Luc Stuka homered and Justin Simpson stole three bases and scored two runs but the Wenatchee AppleSox fell to the Corvallis Knights, 5-3, on Friday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

The Knights out-hit the AppleSox, 14-4, but stranded 12 runners on-base and kept the window open for a Sox comeback. The Sox scored first for the second time in four games against Corvallis, but are still looking for their first win against the Knights.

Simpson single-handedly opened the scoring in the bottom of the first with a leadoff walk. He stole second and then third and the throw to third to try and gun him down sailed into left field and Simpson walked home with his 12th run of the season.

The Knights immediately answered with a run in the second thanks to their first three hits of the game and there would be plenty more still to come. They added a two-spot in the fourth on four more hits and then played singular runs in the fifth and seventh.

Stuka homered with two outs in the fourth after showing bunt on the first two pitches of the at-bat. In marked the second consecutive Friday home game that he went deep after hitting for the cycle against the Highline Bears on July 2.

Wenatchee’s best chance to tie the game up came in the sixth inning. Simpson led off with a single, stole second and went to third on a passed ball before scoring on a fielder’s choice two batters later. After coming on to get that out, Sean Wiese, who pitched for the AppleSox for two games in 2019, shut the door. He retired all 12 hitters that he faced to earn a four-inning save.

The AppleSox look to even up the weekend series on Saturday night when they face the Knights at 6:35 p.m. Jack Lee will start for the AppleSox in his second appearance in West Coast League action and his third overall trip to the mound with the Sox. Saturday’s game is Coyote Bobblehead Night and is sponsored by IBEW-NECA. Tickets can be purchased at applesox.com/tickets.

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