Game One Woes Over

WENATCHEE, Wash. – The Wenatchee AppleSox (13-6, 10-6) picked up their 300th all-time home win at Paul Thomas Sr. Field on Monday night, as they posted a 5-4 win over the Corvallis Knights (9-7), in game one of the three game set.

The game one win was the first such for an AppleSox team that had previously dropped its last five game one decisions in WCL play.

Corvallis scored first off of AppleSox starter Tyler Frost. The run came around in the top of the third on a Kevin Kline RBI single. It was Kline’s 20th RBI in 2014. He leads the WCL.

Frost settled down, facing just six batters over the next two innings.

The AppleSox offense struck for two runs in the bottom of the third. Sam Brown hit a one out double to become the first baserunner in the inning. He scored on a balk and Caleb Wood followed it up with a double. Ty Jackson brought home Wood with an RBI single.

The top three in the order, Brown, Trenton Brooks and Caleb Wood combined for nine of the AppleSox 13 hits, Monday. Brown led all hitters, going 4-4.

In the sixth inning defense miscues generated trouble for Wenatchee. A misplayed ground ball at shortstop should’ve ended the inning for Tyler Frost with no runs coming across to score. Unfortunately it extended the frame and the Knights brought across three runs and took the lead on two more errors. All told, the AppleSox suffered four of their five errors in the sixth inning.

Monday’s contest was a game of call and response and Wenatchee responded to the set back in the bottom half of the sixth. John Brontsema and Nate Esposito both got on base for the AppleSox to lead off the inning on an error and a walk.

Sam Brown then collected a single for his third hit of the game and scored Brontsema. Brooks followed the tying hit with a stellar at bat, in which he fought back from down 0-2 to even the count. Finally, he brought home the go-ahead run on a single to center field that fell just under the glove of Knights center fielder Grant Melker.

Nathan Hadley was masterful out of the bullpen. He secured the final out in the sixth inning and retired all seven batters faced throughout the sixth, seventh and eighth innings. Brooks came on to close the game in the ninth and earned his second save of the year.

The series continues with game two tonight at 7:05 p.m. The AppleSox are 5-0 in game two of each three game series played this season. They will put Brandon Bailey on the hill to face Angel Landazuri.

COR    0 0 1   0 0 3   0 0 0      4  5  1

WEN   0 0 2   0 1 2   0 0 x      5 13 5

WP – Nathan Hadley

LP – Merrick Patito

S – Trenton Brooks