AppleSox Bust Out Offensively to Beat Bells

The Wenatchee AppleSox matched their previous season-high for runs scored in the first inning en route to a season-best 13 runs scored in a 13-8 win over the Bellingham Bells on Friday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Every AppleSox hitter reached base at least once and they scored five runs in the first and then five more in the eighth in a game that they never trailed.

Adam Grob went 4-for-5 with four singles and 3 RBI, Luc Stuka also drove in three runs and Enzo Apodaca collected two hits and made an impressive catch in center field in the eighth.

Martin Haswell (1-0) earned the win after only allowing one run and striking out five in three innings of relief.

The AppleSox’ five-run top of the first began with each of their first six hitters reaching base and knocking out Bellingham starter Oliver Laufman. Grob drove in his first run of the night, Marc Steward drew a bases-loaded walk and Stuka hit a two-run single before Steward scored the final run due to an error.

Though the Bells never led Wenatchee, they made the game interesting throughout. They scored three runs in the top of the second to only trail by two and then added two more in the sixth to make it a one-run game after the AppleSox scratched a run across in the fourth on the second RBI single of the night for Grob.

The sixth inning until the end was back-and-forth and hectic. The AppleSox scored two in the bottom of the sixth when Garrett Cutting led off with a single and scored three batters later on an error and then Apodaca, who followed up Cutting with a walk, came home on a double-steal to make it 8-5.

The play of the game belonged to Apodaca for the second out of the top of the eighth. With one out and no one on, Rance Pittman gave up a long fly ball into the left-center field gap that seemed destined for extra-bases until Apodaca leapt out and grabbed the ball.

The AppleSox ran with that momentum by plating five more runs in the eighth. Grob hit a two-RBI single and then Tino Bethancourt followed up by driving in a pair of his own with a single. Stuka capped the scoring with an RBI single of his own.

The AppleSox go for the series win on Saturday night as they face the Bells at 6:35 p.m.

Listen to postgame interviews with Apodaca and Stuka below.