheny (2-0) got all the run support he needed before toeing the rubber for his first start of the summer but he still dazzled. The right-hander from South Carolina Upstate only allowed one run in six innings and struck out five.

Joichiro Oyama stretched his hitting streak to eight games (his second-longest streak of the year), drew three walks and stole three bases. He has moved into a tie for the third-most stolen bases in the West Coast League by stealing nine in his last seven games.

Matt Halbach went 3-for-6 with an RBI single in a two-run sixth to record his fourth multi-hit game in his sixth game played with Wenatchee. Luc Stuka added his second multi-hit game in the last three days by collecting a pair of singles.

Twelve AppleSox hitters came to the plate in the first inning and Wenatchee scored six by collecting four hits and drawing five walks. Joichiro Oyama led off with a walk and then stole two bags before Enzo Apodaca plated him with an RBI single. Apodaca came around to score on a wild pitch for the second run of the inning and then the AppleSox loaded up the bases with one out. Aiva Arquette promptly cleared them with a 3-RBI double before then scoring on an RBI groundout by Grant Sherrod.

Matheny cruised from there with the big run support. Jake Putnam struck out five over the final three innings to pick up the save.

The AppleSox won their first rubber match of the season to also claim their third series victory of the season. They will face the Edmonton Riverhawks this weekend beginning on Friday at 6:05 p.m. at RE/MAX Field.

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

AppleSox Play First Rubber Match of 2022 Tonight

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox wrap up their first series north of the border tonight at 6:35 p.m. against the Victoria HarbourCats at Royal Athletic Park.

The AppleSox look to take the series and bounce back after losing last night, 12-2. Wenatchee took the series opener on Tuesday, 8-6, in 10 innings.

Last night’s game was far closer than the final score suggested. The AppleSox trailed 2-0 entering the sixth and put two runners aboard to start the inning but three straight strikeouts ended the threat. The HarbourCats scored twice in the bottom of the inning and then plated eight runs in the bottom of the eighth. The AppleSox scored twice in the ninth with two outs on a 2-RBI single by Andrew Haight.

Now the AppleSox play their first rubber match of the summer in their sixth series of the season. Wenatchee went 5-5 in rubber match games last summer.

Joichiro Oyama was a bright spot for Wenatchee last night as he picked up his second consecutive three-hit game and fourth of the summer. Oyama went 3-for-5 to extend his hitting streak to seven games. He began the season with a nine-game hitting streak and now is two games away from matching that total. The incoming junior has now recorded 10 multi-hit games this summer and boasts a .368 batting average in eight road games.

Chase Matheny makes his first start of the summer tonight in the series finale. The right-hander from South Carolina Upstate has appeared in two games in relief previously, most recently a week ago in Bellingham. He tossed a scoreless sixth inning, striking out two, but allowed four runs (two earned) on four hits in the seventh.

Matheny made his AppleSox debut on June 11 in Game 1 of the AppleSox’ doubleheader against the Springfield Drifters. He entered in relief in the third inning with two outs and went the distance, tossing 4.1 innings. The only inning Matheny had any major trouble in was the fifth inning, when he allowed three runs.

Matheny will be opposed by Nick Lee, who is making his third start in as many appearances. The right-hander has no recorded and a 3.37 ERA over eight innings and allowed two runs over four innings in his most recent start on June 7 against Nanaimo.

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 the 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 reaction to the game.

Live stats can be found on pointstreak.

Oyama Collects Three Hits But AppleSox Fall To HarbourCats

Joichiro Oyama recorded his second consecutive three-hit game and third of the season on Wednesday night but the Wenatchee AppleSox fell to the Victoria HarbourCats, 12-2, at Royal Athletic Park.

Oyama provided the bulk of the offense as Wenatchee only mustered six hits in defeat. The AppleSox did not score until they were down to their final out in the ninth as Andrew Haight singled in a pair.

The game was much closer than the final score indicates. Victoria scored eight times in the bottom of the eighth and only led 2-0 going into the top of the sixth. Wenatchee had only put three baserunners on through the first five innings but immediately threatened with the first pitching change of the night. Oyama singled and Apodaca walked to put the tying run at first base with no outs. Both successfully executed a double steal but three straight AppleSox hitters struck out to end the inning.

Quincy Vassar (0-2) allowed four runs or less while tossing over five innings for the third straight start but suffered his second loss. Vassar allowed one run on four hits in the first inning but stranded the bases loaded and didn’t give up anything else until a solo home run in the fifth. He toed the rubber again in the sixth at 81 pitches but allowed a one-out single and then a two-run homer to stretch the HarbourCats lead to 4-0 and was pulled.

Wenatchee wraps up the three-game series with Victoria on Thursday night at 6:35 p.m. looking to win its first rubber match of the season. Chase Matheny makes his first start of the season on the mound and his third appearance overall. Listen live to the action at kcsyfm.com

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

AppleSox Go For Series Victory Over HarbourCats

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox continue their road trip with Game 2 of their three-game set against the Victoria HarbourCats at 6:35 p.m. on Wednesday night at Royal Athletic Park.

Wenatchee is coming off a dramatic series-opening victory in which they defeated Victoria, 8-6, in 10 innings. Joichiro Oyama tripled in Luc Stuka after Stuka recorded a two-out single to continue the inning and then Enzo Apodaca singled in Oyama. Mason Philley tossed three scoreless innings of relief to earn the win. The lefty did not allow any baserunners and struck out three.

Now the AppleSox look to get their first series victory since sweeping the Springfield Drifters, June 10-12. Wenatchee snapped its six-game losing streak with last night’s victory and also snapped a five-game losing streak at Royal Athletic Park, with all five of those losses coming in 2019. The AppleSox last took a series in Victoria June 1-3, 2018 to open the season.

The AppleSox send Quincy Vassar to the mound to start the second game of the series. Vassar is coming off allowing four runs in six innings against the Bellingham Bells last Wednesday. The left-hander from Vanguard allowed four runs in the second inning but recovered to toss four consecutive innings afterwards.

Victoria will start Levi Abbott, who is making his second start of the summer. The incoming sophomore at Canisius picked up a win 10 days ago against the Kelowna Falcons by only allowing one run in five innings while striking out eight, walking one and allowing one hit.

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 the 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 reaction to the game.

Live stats can be found on pointstreak.

AppleSox Win Back-And-Forth Game vs HarbourCats

The Wenatchee AppleSox snapped a six-game losing streak with an 8-6 victory in 10 innings over the Victoria HarbourCats on Tuesday night at Royal Athletic Park.

Joichiro Oyama tripled in the eventual game-winning run before Enzo Apodaca added insurance with an RBI single to give Wenatchee a two-run lead in the top of the 10th. Oyama went 3-for-6 to record his third three-hit effort of the season and Luc Stuka also collected three hits for Wenatchee.

Stuka got the 10th inning going when he singled to center with two outs and Oyama plated him with a gapshot to right-center to give the AppleSox their third different lead of the game. Apodaca went the opposite way in the ensuing at-bat and plated Oyama.

Mason Philley entered in the eighth inning with the game tied and retired all nine hitters in order with three strikeouts over three scoreless innings. 

In a game that featured the first 12 combined runs over the first six innings Wenatchee twice took a lead only to relinquish it in the bottom of the inning. The AppleSox scored singular runs in the second and third innings without a basehit thanks to a combined three HarbourCats errors. Up 2-1 after three innings the AppleSox surrendered three runs in the bottom of the third and then another run in the fourth to trail 5-2 after four innings.

Wenatchee chipped away at the deficit by scoring two runs in the fifth, both with two outs. Michael Davinni singled in one and then two batters later Cole Miller drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 5-4, Victoria.  

The AppleSox broke through in the sixth when they loaded up the bases and plated a run on a ground ball that turned into a double play to tie the game and then Matt Halbach reached on an error to score another runner and give the AppleSox the lead. Victoria again immediately responded by hitting a home run in the bottom of the inning on the first pitch of their half of the sixth.

Neither team scored in the seventh-through-ninth innings until the AppleSox broke through. Before Mason Philley slammed the door on the HarbourCats Garrett Gores also tossed three innings of relief with the only run against him being a solo homer in the sixth. 

Wenatchee picked up its first victory since June 12 when it wrapped up a series sweep of the Springfield Drifters. Now the AppleSox look to take the series from the HarbourCats on Wednesday night at 6:35 p.m.

Listen to the latest edition of the AppleSox Podcast to get a recap of the game. Subscribe to the AppleSox Podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

AppleSox Travel To Canada For First Time Since 2019

GAME NOTES

The AppleSox head north of the border for a six-game road trip beginning Tuesday night at 6:35 p.m. against the Victoria HarbourCats at Royal Athletic Park.

It’s the first time that the AppleSox have played games outside of the United States since 2019. Wenatchee traveled to Canada three times that year due to a pair of three-game regular-season series with the HarbourCats and Kelowna Falcons and then again in mid-August to Victoria for two games in the postseason. No Canadian teams played in the West Coast League in 2021 because of the Canadian border closure.

The AppleSox enter Tuesday’s game looking to snap a six-game losing streak. Wenatchee faced Bellingham for a home-and-home series with the first three at Joe Martin Field before the final three were played at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. The AppleSox suffered back-to-back sweeps and are looking to pick up their first victory since June 12.

Despite the tough week of play the AppleSox received reinforcements over the weekend. Matt Halbach from UC San Diego was a bright spot for Wenatchee, debuting with a 3-for-5 day on Friday before going 4-for-4 on Sunday. Halbach batted third in his first two games before moving to the cleanup spot on Sunday and drove in a run in all three games over the weekend.

Enzo Apodaca, a redshirt sophomore at Gonazaga, also returned to Wenatchee and picked up a hit in all three games over the weekend. Apodaca, who led the West Coast League in walks last season, posted a three-hit summer debut on Friday before adding two hits on Saturday and another one on Sunday.

Wenatchee sends Riley Sinclair to the mound for his first start of the summer. Sinclair debuted on Friday and tossed a 1.1 innings of relief against the Bells. He just wrapped up his sophomore year at Seattle U where he recorded a 9.53 ERA with 10 strikeouts, 21 hits and 13 walks over 17 innings in seven games (five starts). Sinclair posted a 4.06 ERA in 13 games as a freshman in 2021.

Victoria will send Cooper Crompton to the mound for his first appearance of the summer. The right-hander from Iowa Western Community College posted a 1.60 ERA with 46 strikeouts, 15 walks and 23 hits over 33.2 innings in 14 appearances (four starts) as a freshman.

Tuesday’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 the 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.