SERIES-DECIDING GAME THREE WITH KELOWNA, WEDNESDAY
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The AppleSox and Falcons will decide the first of two-consecutive series, Wednesday night, in a game that is expected to be a pitchers' duel. The two starters to either side have a combined 6-1 record.
GAME NOTES
BASEBALL BLURBS
APPLESOX CONTINUE SIX-GAME STRETCH WITH DIVISION LEADERS
The Wenatchee AppleSox (16-20, 13-19), fourth place in the WCL East, look to win the first of two series in a six-game home and home stretch with the Kelowna Falcons (23-10, 22-10), who fell last night 6-3, after a great AppleSox comeback last night at Paul Thomas Sr. Field...outside of this current six-game stretch, the two teams will meet three more times in Kelowna July 28-30...the AppleSox are playing their 16th franchise season (11th in the WCL) and are led by first-year skipper, AJ Proszek (16-20) (.444), who is in his 3rd season with the Sox, after managing the pitching staff in 2013 and 2014...Proszek is assisted by Miles Kizer and Cory LeBrun, both in their first seasons.
LAST NIGHT
Game two had an inauspicious beginning last night...Wenatchee was no-hit through 5 2/3 innings, by Kelowna starter Nat Hamby...Kelowna had just taken a 3-0 lead in the top half of the fifth inning...RBI through the first five innings belonged to Hunter Villanueva and Joey Crunkilton...Wenatchee got hits in bunches from that point on...Drew Helmstadter got the Sox first hit with two-outs in the fifth, and Danny Amaral followed it up with an RBI single, scoring Kyle Vanderkin, who walked earlier in the inning...the walk was one-of-three for Vanderkin, Tuesday...Amaral’s RBI was the first of three...Wenatchee had to wait until the bottom of the seventh to tie the score, as Helmstadter got another two-out single for Wenatchee...Amaral followed it up with an RBI triple to right field, and a relay throw got over the head of Kelowna’s third baseman to bring Amaral all the way around to score on the play...Colton Loomis, a Cashmere Native, pitching on Cashmere Night at the ballpark tossed a scoreless seventh and eighth inning...he was picked up by a defense that set a new single-game season-high with 3 double plays turned in last night’s game...the double plays came with bases loaded and no outs in the fifth inning, to end the top of the eighth, and get first two outs in the ninth...AppleSox took the lead in the eighth after Evan Douglas walked and Keston Hiura doubled...Mitchell Holland hit a go-ahead RBI single, then Sheldon Liikala added an RBI bunt single, and Amaral a walk...Loomis got the win, capping the ninth with a K.
TURNING AROUND THE DIVISIONAL RECORD
The AppleSox started divisional play at 2-8...last night was their third win in divisional action...Wenatchee has not won back-to-back games in divisional play this year.
ABOUT RUBBER-MATCH GAME THREES
Wenatchee is 0-2 in the rubber match game of series this year...the only two times the AppleSox faced a rubber match this year were both against Walla Walla and both on the road...both games were losses in walkoff fashion.
WELLS, LIIKALA, NAMED 2015 ALL STARS
Hunter Wells and Sheldon Liikala were named to the 2015 WCL North All Star team, League President Dennis Koho announced Monday...They will play for the WCL North All Star team, comprised of players from Bellingham, Kelowna, Walla Walla, Wenatchee, Victoria, and Yakima Valley...Kelowna and Bellingham each had five players selected, Walla Walla received four picks, Yakima Valley; three, and Victoria; one.
APPLESOX ALL-TIME
Through the first fifteen franchise seasons and 846 games, the AppleSox own a 529-317 (.628) record...the AppleSox are 389-217 (.647) since the inception of the WCL in 2005...Wenatchee is 338-199 (.634) all-time in WCL league games (including playoffs), and 55-15 (.786) all-time in non-league contests since 2005...all-time, the AppleSox are 420-274 (.609) against league opponents (including playoffs) and 107-40 (.728) vs. non-league teams...Wenatchee owns a 319-164 (.665) all-time home record, and is 220-172 (.565) on the road...Wenatchee is 34-29 all-time in extra-inning games.
