Fifth Inning Surge Buoys AppleSox to Victory

WENATCHEE, WA - The Wenatchee AppleSox rode a seven-run fifth inning to a 14-7 victory over the Port Angeles Lefties on Wednesday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

All nine AppleSox batters scored at least one run. Four different Sox hitters recorded multi-hit games. Tyler Detloff went 3-for-5 with two singles and a three-run home run in the fifth inning to lead the offense. Blake Klassen also went 2-for-4 with three runs driven in.

Both teams scored two runs apiece in the first inning with the Lefties getting a homerun to open the ballgame and then a sacrifice fly following an error and a double. In the bottom half of the inning, Klassen doubles in Detlfof and Cole McKenzie following singles by both of them.

The tie was brief as Port Angeles took a on-run lead after striking in the top of the second inning on a triple and then an RBI single.

The Lefties held a 3-2 lead until the AppleSox dropped a seven spot in the fifth. Johnny Graham was hit by the first pitch of the inning and Dylan Ohlson then reached on an error. Kodie Kolden then doubled in Graham and Detloff followed with a three-run home run to knock the Lefties starting pitcher, Michael Buchanan, out of the game.

Even with a reliever in the game, the AppleSox weren’t finished. After two quick outs, the Sox tacked on three more runs. Klassen reached on an error and then Dylan McPhillips and Kody Darcy walked. Graham, batting for the second time in the inning, singled to score two more runs and finish off a seven-run inning for Wenatchee. All in all, the AppleSox sent 11 men to the plate and only collecting three hits, but capitalized on a couple of Lefties errors to produce a big inning.

Port Angeles refused to go quietly, scoring four times immediately after in the top of the sixth, but the Sox responded with one in the seventh and four in the eighth. Klassen singled, stole second and then went to third on a ground out before scoring on a wild pitch in the seventh. In the eighth, Kolden and Detloff both singled before Sellers walked to load the bases then McKenzie singled in Kolden. A wild pitch plated Detloff and Klassen sacrifice fly scored Sellers. Dylan McPhillips picked up his first hit and RBI with the AppleSox by scoring McKenzie with a single.

On the mound, Owen Leonard picked up the victory. He allowed four runs in two innings, but none of them were earned. He walked two and struck out two on three hits. Alec Gomez fired two scoreless innings of relief, striking out three in that time, before Landon Schirer recorded a 1-2-3 ninth inning.

The Sox and Lefties meet again for the series finale and rubber match on Thursday at 6:35 p.m. James Kulak will toe the rubber for Wenatchee in his second start of the season.

Full boxscore: http://pointstreak.com/baseball/boxscore.html?gameid=501876