APPLESOX RIDE HOT BATS TO ANOTHER SERIES WIN

With another boisterous effort offensively, Wednesday night, the Wenatchee AppleSox secured a third-straight WCL series win, in a 5-3 victory over the Bend Elks. 

BOX SCORE  

BEND - The Wenatchee AppleSox (6-8), came up with 15 hits, Wednesday night, after a 17-hit performance Tuesday, to help secure a 5-3 victory over the Bend Elks (6-11), and a third-consecutive WCL series win at Vince Genna Stadium in Bend, Ore. 

Like Tuesday, the AppleSox hit the Elks hard early, and often, in last night’s contest. Shane Martinez hit the first pitch of the night from Kris Jackson (1-2) for a single, and an Evan Douglas single and a Michael Toglia RBI single got the Sox on the board 1-0. 

In the second inning, Wenatchee added four more runs on four-consecutive RBI singles for Martinez, Matt Fraizer, Douglas, and Toglia. Jordan Rathbone and Otis Statum also singled in the four-run frame, and came home to score. 

Toglia and Douglas combined to go 7-for-10, with Toglia finishing 4-for-5 with 2 RBI. Douglas has now hit safely in a team-leading nine-consecutive games.

Bend answered in the home half, off of AppleSox starter Jimmy Dobrash (1-2), with an RBI groundout following a Jarod Gonzales double. Derek Chapman drove in the run, and brought Gonzales home again in the fourth for a 5-2 deficit. 

After six innings and a quality start, Jimmy Dobrash left the contest and Miceal Taylor allowed the bases loaded on three-straight hits. A fourth hit for Tommy Lane was good for an RBI and cut the Sox lead to two at 5-3. 

With the bases still loaded and nobody out, Taylor induced a key ground ball to third base. Martinez went home with the throw and Sox catcher Matt Reitano relayed the back end to Toglia in time for a 5-2-3 double play. 

The next batter grounded out to Toglia to end the inning.

Taylor retired the Elks in order in the eighth, before yielding for Dylan Riddle out of the bullpen in the ninth. 

Still holding on to a 5-3 lead, Riddle appeared to have his first out of the inning on a ground ball to second base, but a fourth error of the night for the AppleSox gave the Elks an extra out and brought the tying run to the plate. Riddle retired the next three batters to pick up his first save, and give Wenatchee another 2016 series win. 

Since the AppleSox’ 0-7 start, Wenatchee is now 6-1 in its last seven games. 

Thursday night, Wenatchee will play for its first series sweep of the Bend Elks in WCL play. Bend, outside of new WCL expansion franchise Gresham, is the only team the AppleSox have not swept in the playing history of the WCL. Luke Mattson is scheduled to get the start for Wenatchee. First pitch is at 6:35 p.m.