AppleSox Return Home To Face Black Bears
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The Wenatchee AppleSox, currently in first place in the North Division in the second half, host the Cowlitz Black Bears this Tuesday-through-Thursday at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.
Wenatchee holds a one-game lead over the Bellingham Bells for first place in the North Division in the second half. If Bellingham and Wenatchee tie for the second half or the Bells win it, then the AppleSox claim the second-half playoff berth and have home-field advantage in the first round of the North Division Series. If they don’t win the second half then they can still gain a playoff spot if they have one of the four-best overall records in the North Division.
The AppleSox salvaged their three-game road trip against the Walla Walla Sweets with a 10-5 win on Sunday night. They trailed 3-0 after the first inning but rallied to score twice in the third and three times in the fourth to hold the lead for good. Matt Halbach went 2-for-5 with two doubles and 2 RBI to pace the offense and record his 10th multi-hit effort in 17 games this month. He leads the AppleSox with nine doubles and is batting .423 (11-for-26) over the last six games with at least one hit in each game. Halbach’s .362 batting average is tied for fourth-best in the WCL.
Wenatchee split its six-game series against Cowlitz a year ago, winning two-of-three at David Story Field in late June before dropping two-of-three in their final homestand of the summer. The AppleSox are 26-19 against the Black Bears since they joined the league in 2010. Centerfielder Enzo Apodaca hit .380 (8-for-21) against Cowlitz a year ago, including 4-for-4 with a home run and a walk in the home finale on Aug. 8, 2021.
The Black Bears are led by former major-league pitcher Alan Embree, who also previously coached the Bend Elks from 2013-18. They are 18-23 with a 6-9 record in the second half which are last overall and tied for-last, respectively, in the South Division. However, the Black Bears have won two-of-their-last-three series, including taking back-to-back wins over the Ridgefield Raptors on Saturday and Sunday. Aaron Parker launched a two-out walkoff solo home run in the bottom of the 10th inning in the series finale.
It’s a brief but action-packed homestand for the AppleSox and it begins with the final $2 Off Tuesday of the summer. Tickets, hot dogs, burgers and Coors draft pours are all $2 off.
The first 100 fans entering the ballpark each day will receive free freezer pops to help beat the heat. The AppleSox have also installed misters throughout the park to help fans stay cool. Tickets to all three games can be purchased at saferseating.com.
The AppleSox will wear their popular heritage uniforms for the final time this summer on Thursday. Fans have an opportunity to purchase one of the remaining game-worn uniforms by stopping by the third-base souvenir stand any day during this homestand. Jerseys are available for $100 and fans will receive them following Thursday’s game. If a fan purchases one before Thursday night and cannot make it to the game to pick up their uniform, then they can have it shipped to them for an additional $10. Tickets to Thursday’s game are available for $2.
Each 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 each 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 if the AppleSox win.
