APPLESOX GOING FOR FIRST WCL SWEEP VS BEND

The AppleSox are going for their first sweep against Bend in the team's WCL history. It would be the Sox first road sweep since August, 2014. 

WENATCHEE APPLESOX at Bend Elks
Vince Genna Stadium     |       6:35 p.m.
R- Luke Mattson (0-2) vs. L- Andrew Edwards (0-1)
GAME NOTES       |       APPLESOX STATS       |       LISTEN LIVE

The Wenatchee AppleSox (6-8, 2-4 North), tied for fourth place in the North Division, continue a six-game road trip in Oregon against the Bend Elks (6-11, 6-6)...Wenatchee is going for its first series sweep of 2016 and first series sweep in the all-time WCL series vs. Bend, Thursday...Wenatchee has accumulated 31 hits in the first two games of the series...the AppleSox are playing their 17th franchise season (12th in the WCL) and are led by second-year skipper, AJ Proszek (35-38) (.479), who is in his 4th season with the Sox...Proszek is assisted by Kyle Hunt and Colton Loomis, both in their first seasons.

LAST NIGHT -- APPLESOX 5, ELKS 3
BEND – The Wenatchee AppleSox (6-8), came up with 15 hits, Wednesday night, 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...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...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 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,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. 

TONIGHT'S NOTES
NEVER DONE BEFORE
The AppleSox are trying to accomplish a feat, never before attained against the Elks...a series sweep...Wenatchee is 0-for-1 in series sweep tries this season (Walla Walla), but did earn a third-straight WCL series win last night in the 5-3 final over the Elks.

A DIFFERENT STORY
Need proof that the AppleSox have changed quite a bit over the last week and a half?...the Sox are winners of six of their last seven league games, eight-of-nine overall, and have raised their team batting average by 40 points since an 0-7 start...in fact, over the last five games, Wenatchee is batting .286 and is .265 over the last ten contests...the pitching staff is 4-1, with a 2.63 ERA in the last five games, and 6-4 with a 3.46 ERA in the last ten games.

BACK-TO-BACK
Wenatchee had batters finish with four hits in two-consecutive nights, after Michael Toglia went 4-for-5, Wednesday...Matt Fraizer was 4-for-6, Tuesday.

FROM THE TOP, DOWN
Last night, through four innings, Wenatchee’s one through four hitters were a combined 9-for-11 with three of the team’s five runs scored, and all five of the team’s RBIs...Evan Douglas and Michael Toglia combined 7-for-10 with 3 RBI and a double in the three & four spots of the lineup.

SAVING GRACE
How about the final relievers for the AppleSox in 2016...they have now recorded five saves in six wins and are a perfect 5-for-5 in save opportunities. 

DOUGLAS ON FIRE
Evan Douglas is riding a nine-game hitting streak for the AppleSox and hitting a team-best .545 over the last five games...he also leads the team with an even .500 average dating back to ten games ago. 

MATTSON THE MARATHON MAN
Luke Mattson makes his third start of the season for Wenatchee, Thursday...he leads the team in average pitches thrown per outing this year, with 93.5.

BREAKING OUT BROOMS
It has been awhile since the AppleSox last swept an opponent on the road...a feat not accomplished a season ago, the last Sox road sweet was Aug. 5-7, 2014 at Kelowna...the last Sox sweep in general was July 3-5 at home against Klamath Falls. 

DEFENSE NEEDING A PICK-ME-UP
The AppleSox are still trying to get their gloves going in 2016...the team’s .950 fielding percentage is second-lowest in the WCL, and the 27 total errors committed is fourth most. 

STRONG AFTER SEVEN
When Wenatchee makes it through the seventh inning with a lead in 2016, the Sox hold on...they are 5-0 protecting leads held in the seventh inning or later.