APPLESOX STUNNED LATE, DROP NON-LEAGUE CONTEST WITH HIGHLINE

WENATCHEE, Wash. – The Wenatchee AppleSox (21-15, 6-3 second half) fell 8-5 in a non-league contest to the Highline Bears, Tuesday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. A lucky fan did win a Hawaiian vacation package for two, in a postgame contest.

The AppleSox took a lead in the pitcher’s duel in the fourth inning on a leadoff solo home run in the inning for Jalen Garcia. It was Garcia’s first non-league home run, to go along with two league blasts.

Highline tied the game in the fifth inning on an RBI single for Chase Hodkinson, following an AppleSox error.

Mike Townsend (no decision) and Daniel Peugh (no decision) were each effective in their starts. Peugh allowed only the home run in five innings, and Townsend gave up only one run through six frames.

Wenatchee grabbed Townsend a 4-run lead in the sixth on a fielder’s choice RBI and a bases-clearing 3-RBI triple for Jacob Prater to center field off of Karl Stahlfeld.

In Townsend’s seventh inning of work, Highline scored four runs, stemming from a double, error at second base, and RBI single for Johnny Sage. After Townsend hit a batter, Wenatchee turned to Easton Henke out of the bullpen and he was able to limit the damage to three runs, on just one more RBI single for Matt Stuart.

Highline mounted it’s big inning in the eighth, to overcome a 5-4 deficit and claim the 8-5 lead. The Bears strung together four hits, around a walk, including two doubles. Cole Chambers delivered a 2-RBI single to put Highline ahead for good.

Cameron Kurz threw a scoreless, 1-2-3 eighth inning for the AppleSox.

The Bears shut down Wenatchee in the eighth and ninth innings with Stahlfeld and Cole Connolly. Connolly allowed the first two men of the ninth aboard, but erased them with a 5-4-3 double play. A sliding feet-first catch in center field by Johnny Sage wrapped up the win for the Bears.