AppleSox Conclude First Half Tonight At Port Angeles
/
The first half of the 2023 season wraps up tonight as the Wenatchee AppleSox face the Port Angeles Lefties at 6:35 at Civic Field.
Wenatchee is tied with the Bellingham Bells for first place in the North Division and it all comes to tonight to determine who wins the first-half playoff berth. If the AppleSox win, then they will automatically clinch the North Division’s first half playoff berth. Even if Bellingham wins the two teams will have the same record and Wenatchee holds the tiebreaker thanks to its +62 run differential compared to the Bells’ +33. The Bells must win and the AppleSox must lose for Bellingham to earn the North Division first half title.
If the AppleSox and the Bells lose there will technically be a three-way tie for first place as all three teams would finish 19-8 in the first half. The AppleSox hold the tiebreaker over Victoria as well by virtue of sweeping them June 7-9.
Wenatchee is hoping to bounce back tonight after falling to Port Angeles last night. The AppleSox committed four errors a night after capitalizing on five Lefties errors. Wenatchee erased a 3-0 hole after the first inning with a two-out RBI double followed by four consecutive hits to produce two runs in the seventh inning. The AppleSox’ final two errors allowed for two go-ahead runs to score in the bottom of the frame.
The AppleSox send Ryan Martinez to the mound for the rubber match as they go for their seventh consecutive series win. The incoming sophomore at Pacific is 2-0 with a 2.55 ERA in four games, all starts. He has fired at least five innings in every game and is coming off a 6.2 innings effort last Friday at Edmonton. Martinez allowed a hit in every inning but only two runs (one earned) and struck out five while not issuing any walks.
Jack O’Brien tosses for Port Angeles in the series finale. He was also slated to pitch last Thursday against the AppleSox but was bumped back a day. The right-hander at Hawaii Pacific is 2-1 with a 4.27 ERA in seven games (six starts). O’Brien has struck out 23, walked 14 and allowed 31 hits over 33.2 innings. He is coming off suffering his first loss last Friday against Nanaimo when he allowed three runs on six hits, one walk and five strikeouts over six innings in a 3-0 defeat. O’Brien has tossed at least five innings in four of his starts.
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.
