AppleSox Host NorthPaws On Armed Forces Night
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The Wenatchee AppleSox look to win their weekend series against the Kamloops NorthPaws as they face them at 6:35 p.m. at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.
Wenatchee earned its fourth walkoff victory of the summer last night, defeating the NorthPaws 7-6 in 12 innings. Brandham Ponce delivered the walkoff single with two outs in the bottom of the 12th inning. It was the second time that the AppleSox walked off an opponent in a series opener after also defeating the Victoria HarbourCats in the 10th inning on June 9.
Last night’s 12-inning affair was the AppleSox’ longest game since also playing two 12-inning games last season at home against Corvallis on July 17 and at Yakima Valley on Aug. 2. Both were losses and Wenatchee had lost each of its last four games that went at least 12 innings since since a 5-4 win against Walla Walla in 12 innings on June 15, 2016. The longest game in AppleSox history was a 7-6 win in 16 innings at Kitsap on Aug. 6, 2005 and the longest home game in AppleSox history was a 5-4 win over Kelowna in 15 innings on July 20, 2006.
The AppleSox are 1-0 to open the second half and now 7-3 in the first game of a series. They have been better in the second game of a three-game set, holding a 7-2 mark but have dropped each of those last two opportunities with a loss last Saturday at Edmonton and another on Wednesday at Port Angeles.
Felix Schlede returns to Wenatchee to make his first start of the summer tonight. Schlede pitched in five games last season and started in four of them. He dazzled in his first outing on June 12, 2022, striking out 10-of-the-16 hitters that he faced in four innings. Schlede finished the summer with an 0-2 record and an 11.67 ERA with 18 strikeouts, 19 walks and nine hits allowed over 12.1 innings. He recorded a 3.79 ERA with 28 strikeouts, 20 walks and 12 hits over 19 innings in 13 games in relief as a freshman at Central Arizona this spring.
Nathan Gray toes the rubber for the NorthPaws as they look to even up the weekend set and snap a four-game losing streak. The incoming freshman at Pima Community College has split the summer between pitching and hitting. He is batting .167 in 18 games at the plate, including a combined 0-for-4 in two games against the AppleSox last month. Gray has a 2.74 ERA with 13 strikeouts, five walks and 21 hits allowed in 19.2 innings. This is his second start of the summer, following giving up four earned runs on seven hits, three walks and five strikeouts last Saturday against Kamloops.
Tonight is Armed Forces Night at the ballpark. Fans who show their military ID at the gate can purchase general admission tickets for just $5. This offer can only be used at the gate in person but all other tickets can be purchased at AppleSox.com/2023-schedule.
