Gores Records Immaculate Inning, AppleSox Shut Out Lefties

Garrett Gores struck out 11 hitters in eight shutout innings to lead the Wenatchee AppleSox to a 7-0 win over the Port Angeles Lefties on Tuesday night at Civic Field.

Gores (1-2) did not walk anyone and only allowed two hits in his fifth and final start of the sophomore. The incoming junior at Gonzaga retired the side in order in each of his final five innings and retired each of the last 18 hitters that he faced consecutively.

He recorded an immaculate inning in the fifth by delivering six consecutive pitches that were swung and missed. Gores tossed two strikes that were taken before inducing another swing-and-a-miss to wrap up the inning. All 11 of his strikeouts were swinging.

Wenatchee (19-6) remains in first place in the North Division and still in control of its own destiny to clinch a playoff berth by Thursday. The Bellingham Bells defeated the Kamloops NorthPaws, 5-1, on Tuesday night to remain one game behind the AppleSox. Wenatchee eliminated the Victoria HarbourCats from winning the first half by matching their win total. The AppleSox hold the tiebreaker over the HarbourCats by virtue of sweeping them June 7-9.

The Sox came out hot scoring three runs in the top of the first inning before adding singular runs in the second and fifth before a two-spot in the eighth. Frankie Carney led the way with a 2-for-4 game and one walk. Kyle Henington joined the team in Port Angeles and went 2-for-3 with a hit by pitch and a run scored.

The AppleSox three-run first inning came due to three errors by the Lefties. Carney led off with an opposite-field single and took off for second before a ground ball to the left side and as the throw came across the field continued to come around third. The throw toward third to try and get him missed the target and Carney scored.

The Sox weren’t finished. Ponce reached first on an error and Henington was hit by a pitch before Izzy Lopez singled in Ponce. A pickoff throw to first got away and Henington scored from third for the final run of the inning.

MJ Sweeney led off the second with a double and scored on a sacrifice fly by Mason Strong. Carney hit a ball into shallow left-center to plate a run in the fourth and hustled to second to turn it into a double. A sacrifice fly and an error scored two more runs in the eighth to cap the scoring.

Wenatchee leads The AppleSox go for their seventh consecutive series victory on Wednesday night as they face the Lefties at 6:35.