Joichiro Oyama stole two bases to set the West Coast League’s single-season record but the Wenatchee AppleSox lost to the Walla Walla Sweets, 7-5, on Sunday afternoon at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

The incoming junior at UC Irvine finished the season with 42 stolen bases, passing Patrick Caulfield’s 41 stolen bases in 2019. Ironically, Oyama set the record against the same team that Caulfield played for that summer.

In addition to breaking the West Coast League’s stolen base record for a single season, Oyama also shattered the league’s record for runs scored with 64 in 2022. Oyama set AppleSox single-season records for runs, stolen bases, walks and tied for the most triples.

Oyama also picked up a pair of hits to record his 22nd multi-hit game of the summer. His appearance in Sunday’s regular-season finale was his 54th game played of the season, meaning that he suited it up in every West Coast League regular season game played of the 2022 season. He became the seventh player in the 22-year history of the AppleSox to appear in every regular season league game.

Oyama helped the AppleSox tie the game up when he doubled in a run following a Steven Meier one-out triple in the third inning. Oyama stole second and then scored on an RBI infield single by Ezra Samperi to make it 2-1, AppleSox.

Walla Walla tied it up with a run in the next half inning and the game remained tied at 2-2 until the bottom of the seventh. Cole Cramer doubled to left-center before Nino Vultaggio doubled a pop fly in shallow right that was lost in the sun to put runners at second and third. A fielder’s choice and a walk loaded up the bases with one out and another fielder’s choice scored a run to give the AppleSox the lead and then they added a run of insurance a backpack throw to third then went into left field.

Wenatchee went into the ninth looking to win the game but could not overcome allowing five runs to score with Walla Walla down to its final two outs. Oyama broke the stolen-base record in the bottom of the ninth on a double steal. The throw came to second but went into center field. Steven Meier, who stole third on the play, collided with the third baseman as he tried to round third and was awarded home plate due to defensive interference but Oyama was caught in a rundown.

Though the AppleSox could not pick up their fourth sweep of the summer they did win their ninth series. Wenatchee will take on the Kamloops NorthPaws in the North Division Semifinals this week. Game 1 is Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. at Walla Walla while Games 2 and (if necessary) 3 are in Wenatchee on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, at 6:35 each night.