The Wenatchee AppleSox swept a doubleheader against the Kamloops NorthPaws with 9-6 and 9-5 victories on Thursday at Norbrock Stadium.

Wenatchee (14-4) won its fourth and fifth consecutive games to improve remain a half-a-game back of first place in the North Division. This is the second different time that the AppleSox have won five straight games in 2023 and their eight wins in nine road games put them four away from matching last summer’s total.

Marcus Harrison led the way in Game 1 of the doubleheader by driving in a pair on three hits. Josh Williams proved to be an impossible out, reaching base in all four plate appearances and scoring three times. Bryce Johnson (1-0) allowed three runs, all in the first two innings, but retired seven-of-the-final-eight hitters that he faced to earn the victory in his AppleSox debut.

Williams continued his impressive day with a 2-for-5 and 2 RBI effort in Game 2. David recorded his first multi-hit game of the summer with a 3-for-4 day while switching from shortstop in Game 1 to second base in Game 2. Nick Putnam walked twice and doubled in a run in his first WCL game. Toby Haarer (2-1) only surrendered two runs in four innings and struck out five in his third start of the summer.

The AppleSox came out of the gate red-hot in Game 1, scoring four times in the top of the first before the NorthPaws had come to hit. Harrison and Easton Amundson recorded back-to-back RBI doubles. Amundson hit a double in the second game as well to extend his hitting streak to 15 games. MJ Sweeney added an opposite-field RBI single later before Carson Ohland reached on a fielders choice and eventually scored on a wild pitch.

The NorthPaws scored two runs in the bottom of the first but the AppleSox never led by less than two runs after that. Wenatchee scored twice in the second, twice in the third and once in the fourth. Harrison and Sebastian David recorded RBI singles in the third and Austin Ohland singled in Sweeney in the fourth.

The AppleSox used another big inning early on in Game 2 to take a commanding lead early. Wenatchee sent all nine to the plate in the top of the second inning despite no runs scoring on an RBI base hit. Izzy Lopez grounded a ball to third with the bases loaded that seemed destined to be a double play ball but instead scored two runners on an error. A Williams’ groundout two batters later got the other run in to make it 3-0, AppleSox.

Putnam’s two-out RBI double in the third scored another before Kamloops cut the deficit to two immediately after. The AppleSox gained some breathing room with a two-spot in the fifth on an RBI single by Williams with two outs and a wild pitch to plate Lopez from third.

The NorthPaws got one run back in a solo home run in the sixth and scored twice in the seventh to make things interesting but a three-run Wenatchee top of the seventh effectively sealed the game. Mason Strong hit a sacrifice to left to score David from third, Sweeney doubled the opposite way to plate another and Williams came home on a balk.

The AppleSox return home on Friday night for a 6:35 game against the Northwest Star Academy. It’s the first-of-two non-league games in as many days against the Nighthawks and Friday’s game is Bark In The Park Night. Fans who purchase a ticket to the game can bring their dog in for free. Saturday is College Night and fans who wear their favorite college apparel can purchase $5 general-admission tickets at the gate.