BELLS TAKE GAME ONE, FEND OFF LATE APPLESOX RALLY

Mitchell Holland hit the AppleSox first home run of 2015 to lead off the eighth inning, Friday.

BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Wenatchee AppleSox (7-7, 4-6) rallied late Friday night, but still fell 5-3 to the Bellingham Bells (9-4, 9-4), in game one of the weekend set at Joe Martin Field in Bellingham.

Wenatchee drew first blood Friday night, with a run scoring in the first inning on a Bells error at first base. Bells starter Kyle Rossman, settled down from there, holding the Sox scoreless over the next three innings.

Bellingham scored its first run in the third inning on a Chris Carns (0-1) wild pitch. Carns was making his first start of the season for the AppleSox.

Bellingham added a go-ahead run in the fifth on a Dustin Breshears single, making the score 2-1. Zach Johnson (1-0), who entered the game in the fifth inning for the Bells, was able to continue forward with the lead, until Bellingham rattled off three more in the sixth.

The Bells’ three-run scoring frame was marked by two singles and a fielder’s choice, and Bellingham owned a 5-1 lead heading to the seventh inning.

Mitchell Holland cranked the first AppleSox home run of 2015, to lead off the top half of the eighth inning. His shot to left was the first of two runs scored in the inning. Shelon Liikala came around to score in the inning on an Andrew Helmstadter RBI single. Liikala, who reached base in the inning via a walk, saw his 12-game hitting streak end Friday, going 0-for-4, with the run scored and the walk.

The AppleSox tried to complete the comeback in the ninth, but were stopped short by Jacob Howard, who picked up save number one on the season. It wasn’t an all-around efficient save for Howard, who let the tying run aboard, but got out of the night with a flyout to center field.

The AppleSox will look to even the series Saturday night, with first pitch once again scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at Joe Martin Field.

WP: Zach Johnson (1-0)
LP: Chris Carns (0-1)
S:  Jacob Howard (1)