APPLESOX OFFENSE EXPLODES, DISMANTLES KELOWNA 13-3

Michael Toglia's inside-the-park grand slam highlighted Wenatchee's offensive outburst, as the AppleSox ran away from the Falcons 13-3, Wednesday in British Columbia. 

BOX SCORE

KELOWNA –  The Wenatchee AppleSox (17-30, 7-13 Second Half), were lifted by a season-best offensive performance over the Kelowna Falcons (22-22, 9-8), in a 13-3 victory to even the three-game series at Elks Stadium, Wednesday.

In the win, Wenatchee set a season-high in hits with 17, and in runs with 13. The AppleSox also won by their second-largest margin. 

Early on, Wenatchee let Okeefe Hall (1-1) dig his own hole. The Falcon starter walked six batter and left the game in the third inning with the bases loaded and one out. Four runs came to score on an error and two hits, including an RBI single for Dalton Harum, and an RBI single for Haydan Hastings. 

Harum finished an outstanding 3-for-4 with two walks for Wenatchee. Kelowna got one run off of Mac Lardner (1-2) in the bottom of the third on a groundout, but Wednesday night was all about the AppleSox. 

Wenatchee crossed its next three runs in the fifth and sixth innings, courtesy of four Falcon errors. Kelowna committed an opponent-high six errors in the loss. 

In the seventh, with the AppleSox still facing marathon reliever Cody Ahlgrimm, Michael Toglia clubbed an inside-the-park grand slam off the wall in center field. The Falcons’ center fielder crashed into the fence chasing the long fly ball and did not get up until after the play was over and Toglia was home safely. The grand slam gave Wenatchee an 11-1 advantage. 

It was Toglia’s WCL-best seventh home run, and the first grand slam for the AppleSox since Joe Gillette hit one on the road in Walla Walla, July 26, 2014. It was also Wenatchee’s second inside-the-park home run in the last three games. Evan Douglas hit a solo shot inside the fences Sunday in Bellingham. 

Wenatchee has hit a home run in four-consecutive games, and now has 16 home runs on the season. Toglia is two off of the team record in a year, set by Taylor Sparks in 2012. He also moved into first in the WCL in runs batted in with 35, passing Bend’s Tommy Lane. 

The AppleSox added two more runs in the eighth and ninth innings, to complete five-straight scoring frames, and ran away late against Kelowna’s second baseman turned pitcher, who was working in fireman’s relief. 

Kelowna did come back for two more runs in the ninth against Adam Paulson on a triple and a single, however, Paulson worked 3 1/3 innings behind Lardner to earn his first save of the season. 

Game three of the series, and a chance for a 4-2 road trip is Thursday night, when the AppleSox face the rubber match at 6:35.p.m. Grady Miller (3-2) will get the nod for Wenatchee.