AppleSox Embark On Final Road Trip Of 2022 Regular Season

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox travel to face the Yakima Valley Pippins tonight at 6:35 in the first game of a three-game set.

The AppleSox are tied for first in the North Division in the second half with the Edmonton Riverhawks. Both have identical 12-9 records but the AppleSox would win the tiebreaker because they won two-of-three games against the Riverhawks in the season series. Edmonton has the third-best record overall in the North Division and would thus claim the first wild card spot, if the season ended today, so they would still face the AppleSox in a best-of-three North Division Series Semifinals.

Wenatchee returned home last night for a non-league game against the Cascade Collegiate League Showcase team and defeated them, 6-1, to finish the season 3-1 in non-league play. The AppleSox took two-of-three on the road against the Kamloops NorthPaws this past Friday-through-Sunday.

The AppleSox have added a plethora of new players recently and many of them made a difference in last night’s win. Six-of-the-nine hitters in the stating lineup were players with less than five games played for the AppleSox and four of them recorded hits in the victory.

The Pippins are led by former AppleSox head coach Kyle Krustangel, who managed the AppleSox from 2017-19. Yakima Valley started the summer slow, going 9-18 for the worst record in the eight-team South Division, but they have turned the page in the second half. The Pippins have won six consecutive series and are 15-6 in the second half, which is the third-best record in the South. They sit on the outside looking in at the playoff picture because they also have the fifth-best overall record in the South.

Riley Sinclair starts for the AppleSox in his sixth start of the summer. The right-hander from Seattle U is 1-0 with a 5.06 ERA in six games this summer. Sinclair has tossed 21.1 innings, struck out 19, walked 13 and allowed 23 hits. His last start was on July 22 at Walla Walla when he struck out a season-high six hitters over a season-best six innings.

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.

New-Look AppleSox Defeat CCL Showcase Monday

Cashmere native Brayden Weatherman tossed five scoreless innings of relief and the Wenatchee AppleSox defeated the Cascade Collegiate League Showcase team, 6-1, on Monday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Three of Wenatchee’s nine hitters in Monday’s starting lineup had played in fewer than five games or were making their AppleSox debut. All four AppleSox pitchers were appearing in their game of the summer for Wenatchee.

Weatherman came out of the bullpen in the third inning and dominated. He allowed a hit to the first batter that he faced but that would be the last hit that he allowed as the southpaw struck out five and only walked two the rest of the way.

Wenatchee dug into its reserves and signed several new players to help for its stretch run while also having some fun late in the game. All three coaches appeared in Monday night’s game as head coach Mitch Darlington and hitting coach Marcus Lydon batted in the eighth inning while pitching coach Aaron Vaughn struck out two in a scoreless ninth.

Incoming Chelan High School senior Braiden Boyd started and allowed one run and struck out three in two innings. Ryudai Watanabe also made his AppleSox debut by tossing a 1-2-3 eighth inning.

Wenatchee gave up the game’s first run in the top of the first but bounced back to score twice in the second and three times in the third. Xander Orejudos led the offense with a 2-for-4 night with a double in the first inning and a solo home run in the sixth inning. Corey Jarrell, DJ Massey and Justin Stransky (the latter two making their AppleSox debut) also delivered RBI singles.

“Play For The AppleSox” contest winner Eddie Pichardo batted to lead off the seventh inning and worked a full count but ultimately grounded out back to the mound. Eddie was one of three people randomly selected to compete in a postgame batting practice on July 28 and collected the most hits of all three contestants.

The AppleSox return to West Coast League action on Tuesday night when they face the Yakima Valley Pippins at 6:35 p.m. at Yakima County Stadium.

Listen to the latest edition of the AppleSox Podcast for a recap of the game and a pregame interview with Brooks Rasmussen. Subscribe to the AppleSox Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

AppleSox Take On CCL Showcase Team In Non-League Action Tonight

The Wenatchee AppleSox return home to play their final non-league game of the 2022 season tonight at 6:35 at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

It’s a quick pit stop for the AppleSox in between two road trips. Wenatchee just got back from taking two-of-three from the Kamloops NorthPaws north of the border and will head to Yakima tomorrow for the start of a three-game set against the Pippins.

The AppleSox are tied for first in the North Division in the second half with the Edmonton Riverhawks. Both have identical 12-9 records but the AppleSox would win the tiebreaker because they won two-of-three games against the Riverhawks in the season series. Edmonton has the third-best record overall in the North Division and would thus claim the first wild card spot, if the season ended today, so they would still face the AppleSox in a best-of-three North Division Series Semifinals.

This is the sixth all-time meeting between the AppleSox and the CCL Showcase team. The AppleSox took a pair of meetings in 2018 before sweeping a three-game weekend set a year ago. The CCL was founded in 2018 and just wrapped up its 2022 season this past weekend.

The AppleSox are 2-1 in non-league games this summer. Their only loss came on June 13 to the Northwest Star Academy before following it up with a two-game sweep of the DubSea Fish Sticks, July 12-13.

This evening’s game is being sponsored by Worx Gym and tickets can still be purchased at saferseating.com. Fans who arrive early will receive AppleSox baseball cards of Corey Jarrell, Garrett Gores and Grant Sherrod.

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 Can't Finish Off Sweep Of NorthPaws

The Wenatchee AppleSox recorded double-digit hits for a fifth consecutive game but fell to the Kamloops NorthPaws, 11-6, on Sunday afternoon at Norbrock Stadium.

Wenatchee led, 5-2, midway through the series finale but gave up six runs in the bottom of the fifth and never led or tied from that point on. The AppleSox scored the game’s first two runs in the first inning before adding two more in the third and one in the fourth before the big NorthPaws’ fifth inning.

Nine-of-10 AppleSox batters with at least one at-bat recorded a hit. Brooks Rasmussen continued his stellar start to his AppleSox tenure by going 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI. Adam Fahsel recorded his second multi-hit game in the last three days with a 2-for-4 showing.

The AppleSox end the regular season 10-2 against expansion teams. Wenatchee previously swept Springfield, Nanaimo and Kamloops before taking two-of-three against Edmonton and in their second series against the NorthPaws.

Wenatchee returns home Monday to face the Cascade Collegiate League Showcase at 6:35 p.m. at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. Only four home games remain in the regular season and tickets four all four can be purchased at saferseating.com.

AppleSox Rally Back From 9-0 Deficit To Defeat Kamloops

CJ Horn drove in five runs and the Wenatchee AppleSox scored six runs in the top of the eighth to defeat the Kamloops NorthPaws, 12-10, on Saturday night at Norbrock Stadium.

Brooks Rasmussen (1-0) tossed 4.1 scoreless innings of relief in his first appearance on the mound this summer after being signed by the AppleSox earlier this week. He started the game in left field and went 1-for-4 with a go-ahead 20RBI single in the eighth inning.

The AppleSox trailed 9-0 after two innings thanks to an eight-run second inning by the NorthPaws but rallied late to win the weekend series and set up a chance for a sweep on Sunday. Eight-of-nine AppleSox position players collected at least one hit and four recorded multi-hit efforts.

Wenatchee only scored in three innings but made two of them count with huge frames. The AppleSox struck five times in the third after a forgettable second inning and then got one in the sixth before the big eighth inning. Horn doubled in a pair after a Grant Sherrod RBI single to cut the deficit to one run before Rasmussen gave the AppleSox their first lead of the night. Xander Orejudos added an insurance run three batters later with a sacrifice fly.

The AppleSox improved to 12-1 against teams playing in their first season in the WCL with Saturday’s win. Wenatchee can take all six games against Kamloops if they defeat them on Sunday afternoon. First pitch is at 1:05 p.m.

Arquette's Slam Leads AppleSox Past NorthPaws

Aiva Arquette hit a grand slam in a seven-run third inning to lead the Wenatchee AppleSox past the Kamloops NorthPaws, 14-10, on Friday night at Norbrock Stadium.

Arquette’s first home run of the season came at a huge time as the AppleSox trailed, 5-3, going to the third after giving up four runs in the bottom of the second. It was a huge night for Arquette as he drove in a season-high six runs and added to his team-high total of 38, second-most in the entire West Coast League.

Arquette, Grant Sherrod, Xander Orejudos and Adam Fahsel all recorded multi-hit games in the win. Arquette drove in the game’s first run in the first with an RBI single prior to his grand slam two innings later. The incoming freshman at Washington’s other RBI came in the ninth on a sacrifice fly.

Anthony Sendejas (1-0) picked up the victory by striking out five in 2.2 innings before Jake Putnam tossed the final 3.1 frames to earn his team-best third save of the summer.

Wenatchee took an early 3-0 lead thanks an Arquette RBI single after back-to-back walks and then Adam Fahsel plated a pair with a two-out double. Kamloops got one back in the bottom of the inning and then plated three in the second to lead the AppleSox by two.

The AppleSox sent 11 men to the plate in the third and scored seven runs on fives hits and one error. Arquette’s first home run of the summer broke open a tie games after the first two hitters reached on singles prior to an error to score both. Sherrod followed Arquette’s blast with a single and then stole second before Orejudos singled him in.

Despite leading 10-5 after three innings, the AppleSox only scored one more run over the next five innings. Cole Cramer doubled in Corey Jarrell in the fourth but Wenatchee only led, 11-10, going to the top of the ninth. They got some breathing room thanks to a throwing error on a bunt with runners at first and second scored one, an Arquette sacrifice fly and then an RBI double by Grant Sherrod to cap the scoring for the night.

The AppleSox have won all four games against Kamloops thus far this season and improve to 12-1 against teams playing their first season in the WCL in 2022. Wenatchee remains tied with Edmonton for first place in the second half with identical 11-8 records. The AppleSox hold the tiebreaker over the Riverhawks because they won two-of-three against their North Division foes June 24-26.

Wenatchee takes on Kamloops again on Saturday at 6:35 p.m. at Norbrock Stadium in the penultimate game of the season series.

AppleSox Head To Canada For Final Time In 2022 Regular Season

The Wenatchee AppleSox face the Kamloops NorthPaws this weekend for a three-game series beginning tonight at 6:35 at Norbrock Stadium.

The AppleSox are looking to win the season series against the NorthPaws by winning at least one game this weekend. They swept Kamloops just over a week ago in Wenatchee and now play their final three games against a North Division opponent in the regular season. The AppleSox are 15-12 against division foes.

Wenatchee dropped last night’s rubber match against the Cowlitz Black Bears, 10-7, at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. They scored each of the game’s first four runs over the first two innings but could not prevent a five-run barrage by the Black Bears over the final three innings, including a three-run eighth inning.

Wenatchee is now tied with Bellingham and Edmonton for first place in the North Division in the second half. If the season ended today, then the AppleSox would win the second half playoff berth. The Bells already won the first half and the AppleSox hold the tiebreaker over the Riverhawks by virtue of having won two-of-three games in the season series. Edmonton would still make the postseason as the three seed because their 21-23 record is the third-best in the North Division overall. They would host Game 1 of the Division series against Wenatchee with Games 2 and (if necessary) 3 being played at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Evan Canfield starts for the AppleSox tonight in his second start of the summer and his eighth appearance. The right-hander from Edmonds Community College is 3-0 with a 1.26 ERA in 21.1 innings. Canfield has struck out 27, walked 11 and allowed 14 hits. He most recently pitched on July 21 against Kamloops by tossing 3.2 scoreless innings in relief to earn the victory out of the bullpen. Canfield’s only start was July 10 at Nanaimo when he fired three innings and allowed one run on one hits, five walks and four hits.

Dylan Emmons from the University of Fraser Valley starts for the NorthPaws tonight. He has no record and a 6.00 ERA in 24 innings with 20 strikeouts, 15 walks and 31 hits. Emmons last pitched a week ago against the Nanaimo NightOwls and allowed two runs on five hits, four walks and four strikeouts in five innings. Tonight is his ninth appearance and fourth start for Kamloops.

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 Can't Hold Early Lead vs Black Bears

BOX SCORE

The Wenatchee AppleSox struck first and led 4-0 after two innings but fell to the Cowlitz Black Bears, 10-7, on Thursday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

The Black Bears scored five runs over the final three innings to win the rubber match. Joichiro Oyama and Xander Orejudos both recorded multi-hit efforts in the loss. Oyama tripled in a pair of runs in the second inning to record his fifth triple of the summer. He is now one away from matching the AppleSox’ single-season record for triples, set by current Milwaukee Brewer Keston Hiura in 2015.

Wenatchee opened the scoring with an RBI double from Michael Davinni in the first before Oyama’s big swing in the second. He would come into score on a groundout by Matt Halbach to make it 4-0, Wenatchee.

The turning point of the game came in the third inning. Adam Fahsel drew a bases-loaded, one-out walk to bring in a run as the AppleSox answered Cowlitz’s three-run top of the third. That made it 5-3, AppleSox, but the next two hitters, Oyama and Halbach, were retired consecutively to end the inning with the bases still loaded.

The Black Bears scored in each of the next two innings to tie the game up. They briefly took the lead with a one-out solo home run in the top of the seventh before Orejudos answered with a two-out single in the bottom of the frame. Cowlitz created some breathing room with a three-run eighth and one more run of insurance in the ninth before CJ Horn hit an opposite-field RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth for the final run of the night.

Wenatchee is now tied with Bellingham and Edmonton for first place in the North Division in the second half. If the season ended today, then the AppleSox would win the second half playoff berth. The Bells already won the first half and the AppleSox hold the tiebreaker over the Riverhawks by virtue of having won two-of-three games in the season series. Edmonton would still make the postseason as the three seed because their 21-23 record is the third-best in the North Division overall. They would host Game 1 of the Division series against Wenatchee with Games 2 and (if necessary) 3 being played at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

The AppleSox look to separate themselves from the pack this weekend as they face the Kamloops NorthPaws at Norbrock Stadium. Wenatchee swept Kamloops a week ago but is 2-4 since then. First pitch on Friday night is at 6:35 p.m.

Listen to the latest edition of the AppleSox Podcast to hear a recap, highlights and a pregame interview with Conner Ashworth. Subscribe to the AppleSox Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

AppleSox Host Cowlitz On Final Throwback Thursday Of 2022

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox wrap up a quick three-game homestand tonight at 7:05 against the Cowlitz Black Bears at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Wenatchee battles Cowlitz in its seventh rubber match of the summer. The AppleSox won their first three rubber matches of the season but have dropped each of their last three. Wenatchee took the first game of this series with a 9-2 win on Tuesday but Cowlitz stormed back to win 10-4 last night.

Just as a seven-run third inning was huge for the AppleSox on Tuesday it was the Black Bears getting out to an early 7-0 lead that paced them last night. They scored three times in the first, twice in the second and twice more in the fourth to lead the AppleSox by seven after three-and-a-half innings.

A win tonight would clinch the AppleSox’ eighth series victory of the summer and guarantee a winning record at home this summer. The AppleSox are 13-10 at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium with four home games remaining, including tonight. If Wenatchee were to win each of its final four home games then it would match it’s 2019 franchise record of a 17-10 record at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Felix Schlede makes his fourth start of the summer and fifth appearance for Wenatchee. He last pitched a week ago and allowed five runs on four hits, five walks and five strikeouts in 3.1 innings against Kamloops. The incoming freshman at Central Arizona is 0-2 with an 11.32 ERA this summer in 10.2 innings. Schlede has struck out 17, walked 13 and allowed eight hits.

Ryan Hardman gets the ball for Cowlitz in his seventh start of the summer. The right-hander from Dixie State College has started all six games that he has pitched in and is 1-2 with a 5.34 ERA in 30.1 innings. Hardman has struck out 22, walked five and allowed 29 hits. His most recent start came a week ago when he allowed five runs (three earned) on six hits in 6.1 innings. He walked one and struck out four while getting a no decision in an eventual 7-6 loss for the Black Bears.

Tonight’s game is the final “Throwback Thursday” of the summer and it is sponsored by Colville Casinos. Wenatchee will sport its heritage uniforms for the final time. These game-worn uniforms are available for purchase on a first-come first-serve basis. Limited numbers remain and can be purchased at the third-base souvenir stand. General admission tickets are also available for a “throwback” price of $2 and can be purchased at saferseating.com.

Please note that the start time of tonight’s game has been pushed back a half hour due to the heat in the Wenatchee Valley. Gates open at 6 p.m.

Each 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 each game begins at 6:40 p.m. with the Horan Estates Winery Pregame Show. Stick around after the game to hear the postgame show with player and coach interviews if the AppleSox win.

Arquette and Samperi's Big Nights Not Enough For AppleSox

Aiva Arquette picked up three hits and drove in two runs but the Wenatchee AppleSox fell to the Cowlitz Black Bears, 10-4, seconds n Wednesday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. 

Arquette tripled in a run in the bottom of the fourth and singled in another in the sixth to give him a team-high 42 RBI. Ezra Samperi scored three times and also collected three hits. Those two combined to collect six of Wenatchee’s 10 hits and scored all four of their runs.

The AppleSox didn’t get on the board until the fourth and trailed 7-0 by that point. Cowlitz scored three in the first, two in the second and two more in the top of the fourth before Wenatchee struck. The AppleSox twice stranded the bases loaded and left 13 men on the basepaths.

Conner Ashworth tossed a scoreless 1.1 innings on the bump in his first appearance since June 17 against Bellingham. The Brewster native struck out one of the six hitters that he faced.

The rubber match is set for 7:05 p.m. on Thursday night as the AppleSox face the Black Bears again. Wenatchee will sport its heritage uniforms for the final time. These game-worn uniforms are available for purchase on a first-come first-serve basis. Limited numbers remain and can be purchased at the third-base souvenir stand. 

General admission tickets are also available for a “throwback” price of $2 and can be purchased at saferseating.com.

Listen to the latest edition of the AppleSox Podcast. Hear a recap of the game as well as a pregame interview with Enzo Apodaca. Subscribe to the AppleSox Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

AppleSox Go For Series Victory Tonight Against Cowlitz

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox look to pick up their eighth series victory of the summer tonight as they face the Cowlitz Black Bears at 7:05 p.m. at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

The start time of tonight and tomorrow’s games have both been pushed back a half hour to 7:05 p.m. in an attempt to begin the game when more of the ballpark is shaded.

Wenatchee opened up the series with a 9-2 victory on Tuesday night. The AppleSox scored seven runs in the bottom of the third inning and Garrett Gores tossed 5.2 scoreless innings of relief. Michael Davinni went 3-for-5 and Joichiro Oyama picked up a hit and three walks.

The seven-run third inning was 15th time that the AppleSox have scored five-or-more runs in an inning this season. Three of those instances have come in three-of-their-last-four home games. The crooked innings are a big reason why the AppleSox have won four consecutive home games, their longest win streak at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium this summer.

Last night’s win kept the AppleSox in first place in the North Division in the second half with a 10-6 record. Wenatchee leads Bellingham for the first spot in the North by one game and is also two games ahead of Edmonton. If Bellingham and Wenatchee tie for the second half or the Bells win it, then the AppleSox claim the second-half playoff berth and have home-field advantage in the first round of the North Division Series. If they don’t win the second half then the AppleSox can still gain a playoff spot if they have one of the four-best overall records in the North Division. The AppleSox’ 22-21 overall record is the second-best in the North.

Jack Moffitt starts on the mound for the eighth time this summer and looks to win his third game of the season. The right-hander is 2-1 with a 4.32 ERA in 25 innings. Moffitt has struck out 25, walked 19 and allowed 27 hits. His most recent start was his finest as he struck out six in five scoreless innings against the Kamloops NorthPaws a week ago. Moffitt did walk five but struck out six and only allowed two hits.

Cowlitz sends Ryan Rembisz to the rubber for his fifth start of the summer. The lefty from the University of Portland is 2-2 with a 7.23 ERA, 23 strikeouts, four walks and 25 hits in 18.2 innings. His most recent outing was one of his three relief appearances this summer, with the latest coming this past Sunday. Rembisz tossed a scoreless top of the 10th inning against the Ridgefield Raptors before the Black Bears picked up the walk-off win in the bottom half.

Tonight’s game is the final WINatchee Wednesday of the regular season. All fans in attendance are eligible to win prizes from local businesses just by attending the game. The first 100 fans entering the ballpark will receive free freezer pops to help beat the heat. The AppleSox have also installed misters throughout the park to help fans stay cool. Tickets are available at saferseating.com.

Each 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 each game begins at 6:40 p.m. with the Horan Estates Winery Pregame Show. Stick around after the game to hear the postgame show with player and coach interviews if the AppleSox win.

Seven-Run Inning Leads AppleSox Past Cowlitz

The Wenatchee AppleSox scored seven runs in the bottom of the third to buoy them past the Cowlitz Black Bears with a 9-2 win on Tuesday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Michael Davinni went 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored and Garrett Gores (1-1) tossed 5.2 scoreless innings of relief to earn the victory.

Wenatchee sent 12 men to the plate in the third inning and scored the game’s first seven runs despite only collecting three hits in the inning. Three walks, two errors and a hit by pitch also paved the way for a big inning. The AppleSox didn’t get their first hit of the inning until Joichiro Oyama singled in a pair with the bases loaded. Each of the first seven hitters of the inning reached base and scored. Davinni singled in one, Ezra Samperi drew a bases-loaded walk and Aiva Arquette plated the final two runs of the inning with a single.

Oyama got the scoring started with his 2-RBI single. He also drew walks in each of his final three plate appearances to reach base in four-of-five trips to the dish. Enzo Apodaca also drew three walks and AppleSox hitters combined to draw eight free passes. They have drawn 15 walks in the last two games and 221 this summer, second-most in the West Coast League.

Grant Sherrod drove in a run in the fourth and then scored the final run of the night in the sixth. He picked up a two-out RBI single after Davinni singled and then Apodaca walked before him. Sherrod then doubled with two outs in the sixth and then scored after two more Cowlitz errors.

Gores entered after two runs scored in the fourth inning and then got the final two outs of the inning and each of the first 10 hitters that he faced in order. His 5.2 innings tossed marked his second-longest outing of the summer.

The AppleSox look to take the series when they face the Black Bears on Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. It’s the final WINatchee Wednesday of the summer. Fans are eligible to win prizes from local businesses just by attending the game. Tickets are available at saferseating.com.

Listen to the latest edition of the AppleSox Podcast. Listen to a recap of the game, highlights and interviews with Gores, Davinni, Mitch Darlington and Jake Putnam. Subscribe to the AppleSox Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

AppleSox Return Home To Face Black Bears

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox, currently in first place in the North Division in the second half, host the Cowlitz Black Bears this Tuesday-through-Thursday at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Wenatchee holds a one-game lead over the Bellingham Bells for first place in the North Division in the second half. If Bellingham and Wenatchee tie for the second half or the Bells win it, then the AppleSox claim the second-half playoff berth and have home-field advantage in the first round of the North Division Series. If they don’t win the second half then they can still gain a playoff spot if they have one of the four-best overall records in the North Division.

The AppleSox salvaged their three-game road trip against the Walla Walla Sweets with a 10-5 win on Sunday night. They trailed 3-0 after the first inning but rallied to score twice in the third and three times in the fourth to hold the lead for good. Matt Halbach went 2-for-5 with two doubles and 2 RBI to pace the offense and record his 10th multi-hit effort in 17 games this month. He leads the AppleSox with nine doubles and is batting .423 (11-for-26) over the last six games with at least one hit in each game. Halbach’s .362 batting average is tied for fourth-best in the WCL.

Wenatchee split its six-game series against Cowlitz a year ago, winning two-of-three at David Story Field in late June before dropping two-of-three in their final homestand of the summer. The AppleSox are 26-19 against the Black Bears since they joined the league in 2010. Centerfielder Enzo Apodaca hit .380 (8-for-21) against Cowlitz a year ago, including 4-for-4 with a home run and a walk in the home finale on Aug. 8, 2021.

The Black Bears are led by former major-league pitcher Alan Embree, who also previously coached the Bend Elks from 2013-18. They are 18-23 with a 6-9 record in the second half which are last overall and tied for-last, respectively, in the South Division. However, the Black Bears have won two-of-their-last-three series, including taking back-to-back wins over the Ridgefield Raptors on Saturday and Sunday. Aaron Parker launched a two-out walkoff solo home run in the bottom of the 10th inning in the series finale.

It’s a brief but action-packed homestand for the AppleSox and it begins with the final $2 Off Tuesday of the summer. Tickets, hot dogs, burgers and Coors draft pours are all $2 off.

The first 100 fans entering the ballpark each day will receive free freezer pops to help beat the heat. The AppleSox have also installed misters throughout the park to help fans stay cool. Tickets to all three games can be purchased at saferseating.com.

The AppleSox will wear their popular heritage uniforms for the final time this summer on Thursday. Fans have an opportunity to purchase one of the remaining game-worn uniforms by stopping by the third-base souvenir stand any day during this homestand. Jerseys are available for $100 and fans will receive them following Thursday’s game. If a fan purchases one before Thursday night and cannot make it to the game to pick up their uniform, then they can have it shipped to them for an additional $10. Tickets to Thursday’s game are available for $2.

Each 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 each 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.

Mid-Inning Surge Carries AppleSox Past Sweets

The Wenatchee AppleSox rallied back from giving up three runs in the first inning to defeat the Walla Walla Sweets, 10-5, on Sunday night at Borleske Stadium.

Matt Halbach hit a pair of doubles, including a two-run double in the third inning. Ezra Samperi also drove in two runs, including hitting a game-tying RBI single in the fourth.

Halbach’s double in the second cut the deficit to one and the second runner to touch home was Joichiro Oyama, who scored his 48th run of the season. The incoming junior at UC Irvine set the West Coast League single-season record in his 42nd game of the summer. He moved past 2012 AppleSox’ infielder Mitchell Gunsolus, who set the mark in 54 games, and Taylor Wright, who tied the mark in 53 games with the Kelowna Falcons in 2017. 

Quincy Vassar bounced back from a tough first inning to pick up his second win of the summer. Each of the first five hitters of the first inning reached against him and three runs scored but he did not allow a run over the next 4.2 innings until the bottom of the sixth. He matched a season-high with eight strikeouts in his seventh and final start of the summer.

Jake Putnam tossed the final 3.1 innings and struck out three to earn his second save of the year. 

The AppleSox took the lead for good with a three-run fourth inning. Samperi plated the tying run and then was the second runner to score in the inning thanks to a wild pitch to make it 5-3, AppleSox.

Walla Walla drew with one run in the bottom of the sixth with two outs to knock Vassar out of the game but Jake Putnam got the final out of the inning on a batter interference call in the middle of a stolen base attempt. 

The AppleSox’ one-run lead didn’t last for long as they added four runs of insurance in the top of the seventh. Enzo Apodaca hit a ground ball to the right side that looked like it would be at least one out but instead took a high hope over the second baseman and into right field to score two runs. Samperi hit a sacrifice fly to right field and Xander Orejudos singled to right to plate Apodaca for the final two runs. 

Apodaca later tripled in the ninth and scored on a wild pitch for the AppleSox’ final run.

Wenatchee lost the series but gets back to .500 overall and remains in first place in the North Division. They are 9-6 in the second half and one game ahead of the Bellingham Bells. If Bellingham and Wenatchee tie for the second half or the Bells win it, then the AppleSox claim the second-half playoff berth and have home-field advantage in the first round of the North Division Series. If they don’t win the second half then they can still gain a playoff spot if they have one of the four-best overall records in the North Division

The AppleSox return home to face the Cowlitz Black Bears on Tuesday night in the first game of a three-game homestand. It’s a $2 Off Tuesday, with tickets, hot dogs, burger and Coors draft pours all $2 off. First pitch is at 6:35 p.m. at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium and tickets can be purchased at saferseating.com.

Listen to the latest AppleSox Podcast for a recap of the game, highlights and interviews with Halbach, Vassar, head coach Mitch Darlington and Adam Fahsel. Subscribe to the AppleSox Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

AppleSox Look To Salvage Series With Sweets

The Wenatchee AppleSox face the Walla Walla Sweets at 6:05 p.m. tonight at Borleske Stadium in the finale of their three-game road trip.

The AppleSox are looking to win the final game of the series after dropping the first two games. Walla Walla scored twice with two outs in the eighth inning to take their only lead of the game and win the opener, 4-3. The AppleSox out-hit the Sweets, 14-12, yesterday but fell 11-7 after falling behind 5-0 after two innings.

Walla Walla has now won four consecutive series but has not swept any and has not swept any team this summer. Wenatchee has been swept three times and has swept three teams.

The AppleSox are tied with the Bellingham Bells for first place in the North Division in the second half. If the season ended today the AppleSox would earn the second-half playoff berth because of the tie since the Bells already won the first half playoff spot. Wenatchee is tied with Kamloops for the second-best overall record in the North Division. The AppleSox have to either win the North Division in the second half or tie with Bellingham to earn the second half playoff spot. If they do not do either of those then they just need to have one of the four-best overall records in the North Division to earn a playoff berth, but they will not have home-field advantage in the first round.

Joichiro Oyama reached base safely in all five plate appearances yesterday with his 17th multi-hit game and fifth three-hit effort of the summer. He leads the West Coast League in at-bats, runs, hits and stolen bases and is chasing several single-season records. Oyama scored twice yesterday to match the league’s single-season runs record and he can set the new high mark with a run today. The incoming junior at UC Irvine is eight away from tying the single-season stolen bases mark and is three triples away from tying the single-season high for triples.

Quincy Vassar starts for the AppleSox in his final appearance of the summer. The southpaw from Vanguard is 1-3 with a 4.45 ERA and his coming off a dominant, albeit brief, effort last week. Vassar tossed four scoreless innings and struck out six Kamloops NorthPaws in Wenatchee’s 16-4 win this past Tuesday. He walked one and allowed one hit on 48 pitches and was pulled with the AppleSox ahead, 13-0, so that he could start tonight.

Vassar, a Brewster native, wraps up his summer with the AppleSox after tonight’s game. He is 1-3 with a 4.45 ERA in eight games (six starts) and has struck out 37, walked nine and allowed 34 hits. Vassar has not allowed any runs in his last 11 innings on the mound, going all the way back to when he tossed seven shutout innings against the Nanaimo NightOwls on July 8. He has a 4.30 ERA as a starting pitcher and has not allowed a run in half of his starts.

Walla Walla sends Hayden Hattenbach to the bump for his third start of the season. The righty from UC Santa Barbara is making his second start of the summer and is 0-2 with a 7.04 ERA in seven appearances. He has struck out 12, walked 12 and allowed 33 hits in 23 innings. Hattenbach’s last start came a week ago against Kelowna when he allowed four runs (three earned) on 13 hits, four walks and five strikeouts in eight innings. The Sweets won, 6-4, but Hattenbach got a no-decision.

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.

Oyama Ties WCL Record But AppleSox Fall On Saturday

Joichiro Oyama reached base in all five plate appearances and tied the West Coast League single-season record by scoring twice but the AppleSox lost to the Walla Walla Sweets, 11-7, on Saturday afternoon at Borleske Stadium.

Oyama scored a pair of runs to give him 47 this summer, which is tied with AppleSox alum Mitchell Gunsolus and former Kelowna Falcon Taylor Wright for the WCL’s single-season record. Gunsolus set the record with 54 games played in 2012 and Wright matched it in 53 games in 2017 but Oyama ties both of them after his 41st game of 2022.

The incoming junior at UC Irvine also drew closer to two other single-season records. He tripled and scored on an error in the fifth inning to pick up his fourth triple of the summer. Current Milwaukee Brewer Keston Hiura holds the AppleSox’ single-season record with six triples in 2015. The WCL record is seven, set by Andy Atwood with the Corvallis Knights in 2019.

Despite Oyama’s heroics the AppleSox did not get on the board until the fourth inning and trailed 5-0 before that. Wenatchee out-hit the Sweets, 14-12, while Matt Halbach (three hits), Aiva Arquette, Enzo Apodaca and Grant Sherrod all recorded multi-hit games in addition to Oyama.

Adam Fahsel extended his hitting streak to nine games with a single in the eighth. He recorded the seventh different hitting streak of at least nine games for the AppleSox this summer. Fahsel’s streak is the AppleSox’ longest active hitting streak and is tied for the third-longest of the year, three games short of a pair of 12-game hitting streaks by Oyama and Michael Davinni.

The Sweets took a 5-0 lead into the fourth before the AppleSox got on the board. Wenatchee scored two runs apiece in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings but also gave up six runs combined in the bottom of those same three innings.

Their best chance to get back in the game came in the top of the fifth. Each of the first five hitters in the order reached base and two runs scored as the AppleSox batted with the bases loaded and no outs. All of the next three hitters struck out to retire the side and keep Walla Walla ahead, 8-4. The Sweets scored twice in the bottom of the inning to negate the AppleSox’ late charge.

Wenatchee will attempt to salvage the series on Sunday when it faces Walla Walla in the series finale. Quincy Vassar makes his seventh start of the summer and the series finale is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.

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

AppleSox Continue Road Trip To Walla Walla

The Wenatchee AppleSox face the Walla Walla Sweets at 4:35 p.m. this afternoon at Borleske Stadium for the second game of the three-game road trip.

The AppleSox scored first and took a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth but the Sweets tied it that inning and then scored twice in the eighth with two outs to defeat Wenatchee in the series opener. The loss snapped the AppleSox’ three-game winning streak and was the first road defeat since July 7 at Kelowna.

Riley Sinclair tossed a season-high six innings but the AppleSox fell to 6-7 when their starting pitcher tosses five-or-more innings. Wenatchee is 14-13 when its starter doesn’t make through five complete innings.

Adam Fahsel holds the AppleSox’ longest active hitting streak at eight games after singling in fifth inning last night. He is batting .466 over this hit streak and if he can get a hit tonight, then Fahsel will have recorded the AppleSox’ sixth different hitting streak of at least nine games. Wenatchee’s longest hitting streak this season is 12 games, set by Michael Davinni in the first 12 games of the season and then matched by Joichiro Oyama June 29-July 15. Oyama is two runs away from tying the West Coast League’s single-season record of 47.

Hunter Gibson makes his first start of the summer tonight for the AppleSox. He is coming off five shutout innings of relief on Sunday against Corvallis in his longest outing of the summer. The right-hander from Big Bend has a 2.70 ERA in seven games and has tossed 16.2 innings. He has only walked three hitters this summer and just one over his last five appearances spanning 13 innings.

Walla Walla counters with Stu Flesland, a southpaw from the University of Washington. He is 1-0 with a 2.07 ERA in seven games, three starts, spanning 17.1 innings. Flesland has struck out 23, walked six and allowed 11 hits. He previously pitched in the WCL in 2019 in two games with the Yakima Valley Pippins and allowed 11 runs over seven innings in two games. Flesland posted a 3.24 ERA in 31 games (five starts) with the Huskies this past spring and did not allow any runs in his first six games this summer.

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.

Sweets Rally In 8th, Beat AppleSox

The Walla Walla Sweets scored two runs on three consecutive hits to defeat the Wenatchee AppleSox, 4-3, on Friday night at Borleske Stadium. 

Riley Sinclair struck out six in six shutout innings for season highs in both categories. Enzo Apodaca led the offense with a 3-for-4 night for his third three-hit game of the summer.

The AppleSox scored first for the fourth straight game but lost for the first time in that span. Joichiro Oyama walked, stole his West Coast League-leading 31st bag of the summer and scored on a groundout by Matt Halbach in the third to open the scoring. Oyama scored his 45th run of the summer and now sits two runs away from tying the WCL’s single-season runs record.

Apodaca led off with a double off the right-field fence and scored on a two-out single by Grant Sherrod in the fourth after the Sweets tied the game with a run in the bottom of the third.

A solo home run in the sixth tied the game up before Walla Walla’s two-out rally in the eighth. Wenatchee nearly tied the game up in the bottom of the ninth, loading up the bases with one out. Oyama lined a ball sharply to the third base side that was snared and resulted in a force out at third as a run scored. That was all that Wenatchee would get as a groundout ended the game.

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

AppleSox To Host Team Photo Signing Party Wednesday At Pybus

The 22nd season in Wenatchee AppleSox history has been a memorable one and the AppleSox are thanking fans for celebrating summer with them by giving fans a free keepsake to remember this summer. The annual AppleSox team photo signing party is this Wednesday at Pybus Public Market.

Fans can stop by Pybus from noon until 1:30 p.m. to meet the AppleSox and pick up their own signed team photo for free. The AppleSox team photo autograph party is made possible thanks to our friends at Weinstein Beverage, Sunny FM, Parsons Photography and Pybus Public Market.

The AppleSox return home on Tuesday, July 26, to face the Cowlitz Black Bears at 6:35 p.m. in the first game of a three-game series. It’s a $2 Off Tuesday with general admission seats available for as affordable as $5 and reserved premium seats available at just $10. Hot dogs, burgers and Coors draft pours are also $2 off and fans can take 20-percent off team merchandise at the AppleSox’ third-base souvenir stand. Tickets are available at saferseating.com.

AppleSox Hit Road, Face Sweets

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox look to keep up their strong play as they play a road game tonight for the first time in a couple of weeks with a 7:05 p.m. matchup against the Walla Walla Sweets at Borleske Stadium.

Wenatchee picked up its third sweep of the season last night with a 6-5 win over the Kamloops NorthPaws. They led the North Division in the second half with an 8-4 record and would earn a playoff spot if they hang onto this lead. The AppleSox can also qualify for the postseason by having one of the four-best records in the division.

The past homestand was a big one for the AppleSox as they won six-of-eight, including two non-league wins. Wenatchee has won seven-of-its-last-nine games in WCL play and swept two-of-their-last-three series. The AppleSox are outscoring opponents 79-35 over the last nine games.

The AppleSox won four-of-six games against the Sweets a year ago but are 38-42 against them all-time. Walla Walla enters tonight’s game 18-21 overall and 6-6 in the second half. They won two-of-three games earlier this week against the Springfield Drifters but lost last night looking for the series sweep.

Riley Sinclair gets the ball for the AppleSox tonight in his sixth start of the summer. He is 1-0 with a 5.87 ERA, 13 strikeouts, 11 walks and 16 hits over 15.1 innings. His last appearance was last Saturday when he tossed four innings and allowed three runs on five hits, four walks and four strikeouts against the Corvallis Knights. It marked the third straight start that Sinclair pitched four innings, his season high this year. He has allowed three runs or less in all five of his starts in 2022.

Walla Walla has 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 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.