AppleSox Go For Back-To-Back Wins Over Elks
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The Wenatchee AppleSox, winners of five-of-their-last-seven, all home games, go for their third-straight series win against the Bend Elks at 6:35 PM. Wenatchee is 3-1 in WCL series openers after rallying to beat Bend, 5-4, last night for their closest win in 2021. The Sox got four runs off five hits in the first three innings before chilling offensively. The Elks tied it with a run in the sixth but the AppleSox scored the game-winning run in the eighth on Jackson Van De Brake's bases-loaded walk.
Wenatchee welcomed some new faces to the fold last night. Catcher John Newman Jr. started the game, went 1-for-3 with a run. Collin Villegas finished the night behind the plate as defensive replacement in the ninth and prevented the tying run from scoring by holding onto the ball after being knocked over on a suicide squeeze attempt. Michael O'Hara collected three hits and drove in a pair, Zach Toglia reached base safely three times and Justin Simpson pinch-ran for Newman in the eighth, stole second and scored the go-ahead run.
O'Hara's 3-hit, 2-RBI game was the 1st one this season for Wenatchee. It was just the 3rd time this season a Sox hitter got 3 hits or more in a single game. Last night the squad struck out a season-low 6 times while also earning more walks (7) than whiffs for the 1st time in 2021.
After yesterday's win, the AppleSox hitting still ranks ninth in the 10-team WCL with a .203 batting average .315 OB% and a .282 SLG%. Pitching-wise, Sox arms are third in the league with just 35 walks allowed, fourth in wild pitches (8), Tied for fourth with a 1.41 WHIP and have allowed four homers.
Tonight’s starting pitcher is right-hander Jacob Hughes. He has only allowed one run in seven innings of work. Hughes made his first start of the season on June 10 and of the four hits he allowed, two came in the fourth inning, the only inning that he has allowed a run in this season. The righty is third on the team in strikeouts and is three away from leading the team in punchouts.
Hughes excelled in four years at Rocky Mountain High School in Idaho. He recorded a 1.58 ERA and struck out 84 in 57.2 innings over 11 games while also hitting .397 as a senior this Spring. He will attend Oregon this fall after pitching for the AppleSox.
Bend counters with Oregon State righty AJ Lattery. He is making his summer debut tonight after recording a 1.42 ERA in five games for the Beavers this Spring.
This evening’s ballgame is College Night and fans who wear their favorite university’s college apparel will receive 15-percent off purchases at the AppleSox souvenir stand.
Fans can purchase tickets for tonight’s game and any other June AppleSox home game by visiting applesox.com/tickets. Ticket information on July home games will be released in the following week.
If you cannot attend tonight’s game, then you can still listen live to the action on Sunny FM. Listeners can tune in at kcsyfm.com on their desktop computer or by tuning in at any of the following stations below.
Wenatchee: 93.9 FM
East Wenatchee/Rock Island: 98.1 FM
Lake Chelan Valley: 95.3 FM
Brewster/Pateros: 101.3 FM
Okanogan Valley: 101.9 FM
Omak/Tonasket/Oroville: 97.7 FM
Methow Valley: 106.3 FM
Pregame coverage begins at 6:10 p.m. with the Horan Estates Winery Pregame Show and the broadcast wraps up each night with the Denny’s Late Night Postgame Show. Tonight’s game will also have a live video with the radio feed. It can be seen on playsight.com
