WENATCHEE, Wash. – In a testy series finale with the Port Angeles Lefties, the Wenatchee AppleSox (22-26, 11-1 second half) lost 5-3 on Thursday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

The AppleSox could not finish off the Lefties with a sweep as Port Angeles rallied to score three times in the eighth to win by two runs over the Sox.

Two Port Angeles coaches were ejected and the benches cleared in the sixth inning, but it was the Lefties who seized the momentum to take the series finale.

Mason Marenco extended his season-best hitting streak to eight games with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate and Michael Spellacy also went three-for-four to record his second straight three-hit game.

An RBI knock with the bases loaded plated two Lefties runs in the second inning. It was the first time this series in which the Lefties scored first and the first time that they held the AppleSox off the scoreboard in both the first and second innings.

However, Marenco’s second single of the game plated Michael Spellacy to cut the deficit to one in the third inning. Spellacy led off with a single, went to second on a passed ball and moved to third on a wild pitch. He scored on the second single of the game by Marenco to put the Sox on the scoreboard.

In the fourth, Kody Darcy hit a two-out single and went to third on a single by Brayden Hamilton. Hamilton took off from first during Spellacy’s at-bat and was tagged out, but Darcy stole home before the out was recorded and tied up the game.

The game would remain tied until the sixth, when the Sox struck in an unusual way. After Joey Magro reached on a fielder’s choice and J.T. Schwartz singled to put runners at first and third, a balk was issued and Magro scored.

Right after the run came in and Schwartz went to second, Kody Darcy hit a comebacker that Thomas Ruwe fielded. Ruwe ran towards Schwartz, who was caught in between second and third base. Ruwe flipped the ball to third baseman Tristan Hanoian, who applied what looked to be a physical tag of Schwartz for the out.

The AppleSox dugout, seated adjacent to third base, voiced its displeasure and the two benches briefly emptied. No ejections were issued and the inning concluded a batter later.

After a scoreless seventh inning, Port Angeles struck three times in the eighth to rally to take the lead. The Lefties used a walk, an error, a wild pitch and two RBI singles to score three runs in the inning.

The Sox are now four games out of a playoff spot and will welcome the Victoria HarbourCats to Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium on Friday night for the final home series of the 2018 season. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m.

Full boxscore: http://westcoast.wttbaseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=445049