AppleSox Walk Off Drifters

The Wenatchee AppleSox scored on an error in the bottom of the 10th inning and defeated the Springfield Drifters, 4-3, on Wednesday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

With the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning and one out Austin Ohland grounded a ball to the right side of the infield that was bobbled and allowed every to be safe, including Easton Amundson coming home from third with the winning run. Ohland, who went 2-for-5 in his second game with the AppleSox, came to the plate facing a new pitcher after Amundson drew a walk and Austin Bunn and Brandham Ponce were both hit by pitches with one out.

The AppleSox matched their 2022 walkoff output in only their second home game of the 2023 season. They did so by rallying back from a 3-0 deficit after three-and-a-half innings to score the final four runs of the game.

The comeback was made possible thanks to the brilliant work of Evan Canfield, who struck out nine hitters and only allowed one hit and one walk in five shutout innings. Canfield, who tossed three-or-more innings in relief four times in six appearances out of the bullpen last summer, punched out four in a row from the last out of the sixth through the final out of the seventh.

Jacob Dahlstrom had a strong first start of the summer for Wenatchee as he struck out seven and allowed three runs (one earned) in five innings. He recorded a pickoff in the third and ending three different innings with strikeouts.

Amundson plated the first run of the game for the AppleSox in the bottom of the fourth when he led off with his first home run of the season on a long drive to right-center field that hit off the top of the wall and went over it for the AppleSox’ third home run in as many games. Wenatchee is a game away from matching last season’s high of hitting home runs in four straight games June 28-July 1.

Fred Buckson delivered a two-out RBI single in the seventh to cut the deficit to one and Reeve Boyd led off the eighth with a double before scoring three batters later on a couple of errors.

The two Wenatchee errors directly led to Springfield runs. An errant pickoff attempt in the second put a man in scoring position before a walk and a two-out two-run double in the second inning. A leadoff double and a two-out error in the fourth plated the Drifters’ final run of the night.

The AppleSox wrap up the series against the Drifters on Friday night at 6:35 p.m. in their first rubber match of the season. It’s the AppleSox’ first Thirsty Thursday at the ballpark. General admission tickets are just $3 and there will be discounts on select adult beverages all game. Purchase tickets now at applesox.com/2023-schedule.