AppleSox Face Port Angeles in First Home Game of 2022

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The Wenatchee AppleSox return home after beginning the 2022 season on the road and face the Port Angeles Lefties tonight in their first home game of the year.

Wenatchee is hoping that a return home will lead to a return to the win column. The AppleSox were swept in the season’s first series despite scoring first in all three games against the Bend Elks. Wenatchee was walked off in the first and last games and fell by eight runs in the second game.

The AppleSox took five-of-six games against Port Angeles last year, including sweeping the Lefties at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium Aug. 3-5 thanks in part to a pair of come-from-behind victories. The AppleSox are 20-4 against the Lefties since Port Angeles joined the league in 2017.

Wenatchee may be winless through its first three games but it is by no fault of their offense. The AppleSox have recorded at least 10 hits in all three games and have scored a combined 25 runs for an average of almost eight-and-a-half runs per game. Joichiro Oyama and Michael Davinni have both recorded multi-hit efforts in each of the first three games. Davinni drove in himself and Oyama with a game-tying two-out home run in the top of the ninth inning on Sunday to force extra innings.

The AppleSox pitching staff bounced back from allowing 32 runs over the first two games to keep Bend off the scoreboard on Sunday until the seventh inning. Walks proved to a bigger issue for the Sox pitchers as they issued 13 free passes while allowing eight hits.

Port Angeles is coming off a doubleheader split against the Kamloops NorthPaws on Saturday. They were trailing Kamloops 5-2 in the third on Sunday when the game was suspended due to inclement weather. The Lefties are 3-2 thanks to winning two-of-three games to open the season against the Victoria HarbourCats.

The AppleSox will send Kota Sato to the mound in his first appearance in an AppleSox uniform. The right-hander from Edmonds recorded a 2.72 ERA and struck out 67 in 13 games (12 starts) as a redshirt freshman this spring.

Port Angeles has not announced a probable pitcher yet.

Opening Night is being sponsored by AG Supply and Ace Hardware. All fans entering tonight’s game will receive an AppleSox magnet schedule courtesy of Clean Connection. Everyone in attendance is also eligible to win a Traeger Grill given away by AG Supply and Ace Hardware.

Tonight’s game can be listened to live on kcsyfm.com on your computer or smart phone. If you live in Washington you can listen on your radio on any of the following stations…

  • 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

Coverage of tonight’s game begins at 6:10 p.m. with the Horan Estates Winery Pregame Show. Stick around after the game to hear the postgame show with player and coach interviews.

Live stats can be found on pointstreak.