AppleSox Face Riverhawks on Canada Day
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The Wenatchee AppleSox continue their three-game road trip against the Edmonton Riverhawks with a 6:05 p.m. game tonight at RE/MAX Field.
It is Canada Day north of the border and the AppleSox and Riverhawks expect to play in front of a large crowd. A year ago on this date the Riverhawks shattered the West Coast League attendance record with 7,890 fans in attendance. This is the first time in the 23-year history of the AppleSox that they are playing in Canada on Canada Day.
The AppleSox won the series opener, 12-3, last night in front of 3,432 fans. Wenatchee trailed 1-0 after three innings before erupting for four runs in the fourth and then eight more runs over the final four innings. Ryan Martinez only allowed two runs (one earned) over 6.2 innings to earn the victory and give the AppleSox their third straight triumph.
Last night’s win also moved Wenatchee into a tie with Bellingham for first place in the North Division. Wenatchee (+58) holds the tiebreaker over Bellingham (+43) for first place in the North Division due to a higher run differential. The first half ends on Thursday and the team in first place will earn the top playoff spot in the North Division for the postseason. Bellingham plays Victoria this afternoon and lost to the HarbourCats, 6-4, last night.
Last night’s win gave the AppleSox their fourth different winning streak of at least three games. Wenatchee has twice recorded a five-game winning streak and would need to record their fourth sweep of the summer this weekend to match that. Wenatchee has thrived away from home, improving to 9-1 on the road with last night’s victory. The AppleSox’ best single-season road record was a 20-7 mark in 2011. That season is one of five seasons in team history that the AppleSox have posted a better road record than home record in league play (2000, 2004, 2009, 2014). Wenatchee is already three wins away from matching last summer’s road victory total with 17 games remaining away from home.
Bryce Johnson makes his second start of the summer tonight for the AppleSox. The incoming freshman at Oregon State made his debut on June 22, allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits, two walks and three strikeouts in four innings at Kamloops. All three runs scored in the first two innings before Johnson shut down the NorthPaws over the final two innings. The right-hander recorded a 0.37 ERA and struck out 110 over 76.1 innings in 14 games as a senior at Eastlake High School in Seattle this spring. He helped them win the 4A State Championship, was named All-KingCo 4A MVP and 1st Team Pitcher and SBLive Washington's 2023 High School Player of the Year.
Johnson is opposed by right-hander Brady Kobitowich, a second-year Riverhawks arm. The incoming sophomore at Niagara University is 1-1 with a 2.63 ERA, eight strikeouts, two walks and 14 hits over 13.2 innings in two previous starts. The Edmonton native allowed four runs over 7.2 innings, struck out 4, walked one and allowed 10 hits in his most recent start last Saturday. He recorded a 4.46 ERA with 38 strikeouts, 11 walks and 39 hits over 38.1 innings in 14 games (two starts) last summer. Kobitowich pitched against the AppleSox on June 24, 2022, allowing one run on two hits over 0.2 innings.
Fans can tune in to the action tonight and all season long on KCSY Sunny FM. Pregame coverage presented by Kenady Real Estate Group begins at 6:10 p.m. You can listen online worldwide at kcsyfm.com, the TuneIn radio app or on one of the following translators.
93.9 FM in Wenatchee
95.3 FM in the Lake Chelan Valley
97.7 FMin Omak, Riverside, Tonasket and Oroville
98.1 FM in East Wenatchee, Rock Island and Quincy
101.3 FM in Brewster and Pateros
106.3 FM in the Methow Valley
All West Coast League games can also be watched on wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv.
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