AppleSox Get Winning Train Back On Tracks

WALLA WALLA, Wash. – The Wenatchee AppleSox (20-16, 16-15) broke a three game losing streak to the Walla Walla Sweets (15-16), with a 6-3 win a night ago.  

From the get-go it was Tom Zarosinski working the AppleSox through the early innings on the mound. Zarosinski, who will be married at the end of the month, was making his final start of the season, Monday.

Zarosinski did allow two hits in the first inning, but his defense helped him out, as AJ Alcantara cut down a single for Michael Duarte, who tried to stretch the hit into a double at second. A big throw from right field beat Duarte to the second base bag.

In the second and fourth innings, Zarosinski retired the Sweets in order. After the fifth inning, Zarosinski had allowed a total of four hits and found his pitch count under 70.

The AppleSox scored their first three runs in the third, fourth, and fifth innings. Sam Brown scored the game’s opening run on a Caleb Wood single up the middle. Michael McCann scored in the fourth on a Nate Esposito RBI down the left field side, and Ty Jackson brought Brown around for the second time in the fifth on an RBI ground out.

In the sixth inning, Walla Walla finally was able to crack the code on Zarosinski. Duarte led off the frame with a single. Mike Paulson then walked, to set the stage for Sweets power hitter Andrew Mendenhall.

Mendenhall stuck a hanging curveball over the left centerfield fence for a three-run home run. It was Mendenhall’s fourth home run of the season.

Zarosinski followed up the shot by giving up a double, but then worked out of the rest of the sixth inning by retiring the next three batters.

Nathan Hadley took the reigns in the seventh for Wenatchee and he was lights out. Over his three innings of relief he surrendered zero hits and struck out four batters.

Jackson was able to give Hadley the lead and win in the eighth as he connected for a two-run home run to left field to put the AppleSox in front 5-3. The first home run in 2014 for Jackson was followed by an RBI ground out by Nick Brooks that scored McCann.

In the eighth and ninth innings, Nathan Hadley worked one-two-three through the Sweets order to secure a 3-0 record on the season.

Game two of the series is slated for Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m. Drew Rasmussen will take the mound for Wenatchee.

WEN   0 0 1  1 1 0   0 3 0     6  12  0

WW    0 0 0  0 0 3   0 0 0     3   7   3

WP – Nathan Hadley

LP – Omar Porras

S –