AppleSox Sweep Season Series Against Bend

Josh Williams homered and Mason Strong drove in four runs to lead the Wenatchee AppleSox to a 13-5 victory over the Bend Elks on Wednesday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Wenatchee (28-11, 9-3 second half) is tied with Victoria for first place in the North Division in the second half with the HarbourCats’ loss on Wednesday. The AppleSox have the best overall record in the WCL and guaranteed themselves a winning season with the series sweep.

Williams extended the AppleSox home-run streak to five games with a two-run shot in the bottom of the first. His four home runs this summer have come in the last eight games and he is second on the AppleSox in long balls. Wenatchee has gone deep 13 times in the last nine games and its 13 home runs lead the West Coast League.

Strong finished a home run away from hitting for the cycle in his final game of the summer. He doubled in the bottom of the first to score Kyle Henington after his leadoff double and Strong scored on Williams’ home run. Strong also singled in a run in the fourth, tripled in a run in the fifth and hit a sacrifice fly in the sixth.

Every hitter in the starting lineup reached base at least once with eight-of-nine recording a hit. Frankie Carney went 2-for-3 with two walks and 2 RBI. Henington went 1-for-2 with three walks, an RBI and three runs. Izzy Lopez went 2-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored. The AppleSox collected 10 walks against seven different pitchers and knocked Elks’ starter Eli Takalo out after two innings.

Samuel Round (2-0) struck out six and did not walk any hitters over five innings. He gave up three runs (two earned) on four hits and recorded two 1-2-3 innings. Trei Hough tossed a scoreless sixth and seventh striking out three in his AppleSox debut.

Williams and Strong put the AppleSox on the board first in dramatic fashion in the first inning before the Elks tied it up with a run in the second and a two-out game-tying 2-RBI double in the third. Wenatchee responded with 10 runs over the next three innings. Strong drove in the first run of the fourth and then the AppleSox scored three more runs with two outs as Carson Ohland doubled in a run and Carney connected on a two-run opposite-field single.

The offensive onslaught continued in the fifth. Reeve Boyd and Lopez led off with a walk and a single, respectively, and then Henington put down a bunt. Elks reliever Mahiro Tomita picked it up third-base side and fired to third to try and get the lead runner but no one was there and the ball sailed out to the AppleSox’ bullpen in deep left field to score two runs. Strong tripled to right-center and scored when shortstop Elijah Jackson’s throw to third base went into the Wenatchee dugout.

Henington drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth and Strong hit a sacrifice fly to score the AppleSox’ final two runs of the game. Henington, Strong and Williams were the first three hitters in the order and drove in nine of the AppleSox’ 13 runs, though two of those came on the fielder’s choice error on Henington’s fourth-inning bunt.

The AppleSox have now swept six teams this season, including two three-game sweeps of Bend and Kamloops. Wenatchee hosts the Nanaimo NightOwls on Friday night to open up a three-game weekend series. Friday is Christmas In July night and Santa Claus will be on hand to meet-and-greet with fans and throw out the first pitch. Tickets are available at applesox.com/2023-schedule