AppleSox Batter Lefties to Take Series

WENATCHEE, WA - Seth Kuykendall was spectacular in relief and the AppleSox bats continued their recent surge to defeat the Port Angeles Lefties, 8-3, on Thursday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Kuykendall tossed 3.1 scoreless innings, striking out four, to pick up the win. The incoming junior at Yakima Valley came on with the bases loaded in the fourth inning and recorded the final out with a strikeout. After that, Kuykendall never faced more than four batters in an inning.

At the plate, Cole McKenzie collected three hits and drove in three runs. Trent Sellers also had three hits, reached base four times and scored three runs. Wenatchee scored eight or more runs in all three games of the series after failing to do so in each of the first six games of the season.

The AppleSox scored first for the first time in the series in the bottom of the first inning. After Trent Sellers singled with one out, Blake Klassen doubled on the first pitch he saw he to make it 1-0, AppleSox.

After an AppleSox error lead to an unearned run coming across in the top of the third, the Sox answered with two more in the bottom of the inning. Tyler Detloff, Sellers and McKenzie all singled consecutively to score a run and then Dylan McPhillips singled two batters later to score Sellers. Port Angeles scored their penultimate run on a walk, a steal and a single in the top of the fourth, but the Sox again responded. With two outs, Detloff and Sellers again went to work to plate a run when Detloff doubled and Sellers drove him in with his third single of the night.

McKenzie hit a solo home run to lead off the seventh inning and then the Sox scored three runs in the eighth. Kodie Kolden reach on an error with one out and stole second base with one out. After a popout, Sellers walked and McKenzie drove Kolden in with a bloop single to left. Johnny Graham was hit by a pitch and a two-base error allowed McPhilips to reach base and scored Sellers and McKenzie.

The Lefties concluded the scoring with a pinch-hit home run with two outs in the ninth inning.

The Sox won their first series of the season thanks to winning back-to-back games for the first time in 2019. They now face a tough test this weekend in the Walla Walla Sweets, the only remaining undefeated team in the West Coast League and the South division leaders. First pitch is at 6:35 on Friday night.

Full boxscore: http://pointstreak.com/baseball/boxscore.html?gameid=501877