Darcy, Saum Buoy AppleSox Past Elks

WENATCHEE, WA - Jake Saum struck out 10 in six innings and Kody Darcy finished a hit short of the cycle to lead the AppleSox to a 16-2 victory over the Bend Elks on Thursday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

The Sox scored early and often to defeat the Elks to salvage the final of the three-game set and tie the season series, 3-3. Darcy drove in seven runs and Saum picked up his third win of the season.

Darcy singled in the first inning, tripled in the second and hit a grand slam in the sixth inning. Saum struck out at least two batters in every inning.

After scoring 16 runs in their last five games, the AppleSox matched that run total on Thursday night. It was the second consecutive home game on a Thursday in which the Sox scored 16 runs, which is the team’s single-game high this summer.

Wenatchee scored six runs in the first inning for the third time this season and for the first time at home. Ryan Altenberger led off with a walk, Johnny Sage followed with a single and then Altenberger scored on a wild pitch. With one out, Dalton Harum singled in Sage, then Blake Klassen and Brett Gillis drew back-to-back walks. Darcy drove in two with a single up the middle. After a pitching change, Dylan McPhillips plated Gillis and Darcy with a double down the left-field line.

In the second inning, the Sox added three more runs. Sage and Cole McKenzie opened up with a single and a hit by pitch, respectively. Klassen drove in Sage with a single and then Gillis plated McKenzie with a sacrifice fly. Darcy drove in his third run in two innings with a triple to make it 9-0, AppleSox.

The Elks scored a run in the top of the fourth, but the Sox answered with two runs in the bottom half. McKenzie singled and then Harum doubled to put runners at second and third. Klassen and Gillis followed with back-to-back sacrifice flies to plate two more runs and make it 11-1, Sox.

In the sixth, the Sox scored their final five runs of the night. Sage and McKenzie walked to open the inning and Sage eventually scored on a couple wild pitches and a passed ball. After Klassen was hit by a pitch, Gillis drew a walk to load the bases. Darcy plated all of them with a grand slam for his team-leading fourth home run of the season and the Sox’ second grand slam of the year.

The Elks added another run in the eighth but ultimately dropped the series finale.

The AppleSox stay at home and begin a three-game series against the Bellingham Bells this weekend. First pitch on Friday night is at 6:35.

Full boxscore: http://pointstreak.com/baseball/boxscore.html?gameid=501886

Listen to postgame interviews with Darcy, Saum and head coach Kyle Krustangel.