Wenatchee Wins First, Bats Ignite in Sixth
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Jordan Rathbone, Steven Machtolf, and Ryan Murkle celebrate after being driven in on a bases-clearing double for Haydan Hastings in the sixth inning of a 6-3, AppleSox win, Saturday.
WENATCHEE – The Wenatchee AppleSox (1-7), scored six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, Saturday night, to pick up their first win of 2016 against the Corvallis Knights (4-4), at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.
Five of the six runs scored in the sixth inning came with two outs, and five were scored on two extra-base hits.
Trailing 1-0, the bottom of the sixth inning started with Jeremy Ydens being hit by a pitch. He stole second base before Parker Price walked to put two on with nobody out. Evan Douglas followed with a sacrifice bunt to put both runners into scoring position.
Corvallis starter Chris Carns (0-2), was lifted at that point, and the Knights turned to Cameron Richman, who got the final out in Friday’s game. In a re-match at bat against Matt Fraizer, the Sox earned a sac-fly RBI to tie the contest up.
Wenatchee went on to get five-consecutive hits and score five two-out runs after the sac fly. Matt Reitano opened the onslaught with an RBI triple to left center field. Price scored on the play.
An RBI single for Steven Machtolf brought home Reitano, followed by singles for Jordan Rathbone and Ryan Murkle to load the bases. Haydan Hastings doubled down the left field line to empty the bases, earning Wenatchee’s first bases loaded hit of the season.
Wenatchee hung a crooked number just in time for starter Justin Blatner (1-0), who earned the Sox first quality start of 2016, tossing six innings while only giving up one run on an RBI groundout for Corvallis’ Parker Woodley in the second. Blatner struck out five batters and only allowed five hits over six innings.
The Knights did make things interesting in the eighth against Sox reliever Mac Lardner. The future Gonzaga Bulldog retired Corvallis in order in the seventh, before allowing two runs in the eighth (one unearned on an error). Lardner stranded the bases loaded in the inning with a pop out to AppleSox catcher, Reitano.
Casey Legumina pitched the ninth inning, earning his first save. He walked one batter, but struck out two, including the games final hitter, on a 3-2 pitch that froze his man for the victory.
Reitano finished 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Hastings was 1-for-3 with 3 RBI. Fraizer and Machtolf drove in the other two Wenatchee runs.
Game three and a chance for a series win comes Sunday night, when left-hander Grady Miller (0-1), takes to the mound for Wenatchee. First pitch is at 6:05 p.m.
