AppleSox Embark on First Road Trip vs Portland
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The Wenatchee AppleSox open up the West Coast League portion of their 2021 season this weekend against the Portland Pickles. The series begins tonight with a 7:05 p.m. first pitch.
The AppleSox are 4-5 all-time against Portland. The Sox swept the Pickles in a three-game home series in 2019. Portland swept two home games against the AppleSox before taking three of four in Wenatchee in 2018.
The AppleSox were swept (8-3, 7-6) by the NW Star Academy Nighthawks in two non-league games to open the 2021 season at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. The Sox started 0-2 for just the fourth time since 2010. Tuesday’s loss snapped a streak of eight consecutive wins against non-league opponents since June 5, 2018.
The Pickles also played two non-league games this week. They lost to the Portland Gherkins, 4-2, on Tuesday and then defeated the Willamette Wild Bills, 15-6, last night. Both games took place at Walker Stadium. Those were the first two of 14 non-league games scheduled, all of which the Pickles will play at home.
Two more players will join the AppleSox this weekend in Portland. Adam Grob and Garrett Cutting have been added today and will provide infield depth. Cashmere native and right-handed pitcher Tyler Chipman has also been added. For the most up-to-date AppleSox roster, please visit applesox.com/roster.
Tonight’s starting pitcher is Gavin Gorrell, a junior this fall at Utah. Gorrell’s collegiate career has taken lots of twists and turns as Utah will be his third different college. He began as freshman at Northern Colorado in 2018 where he recorded a 9.15 ERA and struck out 21 hitters in 19.2 innings over eight games. Gorrell transferred to Boise State and sat out the 2019 season, but his tenure with the Broncos was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic and cancellation of the Boise State baseball program last year. He recorded a 6.55 ERA and struck out eight hitters in 11 innings over three games.
The brunt of Gorrell’s collegiate pitching has come in the summer. In 2019, he recorded a 4.23 ERA and struck out 32 in 38.1 innings over nine games for the AppleSox. Gorrell started the deciding Game 3 of the West Coast League North Division Series against the Victoria HarbourCats. He allowed five runs (four earned) in a gutsy 5.1 innings for a depleted AppleSox pitching staff. Gorrell struck out nine HarbourCats, a personal season-best but he picked up a no-decision in the loss.
Gorrell found an opportunity to pitch last summer in the Northwoods League for the Willmar Stingers. He recorded a 4.13 ERA and struck out 20 in 24 innings over 11 games.
Gauge Lockhart and Reid Rasmussen will follow up Gorrell as the probable starters for Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Though the AppleSox are on the road, 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 6:40 p.m. with the Horan Estates Winery Pregame Show and the broadcast wraps up each night with the Denny’s Late Night Postgame Show.
Live stats can be found on Pointstreak.
