Big Eighth Inning Propels Sox to Victory
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WENATCHEE, WA - In a game that featured six ties or lead changes, the AppleSox scored six runs in the eighth inning to defeat the Portland Pickles, 14-8, on Sunday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.
For the second night in a row, the AppleSox and the Pickles engaged in a back-and-forth affair. The Sox picked up their third consecutive win and showed off their resiliency once again.
Johnny Sage drove in four runs with a three-hit night, Dalton Harum homered and doubled and Kodie Kolden reached base four times. Every AppleSox batter reached base at least once and scored at least one run.
Sage drove in the Sox first run to give them a 1-0 lead after the first inning. Kolden walked, went to second and then scored on Sage’s one-out single just three batters into the bottom of the first inning.
The Pickles used two home runs in the top of the third inning and scored three times to lead the AppleSox 3-1, but it would be short-lived. Kolden led off with a single and then scored on Ryan Altenberger’s fourth homer of the summer.
Neither team scored in the fourth, but the Pickles struck with another three-spot to take a 6-3 lead into the sixth inning. The AppleSox loaded up the bases and were danger of stranding them loaded until Sage cleared the bases with a double. A batter later, Harum launched his third home run of the season to put the Sox up 8-6.
Despite all of that, the Pickles refused to go down quietly. They scored twice in the top of the eighth to re-tie game, but failing to take the lead proved costly. The AppleSox sent 10 men to the plate and though the inning ended the same way it began, with Sage flying out, Wenatchee scored six runs on four hits before the inning was over. With one out, Wenatchee loaded up the bases and Kody Darcy singled in the game-winning run with a single to left before Justin Lutz plated two with a single to right. With the bases reloaded two batters later, Kolden cleared with a double to the left-field corner.
Alex Jemal struck out all three batters that he faced in the ninth to wrap up the victory and give the Sox their third consecutive victory and seventh series victory of the season. Thy’ll go for their fourth sweep of the summer tonight at 6:35.
Listen to AppleSox broadcaster Joel Norman’s postgame interviews with Sage, Harum and head coach Kyle Krustangel.
