WENATCHEE WAKES UP BATS LATE, FALLS 7-5

The Corvallis Knights scored Friday's first seven runs, and Wenatchee rallied for five in the final three innings, but fell short at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

BOX SCORE

WENATCHEE – The Wenatchee AppleSox (0-7), scored five runs late in Friday’s game against the Corvallis Knights (4-3), but fell 7-5 with the tying run on base at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. 

Wenatchee out-hit an opponent for the first time in 2016 last night, scoring five runs in the final three innings, but the rally fell just short. 

Kyle Blankenship (0-2), got the start for Wenatchee and the AppleSox were in trouble in the top of the first after two errors on the same play led to two Corvallis runs. The Knights added on two more runs in the third inning on an RBI groundout for Andrew Reichenbach and an RBI single for Andy Atwood. 

Adam Taylor and Taylor Travess scored twice in the first three innings. They combined to go 7-for-9, and Taylor went 4-4 with a walk. 

Another run crossed in the fourth inning for Corvallis in the fourth on an RBI single for Taylor. Zak Taylor scored on the play after being aboard earlier in the inning with a walk. 

In the fifth inning, Blankenship loaded the bases and Roman Garcia scored on a sacrifice fly by Cody Hawken. It came off of Miceal Taylor who pitched first in relief for Wenatchee, but was charged to Blankenship. 

Taylor allowed a Corvallis home run in the seventh inning to Andy Atwood, extending their WCL lead with four home runs. 

Wenatchee had trouble getting to Knight starter Trenton Dupre (1-0), who threw six shutout innings, only allowing five hits. 

Three of those hits went to Matt Frazier in his AppleSox debut, and Wenatchee scored its first runs on a 2-RBI single for Sheldon Liikala with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to score Steven Machtolf and Haydan Hastings, who also had a three-hit night. 

The runs came off of Cody Hoff, Corvallis’ first reliever. Brandon Cutsworth pitched a scoreless eighth inning before things got dicey in the ninth. 

With one out, Hastings doubled, and Matt Reitano followed with his first AppleSox hit, in his team debut. Hastings scored on an error in left field. Two batters later, Parker Price recorded his second triple of the season, for 2 RBI, cutting the Knight lead to 7-5. Evan Douglas followed with a walk to put the tying run on base. 

Cameron Richman was called out of the bullpen to get the save for Corvallis and caught Frazier looking on a 1-2 fastball to end the game. 

The second game of the series is Saturday night, and Wenatchee will throw left-hander Justin Blatner for the first time this season. He faces off against former AppleSox hurler, Chris Carns (0-1). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.