AppleSox Sweep NorthPaws

Enzo Apodaca delivered a go-ahead single in the sixth and Evan Canfield tossed 3.2 scoreless innings in relief as the Wenatchee AppleSox defeated the Kamloops NorthPaws, 6-5, on Thursday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

The AppleSox picked up their third series sweep of the summer, all of which have come against teams in their first season in the WCL. Thursday night’s win was their toughest of the series. After a 16-4 win on Tuesday and an 7-2 victory on Wednesday the AppleSox were knotted up, 5-5, until Apodaca’s two-out hit in the sixth.

The AppleSox led 5-2 after three innings but gave up three runs in the top of the third to tie the game up before Apodaca’s heroics. Aiva Arquette doubled in a pair in the first inning and Andrew Haight doubled in Xander Orejudos in the third. Two wild pitches plated a pair of runs in the second.

Canfield entered in the top of the sixth with one out and a runner at second. He walked three and allowed one hit but struck out five hitters, including four consecutive in the seventh in the eighth and then the last one for the final out

Orejudos, Arquette and Matt Halbach all recorded multi-hit games in the AppleSox’ win. The AppleSox collected at least 10 hits in all three games of this series and remain in first place in the West Coast League in the North Division in the second half with an 8-4 record.

Prior to Thursday’s game the AppleSox presented Joichiro Oyama with the 2022 Tommy Watanabe Award. He became the fourth recipient of the AppleSox’ annual award. Oyama was honored for his respect for the game and those around it.

Wenatchee won six-of-the-eight games on this homestand and have won four-of-their-last-five games. They travel to Walla Walla to face the Sweets on Friday night for the first game of a three-game series. It is the first road game for the AppleSox since July 10. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m.

Listen to the latest edition of the AppleSox Podcast to hear a recap of the game, highlights and interviews with Canfield, Apodaca, Mitch Darlington and Reese Ligtenberg. Subscribe to the AppleSox Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Oyama Named 2022 Tommy Watanabe Award Winner

It’s things like his Mickey Mouse luggage bag that he brings on every road trip. 

The smile and thumbs-up when asked to pose for a photo while crossing the border late in the evening at the end of a six-game road trip.

Picking up AppleSox head coach Mitch Darlington’s just-over-a-year-old son, Dash, and carrying him back to his dad.

The tip of his helmet to the home-plate umpire before every plate appearance. 

All of these are part of the charm that is Joichiro Oyama. His love of the game and the smile that he brings to the field every day are why he is the 2022 Tommy Watanabe Award winner.

“You can’t bring up Jo’s name without smiling because he always is,” AppleSox general manager Allie Schank said. “He always is in a good mood whether he had a great day at the plate or an off night by his standards."

The AppleSox infielder has become a fan favorite with his charm and his old-fashioned style of playing. Oyama bunts, hits to the opposite field and steals bases. Listen to the crowd during a game and you’ll hear the crowd chanting “Jo-ichi-ro!” or saying “make it so, Jo!”

He has already written himself into the AppleSox’ history books by becoming the team’s single-season stolen bases leader with four bags shipped on July 10 against Nanaimo to give him 26 for the season, surpassing the previous mark of 23 set in 2003 by Brent Wyatt. 

Stolen bases aren’t the only record that Oyama may break this season. He enters Thursday night’s game four runs away from tying the WCL single-season record of 47.

His play speaks for itself but it’s the effect that he has on his teammates that makes him so deserving of this award. He always hustles and that was especially evident when he charged and helped make a tough play to help record the final out of the AppleSox’ win on Wednesday, July 20. Pitcher Jake Putnam was so excited that Oyama got to a slow rolling ball that hit off his glove that Putnam picked up Oyama and bear-hugged him on the pitcher’s mound as the team celebrated.

“Joichiro is the true definition of what it means to be a great teammate,” head coach Mitch Darlington said. “Jo brings an infectious joy for the game and his teammates everyday that he comes to the park. He plays the game with a fierce competitiveness, a sharp focus, all with a smile on his face. I’m thankful to have had the opportunity to coach such a great human being as Joichiro Oyama.” 

Oyama is the fourth recipient of the Tommy Watanabe Award, created in 2019 in honor of former AppleSox player Tommy Watanabe, who passed away in 2017. Oyama joins Michael O’Hara in 2021, Johnny Sage in 2019, Jacob Prater in 2018 as winners of the award. 

To learn more about Tommy Watanabe and the Award, please visit applesox.com/tommy-watanabe-award

AppleSox Wrap Up Lengthy Homestand Tonight vs Kamloops

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox conclude their eight-game homestand tonight against the Kamloops NorthPaws at 6:35 p.m. at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

It’s been a great home stretch for the AppleSox over the last couple of weeks. Wenatchee has won five-of-its-last-seven games, including non-league victories last week against the DubSea Fish Sticks. The AppleSox are 13-10 overall this summer when playing in the Apple Capital of the World.

Wenatchee is looking to pick up his third series sweep of the summer after previously winning all three games against Springfield in mid June and completing the trifecta at Nanaimo two weeks ago. The AppleSox won, 16-4, on Tuesday night before winning, 7-2, last night.

Crooked innings have been the name of the game for the AppleSox in this series. They have score five-or-more runs in an inning three times and have never trailed against Kamloops. Wenatchee scored five runs in the second and seven runs in the third inning on Tuesday and then followed it up with a five-run first inning last night.

The AppleSox continue to hold down the first spot in the second half in the North Division. They have split each of their first four series to open the second half but swept Nanaimo on the road and could do the same to Kamloops with a win tonight. Wenatchee holds a one-game lead over Victoria for the division lead and will either make the postseason by winning the second half or having one of the four-best overall records in the North Division.

Felix Schlede makes his fourth start overall and his third in West Coast League action tonight for the AppleSox. He started two Wednesdays ago against the DubSea Fish Sticks and allowed two runs over 4.1 innings, walked three and struck out four. For the second time in a start this summer Schlede did not allow any hits. The incoming freshman also stymied the Springfield Drifters on June 12 with 10 strikeouts in four innings. He has a 10.28 ERA over seven innings in three games in WCL play this year. He has 12 strikeouts, eight walks and four hits.

Kamloops original probable starter for tonight, Shay Timmer, started last night instead.

Tonight is the final game of this eight-game homestand and a Throwback Thursday, with general admission tickets available for a “throwback” price of $2. Tickets can be purchased at saferseating.com.

Wenatchee will also be sporting special uniforms that pay tribute to the Native American history of North Central Washington. Their uniforms are ones that were designed in collaboration with the Colville tribes for the final two Thursday home games of the 2022 season. Fans can purchase the game-worn uniforms on a first-come, first-serve basis in-person at the third-base souvenir stand and can receive them after the July 28 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 if the AppleSox win.

AppleSox Win Seventh Series of 2022

Jack Moffitt tossed five scoreless innings and the AppleSox scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning to defeat the Kamloops NorthPaws, 7-2, on Wednesday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. 

Wenatchee’s win moves them back to .500 overall at 19-19 and keeps them in first place in the second half with a 7-4 record. The AppleSox can clinch a playoff berth by either winning the second half or having one of the four best overall records in the North Division.

Moffitt (2-1) struck out a season-best six in his longest start of the summer to help give the AppleSox the series victory. He walked five but only allowed two hits. He got out of a one-out bases-loaded jam in the fourth with a strikeout and a groundout to keep the AppleSox firmly ahead.

Aiva Arquette collected two hits, including a 2-RBI double in the bottom of the first to put the AppleSox on the board and then scored two batters later on an RBI double from Cole Miller for the third run of the five-run frame. 

Enzo Apodaca drove in a pair of runs with an RBI double in the third and an RBI groundout in the first to score Grant Sherrod. 

It was Sherrod who started the AppleSox’ rally in the third by drawing a two-out walk and then going to third when Miller put down a bunt but the ball was thrown out of play. A wild pitch scored Sherrod and then Apodaca plated Miller for the AppleSox’ final run of the night. 

Kamloops tacked on singular runs in the sixth and seventh innings but Jake Putnam entered in the eighth and tossed a perfect final two innings to wrap up the win.

The AppleSox look to sweep their third series of the summer on Thursday night when they face the NorthPaws at 6:35 p.m. at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. It’s a Throwback Thursday with general admission tickets available for a “throwback” price of $2.

Wenatchee will also be sporting special uniforms that pay tribute to the Native American history of North Central Washington. Their uniforms are ones that were designed in collaboration with the Colville tribes for the final two Thursday home games of the 2022 season. Fans can purchase the game-worn uniforms on a first-come, first-serve basis beginning on Thursday and can receive them after July 28’s game.

AppleSox Play Penultimate Game Of Lengthy Homestand Tonight

The Wenatchee AppleSox face the Kamloops NorthPaws tonight at 6:35 p.m. at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium in the second-to-last game of their season-long eight-game homestand.

Wenatchee defeated Kamloops, 16-4, last night in the series opener and first-ever meeting between the two teams. The AppleSox pounced on the NorthPaws early with five runs in the second before scoring seven in the third inning and led 13-0 after four innings.

Now the AppleSox look to win their seventh series of the summer. When Wenatchee has won the first game of a three-game set they have gone on to win five series this year.

Last night was the ninth time that the AppleSox have scored 10-or-more runs in a game. They are 8-1 in those instances, including eight straight wins when reaching double-digits. The Sox are 17-6 when scoring five-or-more runs and enter tonight’s action with the third-most runs scored (256) in the WCL along with the second best batting average (.287). Wenatchee sits three runs back of being second and less than 10 points away from having the best batting average. The AppleSox are averaging 10.1 hits per game in their first 37 games this season.

Joichiro Oyama continues to climb closer to a few AppleSox records. The second baseman scored one run last night and now has scored a team and league-best 42 times this summer. He is five away from tying Mitchell Gunsolus’s 2012 AppleSox single-season record with 47 runs. Gunsolus and Kelowna’s Taylor Wright from 2017 hold a share of the WCL record.

Wenatchee sends right-hander Jack Moffitt to the mound for his team-leading seventh start of the summer. The redshirt sophomore at Gonzaga last pitched on July 6 at Kelowna and matched his season-high with 4.1 innings and set a season-high with five strikeouts. Moffitt only allowed one run on five hits and one walk but picked up a no decision. He is 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA in six appearances, all starts. Moffitt has struck out 19, walked 14 and allowed 25 hits in 20 innings.

Reed Interdonato starts for Kamloops in his fourth start and fifth appearance of the summer. The incoming sophomore at Monmouth is 0-2 with a 5.06 ERA, 11 strikeouts, eight walks and 11 hits in 10.2 innings. He allowed three unearned runs in four innings last Wednesday at Yakima Valley while walking three, allowing one hit and striking out two. He has allowed three runs in less than four innings in all three of his starts this summer.

This is the second-to-last game of this eight-game homestand and tickets are still available at saferseating.com. Wenatchee will wrap up the homestand tomorrow and then be on the road this weekend at Walla Walla before returning home next Tuesday-through-Thursday.

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 if the AppleSox win.

Four AppleSox Players Selected In 2022 MLB Draft

Three former AppleSox players and one active player were selected in this year’s MLB Draft.

Brett Gillis, Torin Montgomery and Blake Klassen, all from the 2019 AppleSox team that came three outs away from advancing to the West Coast League Championship Series, were selected in addition to current Sox shortstop Aiva Arquette.

Gillis was picked in the ninth round by the Houston Astros. He recorded a 2.78 ERA in 14 appearances for the AppleSox in 2019 and saved two games in 32.1 innings, all in relief. He also recorded 92 at-bats as a position player, splitting time between designated hitting and third base. Gillis hit .239 with three extra-base hits and 10 RBI

He went on to join the Corvallis Knights in 2021 and won the West Coast League Championship with them. Gillis graduated from the University of Portland this past spring after a dominant senior year in which he recorded a 2.24 ERA and struck out 115 hitters over 84.1 innings in 14 games, all starts. He was a second team All-American for both Collegiate Baseball News and ABCA/Rawlings, while also being named the West Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year, a first time honor for a Portland arm. Gillis was also an ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Division I All-Region West First Team selection.

Montgomery was selected in the 14th round by the same team that originally drafted him straight out of high school in 2019, the Miami Marlins. He was a key late-season addition to the 2019 AppleSox, joining them on Aug. 2 and playing in each of the final eight-regular season games. Montgomery hit .344 with two home runs in his cameo then played in all three postseason games while picking up a hit in all but one of the 11 games that he played.

He originally committed to play at Boise State out of high school but the program’s 2020 season was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and then shut down. He transferred to Missouri, where he played each of the last two years. Montgomery hit .278 with five home runs in 47 games in 2021 before exploding with a .362 mark and seven home runs in 48 games this spring

Klassen was picked by the Miami Marlins in the 17th round. He played in 44 games with the AppleSox in 2019, primarily at first base, and hit .338 with 14 multi-hit games and earned All-WCL Honorable Mention honors.

Klassen played for the AppleSox prior to his freshman year at Arizona, in which he appeared in three games before transferring to play at Eastern Oklahoma State College for the 2021 season. He hit .388 in 40 games to earn a chance to transfer to UC Santa Barbara and went on to hit .352 in 37 games this spring. Klassen continued to play summer ball in 2020 and 2021 in the Northwoods League and Cape Cod League, respectively.

Arquette got the call that he was the Arizona Diamondbacks’ selection in the 18th round on Tuesday. He is in the midst of an impressive summer with the AppleSox prior to his freshman year at the University of Washington. Arquette is tied for the team lead with 24 RBI and has started 22 consecutive games at shortstop, entering Wednesday night, and 28 games there in total. He has a .325 batting average and has recorded 12 multi-hit games, including a four-hit debut with the AppleSox on June 6.

In addition to baseball Arquette is a phenomenal basketball player. He graduated from Saint Louis High School in Honolulu, Hawaii, this past spring and was the Gatorade State Player of the Year in Hawaii and a state champion in 2022. Arquette ended his high school career a nationally-ranked baseball recruit by Perfect Game.

All four of these players remain amateurs until they official sign contracts with the big-league clubs that drafted them. For more information on the results of the 2022 MLB Draft please visit mlb.com.

Watch a pregame interview with Arquette below later in the day on Tuesday after he learned that he had been selected by Arizona.

AppleSox Strike Early, Defeat NorthPaws Tuesday

The Wenatchee AppleSox scored five runs in the second inning and seven times in the third to defeat the Kamloops NorthPaws, 16-4, on Tuesday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Wenatchee led 13-0 after three innings and cruised from there in their first-ever game against Kamloops. The AppleSox improved to 9-1 against expansion teams in 2022 and 8-5 in the first game of a three-game series. They remain in first place in the North Division in the second half with a 6-4 record.

Matt Halbach went 2-for-3 with 4 RBI, including a bases-clearing double in the third inning. Adam Fahsel was 3-for-4 with three runs, 3 RBI and a hit by pitch to reach base the most times of any AppleSox hitter while batting ninth in the order. Aiva Arquette, Corey Jarrell, Grant Sherrod and Ezra Samperi all record two-hit games while Brandham Ponce hit his team-leading fourth home run of the season in the eighth.

Quincy Vassar started for the AppleSox and dominated in his four innings on the bump, only allowing one hit and striking out four. After a strikeout to end the first inning Vassar punched out the side in order in the second inning. He exited after the fourth due to the AppleSox leading 13-0 at the time. Vassar has not allowed any runs in his last 11 innings as a starting pitcher.

Will Jacobson tossed the final four innings to earn his first save of the summer and struck out three in that time. It was also the AppleSox’ seventh team save of the summer, all by seven different pitchers. Every save recorded by an AppleSox reliever has been the result of tossing three-or-more innings out of the bullpen.

The AppleSox look to take the series on Wednesday when they face the NorthPaws again. Jack Moffitt (1-1, 5.40 ERA) makes his team-leading seventh start of the summer. First pitch is at 6:35 p.m. and tickets are available at saferseating.com.

Listen to the latest edition of the AppleSox Podcast below to hear a recap of the game and interviews with Jacobson, Fahsel, head coach Mitch Darlington and Aiva Arquette.

AppleSox Host Kamloops In Potential Playoff Preview

GAME NOTES

The AppleSox face the Kamloops NorthPaws tonight in the first-ever meeting between the two teams at 6:35 p.m. at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Their first encounter comes at a time when both are in the thick of the North Division playoff race. Kamloops holds the second-best record in the North with a 17-16 mark while Wenatchee is a place behind them at 17-16. However, the AppleSox lead the North in the second half with a 5-4 record while the NorthPaws are 4-6. If the season ended today the two teams would meet in the North Division Series with Wenatchee holding home-field advantage and thus hosting Games 2 and (if necessary) 3.

The AppleSox are in first in the second half despite dropping two-of-three series. They lost two-of-three to the Kelowna Falcons two weeks ago, swept the Nanaimo NightOwls and then took one-of-three against the Corvallis Knights this past weekend. Wenatchee had opportunities to walk off in every game but only celebrated on Saturday night.

Kamloops defeated the Port Angeles Lefties, 3-1, last night in a makeup game at Civic Field. The NorthPaws were off this past weekend but lost back-to-back series before that, getting swept by Yakima Valley and losing two-of-three to Victoria prior. They opened the season on a tear at 16-11 but have lost five-of-their-last-six games.

Quincy Vassar returns to the starting rotation after appearing in relief on Saturday for the AppleSox. He allowed two runs on two hits and a walk in one inning against Corvallis. Prior to that Vassar had a dominant start on July 8 when he fired seven shutout innings and struck out seven against Nanaimo. The Brewster, Wash. native has tossed at least five innings in four-of-his-five starts. He is 1-3 with a 5.08 ERA in seven games, five starts, over 28.1 innings. Vassar has struck out 31, walked nine and allowed 33 hits.

Kamloops sends southpaw Colby Ring to the mound for his seventh start of the summer. He last pitched six days ago in relief, allowing three runs on two hits and two walks in 0.1 innings against Yakima Valley. He held a very strong 1.88 ERA through his first six games spanning 24 innings, but has been roughed up in his last two games, including allowing six runs on eight hits and two walks in 1.2 innings at Victoria on July 9. Ring is 2-1 with a 4.84 ERA in eight games, six starts, over 26 innings. He has struck out 23, walked 23 and allowed 26 hits.

Tonight’s game is another $2 Off Tuesday. Fans can purchase discounted tickets to the game for as affordable at $5 for general admission seats and $10 for reserved premium seating. Hot dogs, burgers and Coors draft pours are also $2 off. Fans can also save 20-percent on AppleSox merchandise purchased at the third-base souvenir stand.

In addition to all the exciting $2 Off Tuesday savings it is also a Taco Tuesday. Purchase three tacos at the concession stand for just $7. Tickets can be purchased at saferseating.com.

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 if the AppleSox win.

AppleSox To Sport Special Jerseys In Collaboration With Colville Tribes

This year marks the 85th year anniversary of the founding of the Wenatchee Chiefs and the beginning of a long history of organized baseball in the Wenatchee Valley and the Wenatchee AppleSox are proud to celebrate that history this year.

In previous seasons the AppleSox have sported a Chiefs-inspired throwback uniform but have opted to take a different route this summer. They will instead honor the history of Native Americans in North Central Washington by sporting uniforms designed in collaboration with the Colville Tribal Language Program as well as Colville Casinos for the final two Thursday home games of the season on July 21 and 28.

The pattern along the sleeves, around the collar and down the buttons on the front of the jersey is an interpretation of a bitterroot basket pattern, which has strong significance to the Colville Tribes. The local dialect on the front translates to “Wenatchee” in English. The AppleSox “apple baseball” logo is on the left shoulder sleeve and the Colville Casinos 12 Tribes logo is on the right shoulder sleeve.

Fans have an opportunity to purchase this specialty player-worn jersey on a first-come, first-serve basis beginning this Thursday, July 21. Forty jerseys are available for purchase for $100 and all fans interested in buying one can only do so in-person at the AppleSox third-base souvenir stand but will not receive their jersey until after the game on July 28. Fans who purchase a jersey in person but are not able to make it to the July 28 game to pick it up may have it shipped to them for an additional $10.

These jerseys are part of the AppleSox “Throwback Thursdays” for the final two home games. Fans can purchase general admission tickets to the games on July 21 and July 28 for a “throwback” price of just $2. Tickets can be purchased now at saferseating.com.

AppleSox Fall In Extra Innings Again To Knights

Hunter Gibson tossed five shutout innings in relief but the AppleSox fell to the Corvallis Knights, 8-4, in 12 innings on Sunday afternoon at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. 

The AppleSox and Knights went to extra innings for the second time in the last three days and it was Corvallis again picking up the victory to earn the series victory. The Knights opened up the weekend with a 7-5 win in 10 innings on Friday and captured the series with a five-run top of the 12th on Sunday.

Enzo Apodaca and Cole Miller led the AppleSox with a pair of multi-hit games. Apodaca briefly gave the AppleSox the lead with a 2-RBI single in the bottom of the second after Corvallis scored in the top of the first. Wenatchee’s lead was short-lived as it surrendered a two-run homer in the top of the third to give the Knights a 3-2 lead.

Gibson came on in the fourth and dominated in his longest outing of the summer, striking out six and only allowed one hit and one walk. The AppleSox tied the game up in bottom of the sixth when Michael Davinni watched with his third walk of the day, stole second and then scored after back-to-back groundouts.

Neither team was able to manage a run until the Knights’ outburst in the top of the 12th but both nearly go scored go-ahead runs in previous innings. Apodaca singled with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and then Brandham Ponce hit a deep drive to left field that landed at the base off the wall right next to the foul pole. Head coach Mitch Darlington sent Apodaca around third as left fielder Briley Knight was picking up the baseball and a perfect relay from left field to shortstop Spencer Scott to catcher Tyler Quinn was a step ahead of Apodaca’s slide.

Corvallis nearly scored the go-ahead run an inning before winning the game. With a runner at second base and one out a ground ball to the left side of the second base bag was bobbled by shortstop Aiva Arquette and Knights head coach Brooke Knight sent runner Kiko Romero around third home but Arquette recovered to throw a strike to catcher Ezra Samperi to retire Romero and end the inning.

Wenatchee is off Monday but wraps up the eight-game homestand with a big three-game set against the Kamloops NorthPaws. The NorthPaws and AppleSox had the second and fourth-best overall records in the North Division entering Sunday night’s games and would both qualify for the playoffs. All three games begin at 6:35 p.m. and tickets can be purchased at saferseating.com.

Listen to the latest edition of the AppleSox Podcast for a recap of the game, highlights and a pregame interview with Riley Sinclair. Subscribe to the AppleSox Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

AppleSox Walk Off Knights

The Wenatchee AppleSox scored five unanswered runs, including one in the bottom of the ninth, to defeat the Corvallis Knights, 5-4, on Saturday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Corey Jarrell and Joichiro Oyama drew back-to-back walks to open the bottom of the ninth inning and Jarrell scored when Matt Halbach hit a hot shot to the second baseman Mason Le that he could not handle. Jarrell scored from second to give Wenatchee its first walkoff victory of the season.

Reese Ligtenberg (2-2) tossed the final five innings in relief to earn the victory. He allowed one run in the fifth but none after that and struck out three match his longest effort of the season out of the bullpen.

The AppleSox began Saturday a bit sluggish as Corvallis took a 4-0 lead into the bottom of the fifth but Wenatchee would respond. Three consecutive singles to open the inning led to the first run as Jarrell drove in Sherrod and then Joichiro Oyama put down a push bunt to the right side to sacrifice himself but score Cole Miller.

Miller came through for the AppleSox in the sixth with a two-out game-tying single after Enzo Apodaca cut the deficit to one with an RBI groundout two batters prior.

The AppleSox can pick up a series victory on Sunday when they face the Knights at 1:05 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at saferseating.com.

Listen to the latest edition of the AppleSox Podcast to hear a recap of the game, the highlights and interviews with Ligtenberg, Halbach, head coach Mitch Darlington and Connor Wilson. Subscribe to the AppleSox Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

AppleSox Continue Weekend Series With Corvallis Tonight

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox face the Corvallis Knights again tonight at 6:35 p.m. in the second game of their three-game series at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

The AppleSox scored three runs in the first inning last night and tied it up with a pair of runs in the ninth inning but lost in 10 innings as the Knights scored five-of-their-seven runs with two outs. Ryan Mullan only allowed two runs over six innings on the mound but suffered a no decision in his final appearance of the summer.

Last night’s loss snapped Wenatchee’s five-game win streak (three in WCL play, two non-league victories) and was their first series-opening loss since June 24 against Edmonton. The AppleSox had won the first game of a three-game series in each of their four opportunities. The loss also was the AppleSox’ 12th in 13 games against teams with winning records.

Despite the loss, two different AppleSox hitters extended their hitting streaks. Joichiro Oyama stretched his to 12 games with a pair of base-hits and Matt Halbach extended his to eight with two hits of his own. Oyama tied Michael Davinni for the longest by an AppleSox hitter this season after Davinni collected a hit in each of the first 12 games of the summer.

Wenatchee has now dropped 12 consecutive games to Corvallis, their longest multi-year losing streak against any opponent in their history. The bulk of the Knight's damage against the AppleSox came with a six-game series sweep last year but the it has been over four years since Wenatchee last beat Corvallis, doing so on June 12, 2018, with a 4-0 win at Goss Stadium.

Riley Sinclair makes his fourth start of the summer and fifth appearance overall tonight. He is coming off his best outing of the season to date when he only allowed one run in four innings against the Kelowna Falcons on July 5 and picked up the victory. Sinclair’s only run allowed in that game came in the first inning and then he buckled down to toss fourth shutout innings afterward. The right-hander from Seattle U is 1-0 with a 5.55 ERA along with nine strikeouts, seven walks and 11 hits in 11.1 innings pitched.

Corvallis counters with Kaden Segel, a right-hander heading into his sophomore year at Linn-Benton Community College. He enters tonight 2-1 with a 2.07 ERA in seven appearances, four starts, and has struck out 16, walked 11 and allowed 16 hits in 21.2 innings. Segel faced four batters in relief on Thursday night, allowing three to reach while recording one out before being relieved. None of those inherited runners scored and Corvallis went on to win, 7-4, in the rubber match.

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.

Halbach’s Heroics Not Enough On Friday

Matt Halbach hit a game-tying two-run RBI single in the bottom of the ninth but the Wenatchee AppleSox fell to the Corvallis Knights, 7-5, in 10 innings on Friday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Halbach tied it up after back-to-back one-out walks and went to second on a throwing error but was stranded at second as the potential game-winning run. Corvallis scored twice with two outs in the 10th inning before retiring the AppleSox in order in the bottom of the 10th to win the weekend opener.

Ryan Mullan struck out four and only allowed two runs over six innings in his final start of the summer and left with the AppleSox in the lead, 3-2. He picked up his final strikeout with runners at second and third in the sixth after his defense turned a couple of brilliant defensive plays in the prior two innings. Third baseman Brandham Ponce caught a liner with runners at second and third and one out and then stepped on third base for the inning-ending unassisted double play in the sixth. Mullan recorded the second out of the fourth inning with a strikeout but with a runner at first the ball got away from catcher Ezra Samperi, who calmly picked up and tossed to second base to get the inning-ending forceout.

The AppleSox scored first with three runs in the first inning. Michael Davinni hit a sacrifice fly after Joichiro Oyama led off with a single and Matt Halbach reached on an error. Adam Fahsel reached on another error to put runners at first and second and Aiva Arquette laid down a perfect suicide-squeeze bunt first-base side to sacrifice himself but score Halbach. Fahsel came all the way around for second to score on a two-out infield single by Adam Fahsel to punctuate the big inning.

Corvallis scored a pair of runs in the third and then two more in the seventh after Mullan had exited the game. They scored one more for insurance in the eighth before the AppleSox tied it up. Five of the Knights’ seven runs scored with two outs.

Oyama extended his hitting streak to 12 games, matching Davinni for the longest hitting streak by an AppleSox hitter this summer. He also scored two runs to move six runs away from matching the AppleSox and the West Coast League’s single-season record of 47.

Halbach also extended his hitting streak to eight games with his 13th multi-hit game of the summer. He now has the third-best batting average in the WCL with a .360 mark.

Wenatchee honored former head coach and current Corvallis associate head coach Ed Knaggs before the game as founder Jim Corcoran, general manager Allie Schank and head coach Mitch Darlington presented him with his blue no. 11 AppleSox jersey. Knaggs led the AppleSox to six league championships and 12 playoff berths in 14 seasons with the team from 2001-14.

The AppleSox look to bounce back on Saturday at 6:35 p.m. as Riley Sinclair toes the rubber in the second game of the weekend series. Tickets can be purchased at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

AppleSox Host Knights In Crucial Mid-July Series

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox face the Corvallis Knights this weekend in a pivotal series at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium beginning Friday at 6:35 p.m.

The AppleSox sit a half game back of the second-best overall record in the North Division. Wenatchee is 4-2 in the second half so far and can make the playoffs by either having the best record in the second half in the division or by earning the third or fourth seeds by virtue of having the third or fourth-best overall record in the division. 

The AppleSox swept a two-game non-league set against the DubSea Fish Sticks earlier this week with a 22-2 win on Tuesday and a 20-6 win on Wednesday. Wenatchee has now scored 60 runs in its last three games, including their 18-1 victory over Nanaimo on Sunday in Game 2 of the doubleheader. League and non-league games combined the AppleSox have won five straight and are 2-0 on this eight-game homestand.

Corvallis won the first half South Division berth to qualify for the postseason for the 15th consecutive season. The Knights opened the season with nine consecutive wins before suffering their first loss. Since winning 11-of-their-first-12 games Corvallis is 10-10 and has lost four-of-their-last-six three-game series while also splitting a two-game set with Portland.

Friday's game offers a bit of sentimental value as former AppleSox head coach Ed Knaggs returns to Wenatchee. Knaggs won six championships (2003, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2012) and guided the AppleSox to 12 consecutive playoff berths (2002-13) in 14 seasons with Wenatchee from 2001-14. He is the all-time winningest AppleSox skipper with a 493-273 record in league play. Knaggs is in his third season as the associate head coach for the Corvallis Knights. He helped them capture championships in 2018 and 2019 before taking 2021 off and then returning this summer. This will be his first time coaching in Wenatchee from the visitor's dugout.

Knaggs isn't the only former member of the AppleSox returning to Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. Corvallis pitching coach Beau Kerns played for the AppleSox from 2012-13 and also played at Wenatchee Valley College those same two years. He recorded a 1.47 ERA in 10 games for Wenatchee Valley College in 2012 before posting a 2.58 ERA in 19 games for the AppleSox that summer. Kerns followed that up with a 1.87 ERA in 13 games in the spring of 2013 before recording a 2.82 ERA in 10 games for the AppleSox. Kerns is in his second season with the Knights coaching staff and also was the pitching coach for the Yakima Valley Pippins in 2019.

Friday’s game is Return of the Evil Empire Night. The first 100 kids to arrive to Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium will receive inflatable lightstabers. Tickets can be purchased at saferseating.com.

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.

Offense Rules the Day, AppleSox Complete Sweep of Fish Sticks

After putting up more than 20 runs a night ago, the Wenatchee AppleSox pull off another 20 plus run game against the DubSea Fish Sticks with the scoreboard reading 20-6 as Connor Wilson recorded the final out of the game.

A fairly pedestrian first inning from both sides opened the game as both pitchers worked efficiently to get back in the dugout and give their side a chance at bat. It was a completely different story once the second inning rolled around after starting pitcher Tyler Chipman tossed a scoreless top half.

Twelve AppleSox batters would score in the bottom half of the second frame. The scoring began with an Enzo Apodaca solo blast to right field, his first of the summer, to plate the game’s first run. The Sox would continue to get runners on base throughout the inning and knock the ball around the ballpark as they continued to drive in run after run. Joichiro Oyama had another big hit in the inning with a bases-clearing triple that brought the AppleSox lead to 12-0 with plenty of ballgame left to play.

Tyler Chipman would get into some trouble in the third and the Fish Sticks would score their first run of the game. With the bases loaded and only one out, Chipman escaped the jam by striking out the next batter he faced and then was able to induce a fly ball out to left field. This would end Chipman’s night giving him three innings on work, allowing one run on three hits, and two strikeouts.

The AppleSox would score another eight runs over the course of three innings started in the bottom of the fifth when Xander Orejudos scored Oyama on a triple in the gap. Orejudos would later score on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Michael Davinni to score the second and final run of the inning. Three more AppleSox batters would come around to score in the sixth as well as in the seventh. As part of the seventh inning scoring, Grant Sherrod launched a two-run home run to left field, his second of the season, to bring the score to a 19-6 AppleSox lead. By the end of the inning, the Sox would score their 20th run of the ballgame.

The winning decision went to Will Jacobson who pitched three innings in relief from the fifth to the seventh. The seven-footer allowed three hits and one run during his outing and punched out two batters. Connor Wilson would enter the game in the eighth inning and was lights out in the final two frames as he went six-up, six-down to finish the game.

Before the final out was recorded, AppleSox fans got to witness a couple of new batters take their swings in the batter’s box. The pitching staff got in on the fun with Reese Ligtenberg, Jake Putnam, and Mason Philley getting their chances to take some cuts in the eighth inning. Quincy Vassar also got an at-bat in the inning, the second night in a row he has stepped up to the plate.

Tonight’s game ended at a final score of 20-6, the second night in a row that the AppleSox have hit the 20-run mark. They have now scored 60 total runs in their last three games while allowing only nine.  

The AppleSox hope to carry their offensive firepower into the weekend as they take on the Corvallis Knights for a three-game series that begins on Friday. An off-day tomorrow gives pitchers time to rest and refresh while the team prepares for a formidable opponent in a Knights team that currently sits in second place in the WCL South Division. Tickets are available at saferseating.com.

AppleSox Look to Complete Two-Game Series Sweep of DubSea

After a thumping of the DubSea Fish Sticks a night ago, the Wenatchee AppleSox look to continue their hot streak by winning their fifth consecutive game tonight. The Sox have done a superb job on the mound and at the plate and appear to have found their groove over the last week dating back to their victory last Friday night over Nanaimo.

It was a hot one last night with temperatures rising to 97 degrees during the day and cooling off only a tad by gametime. The Sox were able to adapt to the heat and propel themselves to a 22-2 win over DubSea. As a team, the AppleSox collected 19 hits with four going for extra bases and they also stole a total of five bags. By the end of the game, pitchers Quincy Vassar and Riley Sinclair both made appearances, but not on the mound. They both pinch-hit in the bottom of the eighth in a game that by that point was well out of reach for the visitors.

On the mound, Felix Schlede, Davis Spencer, and Anthony Sendejas shut down the opposing bats by only allowing three hits and combining for ten strikeouts on the night. Schlede did not allow a hit in 4.1 innings of work, Spencer was credited with the win, and Sendejas earned the save.

Looking back since Friday, July 8th at Nanaimo, the AppleSox have an absurd run differential of +51 in which they have scored 58 runs while only allowing seven. In that same stretch, Matt Halbach has recorded four consecutive multi-hit games, adding on to an already impressive summer at the plate.

With the momentum on their side, the AppleSox go into tonight’s game with a full head of steam and look to replicate their recent successes. While tonight’s result will not count towards league standings and the AppleSox’ pursuit of the playoffs, there is still meaning in tonight’s game as it allows the hitters to get their reps at the dish to further build confidence in the batter’s box. A tough stretch of games lies ahead with the Corvallis Knights coming into town for a three-game set this weekend, so taking advantage of opportunities now to prepare for the upcoming series is essential to the future success of the ballclub as the regular season winds down.

Taking the hill tonight to try and complete the two-game series sweep is Tyler Chipman, a junior at Seattle University. The sidewinder from Cashmere, Wash. is looking to get back on track after his most recent performance at home against the Bend Elks. Chipman is playing in his second year with the AppleSox and will look to shut down the Fish Sticks this evening.

We’ve reached the halfway point of the week, and that means tonight is WINatchee Wednesday. All fans in attendance tonight 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.

Hot Bats Lead the Way for AppleSox in Victory Over Fish Sticks

The bats continue to stay red hot for the AppleSox as they blow the DubSea Fish Sticks out of the water with a 22-2 victory on Tuesday night.

While the Fish Sticks scratched the first run of the game, their lead would not last as a three-run second inning by the AppleSox gave them a lead they would not surrender for the rest of the night. Corey Jarrell got the scoring started with an RBI single to get Wenatchee on the board and it would also kick off an excellent night at the dish for the center fielder. He would go on to reach base five times in six plate appearances and drove in two runs in the win.

The Sox would strike again in the third inning by plating another three runs to take a 6-1 lead, allowing Felix Schlede, tonight’s starting pitcher, to settle in on the mound. The righty from Seattle, Wash. would toss a scoreless fourth inning with the end of his outing coming an inning later in the top of the fifth. Schlede’s final line would read 4.1 innings pitched, two runs allowed, and four strikeouts.

Davis Spencer and Anthony Sendejas were both brilliant out of the pen as they each recorded three strikeouts and combined for only three hits allowed down the stretch. Sendejas would toss three innings and would go on to earn the save, while Spencer was credited with the win.

The bulk of the AppleSox’ runs came later in the game as they put up a seven-spot in both the fifth and seventh innings while adding another two in the sixth. Xander Orejudos led the way through the onslaught as he cleared the bases with a three-run triple in the fifth. On the night, he tallied three total hits and drove in five runs out of the leadoff spot.

With the game well out of reach in the bottom of the eighth inning, Quincy Vassar and Riley Sinclair, both pitchers for the AppleSox, picked up a bat and entered the game as pinch-hitters. Vassar reached base on a four-pitch walk and was shortly after called out at second as part of a double play that Sinclair would ground into.

As Sendejas closed out the game on a pop-out to Vassar at first base, the AppleSox emerged victorious to the tune of a 22-2 victory over the Fish Sticks. The offensive firepower tonight gives the AppleSox a total of 40 runs scored in their last two games.

The AppleSox will battle the Fish Sticks again tomorrow night at 6:35 p.m. in another non-league matchup. It is also 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.

AppleSox Take On Fish Sticks Tonight in Non-League Matchup

The Wenatchee AppleSox are riding high coming into Tuesday’s action as they are coming off a series sweep of the Nanaimo NightOwls over the weekend. Their win on Sunday concluded a six-game road trip that took place in Canada with the ball club starting in Kelowna and finishing in Nanaimo. An off-day on Monday allows the team some rest before getting back into it this evening with the Dub Sea Fish Sticks coming to town this evening for a two-game non-league series with first pitch tonight scheduled for 6:35 p.m.

It was a great weekend for the AppleSox as they took all three games in the series against the NightOwls and capped it off with a commanding 18-1 victory in the nightcap of Sunday’s doubleheader. Seven Wenatchee bats collected multi-hit games in the win, and Riley Sinclair who has largely been a pitcher for the AppleSox this season recorded his first hit in his first at-bat this season. Pitching was extraordinary in the series as the staff combined for only five runs allowed in three games. It was a series to be proud of and the AppleSox showed resiliency by taking both games of the doubleheader on Sunday to put themselves in playoff contention as they sit in third in the North Division in the WCL standings.

Tonight’s game against the Dub Sea Fish Sticks is the first of a two-game set that will not count towards league standings. It will be a good opportunity for the AppleSox to give some of their players some rest as they need it as well as giving reps to those looking to get more at-bats or innings on the mound as this team strives towards the postseason over the last month of the season. The Fish Sticks have played one non-league game this year against a WCL team in which they defeated the Bellingham Bells by a score of 8-4 on July 3rd. Their best offensive performance came from the right-handed hitting shortstop, DJ Massey as he went 3-for-5 out of the leadoff spot with a double and an RBI. They also got a noteworthy performance out of their starting pitcher, Davis Franklin, who tossed seven innings of shutout baseball while only allowing four hits and walking one.

The bats will look to stay hot tonight after plating 36 runs against Nanaimo in the weekend slate. That number also marks the most runs they have scored in a single series this season. After not having played a game since the opening series on the road at the beginning of June, Corey Jarrell made his return from injury over the road trip and logged two hits over four total plate appearances in the doubleheader on Sunday while also knocking in two runs. Joichiro Oyama extended his hit streak to 11 games, the longest he has this year. Adam Fahsel had a fantastic series as he recorded three multi-hit games and added a homerun to his stat sheet with a solo blast on Friday night. Speaking of home runs, Cole Miller hit his first tater of the year in his 4-for-5 performance on Sunday night.

Traditionally, a good offense will make life easier for the pitching staff and that was certainly the case this weekend. Quincy Vassar had the highlight performance of the series with a seven-inning, three-hit performance where he did not allow any runs in the 12-1 win over Nanaimo on Friday night. Jake Putnam, a native of Danville, Cali. attending Santa Clara University, tossed three scoreless innings of relief on Sunday where he allowed only one hit and struck out four batters. The pitching staff will look to stay locked in over the coming weeks starting tonight in Wenatchee.

With the offense firing on all cylinders, Felix Schlede should be able to take the mound with ease as tonight’s starting pitcher. He is coming off a relief performance where he logged 2.2 innings and allowing only one run and one hit in the AppleSox’ 9-5 loss to the Bend Elks on July 3rd. Schlede, an incoming freshman at Central Arizona College, is looking to keep the AppleSox in the win column to further build momentum going into a big weekend series against the Corvallis Knights.

It certainly will feel like summer tonight, so make sure to take advantage of that summertime feeling with great food and great baseball on another $2 off Tuesday at the ballpark. We have $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.

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.

AppleSox Sweep Doubleheader, NightOwls

The Wenatchee AppleSox swept Sunday’s doubleheader with 6-3 and 18-1 wins to take all three games against the NightOwls this weekend at Serauxmen Stadium. 

The AppleSox never trailed in either game or in any of the three games of their second sweep of the summer. After scoring five runs in three games against Kelowna to open the trip they bounced back to score 32 runs in 23 innings over three games against Nanaimo.

Cole Miller led the offense by reaching base a combined eight times in the two games Sunday. He hit his first home run of the season with a solo shot to lead off the fourth inning of Game 2 in a four-hit effort. 

Mason Philley struck out four in four innings of relief in Game 1 to help pick up the win and record his first save of the summer. He allowed one inherited runner to score to tie the game up in the fourth inning but Adam Fahsel doubled in Aiva Arquette with two outs in the fifth to regain the lead for Wenatchee before they added three runs of insurance in the sixth thanks to an RBI single by Matt Halbach and then a double steal where Joichiro Oyama came home with his fourth stolen base of the game. Oyama’s four stolen-base performance was the first by an AppleSox player in a single game since Zach Mandleblatt swiped four bags against Kelowna on July 6, 2007.

The AppleSox led Game 2 4-1 after four innings thanks to a pair of two-out RBI singles from Enzo Apodaca and Ezra Samperi in the second inning before adding two more runs over the next two innings. Wenatchee then sent 19 men to the plate and scored 13 runs in the sixth inning for their highest-scoring inning of the season. Wenatchee’s 18 runs and 23 hits also represented single-game highs for the 2022 season. The 23 hits were one off tying the team’s single-game record set five years ago, despite this only being a seven-inning game. Every AppleSox hitter who batted collected at least one hit and four different players recorded at least three hits. 

The AppleSox return home to begin an eight-game homestand, their longest of the summer, on Tuesday night at 6:35 p.m. against the Dub Sea Fish Sticks. It’s a $2 Off Tuesday with tickets, hot dogs, burgers and Coors draft pours all $2 off. Tickets can be purchased at saferseating.com

AppleSox Continue Road Trip, Face NightOwls

UPDATE: Tonight’s game has been rained out and will be made up on Sunday as the two teams will play a pair of seven-inning games beginning at noon.

The Wenatchee AppleSox play the fifth game of their six-game road trip tonight at 6:35 p.m. against the Nanaimo NightOwls at Serauxmen Stadium.

Wenatchee opened up the weekend with a 12-1 victory last night to improve to 2-2 on the road trip. It marked the AppleSox’ fifth win by a margin of 10-or-more runs this summer and the seventh time that Wenatchee scored double-digit runs.

Four different AppleSox hitters recorded multi-hit games and two different batters scored three times. Wenatchee bounced back after scoring five runs in the previous three games combined to win a series opener for the seventh time in 11 opportunities this summer.

Quincy Vassar tossed seven shutout innings to deliver the AppleSox 10th five-or-more innings start and his fourth of the summer. He was aided by the offensive outburst that included a five-run seventh inning and a three-run ninth.

Now the AppleSox look to win their second-game of the series and pick up their sixth series victory in their 11th series of the summer. Wenatchee has dropped the last two series in part to not winning the second-game of a three-game set. After winning seven-of-11 games in the first-game of a series the AppleSox are 3-7 in the second game against an opponent.

Reese Ligtenberg starts for the AppleSox today for the first time since June 8. He allowed two runs in two innings that day but bounced back to not allow any runs in his next three games spanning 10.2 innings. Ligtenberg had a tough outing in his most recent game, a week ago today. The right-hander from North Dakota State faced four hitters and allowed all four to reach base and score before exiting. He still enters tonight with a 3.65 ERA through five games.

Jayden Tomas is set to start for the NightOwls. He is 0-1 with a 5.26 ERA in four appearances but the bulk of the runs he allowed came in one game when he allowed seven runs on seven hits and three hits in three innings against Kelowna on June 25.

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.