APPLESOX BREAK TIE AT PORT ANGELES, GRAB GAME ONE

PORT ANGELES, Wash. – The Wenatchee AppleSox (23-20, 8-8 second half) toppled the Port Angeles Lefties (16-28, 6-11) 6-3, Tuesday night in the first of a three-game series at Civic Field at Port Angeles.

With the win, the AppleSox moved 1.5 games out of the second half playoff race in the WCL North division. Victoria lost 6-5 to Kelowna in 11 innings. Bellingham is also 1.5 games out of first.

The AppleSox struck first in the first inning on an RBI double for Evan Johnson to left-center field, following the first of three errors at shortstop by Sean Roby.

The AppleSox scored another in the third inning off of Lefties starter Cam Walker, who left after the first out in the inning with an apparent arm injury. Trayson Kubo came in for Walker, and the AppleSox plated a run on Roby’s third error.

Port Angeles answered in the third inning with an RBI double off of Connor McCord (no decision) on the Lefties’ first hit of the night. Roby hit the ball off the fence in center field to make up for one of the runs he allowed.

In the fifth, Wenatchee got another run on an RBI single for Josh Zamora. It came off of Kubo who also walked five batters and struck out eight in his 3.1 relief innings.

The Lefties promptly tied the game in the bottom half of the inning on a 2-RBI double for Ian Nowak after an Austyn Tengan single and Jake Portero double.

The Lefties got just two hits the rest of the game, and were held at bay over the final three innings by Connor Leedholm (4-0), who was given the lead in the eighth by the AppleSox on an errant throw following a bunt single by Jordan Prendiz. With Jack Reisinger already aboard on a bunt, the AppleSox moved to second and third on the throw up the right field line. Then, an errant flip back to the catcher at the plate, allowed Reisinger to score from third.

Zosh Zamora then provided an RBI single, and after a Jalen Garcia bunt single, Adrian Vela drove in one more for the 6-3 lead. All three runs were scored off of Port Angeles reliever Mikey Hooper.

Wenatchee is now 8-8 in the second half and closing in on the Victoria HarbourCats. Victoria and Bellingham still play each other head-to-head and Wenatchee finishes the year with a three-game series at Bellingham.

Game two of the series is at 6:35 p.m., Wednesday night at Civic Field. Hunter Boyd will pitch for the AppleSox.