AppleSox Salvage Series With Bells

The Wenatchee AppleSox avoided being swept by defeating the Bellingham Bells, 3-1, on Thursday night at Joe Martin Field.

MJ Sweeney hit a go-ahead home run in the fifth to break a 1-1 tie and Jadon Williamson fired 5.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Wenatchee (36-15, 17-7 second half) remains a half-a-game ahead of the Victoria HarbourCats for first place in the North Division in the second half with three games left in the regular season.

The Bells scored first in the bottom of the first inning but the AppleSox scored the final three runs. A bases-loaded fielder’s choice tied the game in the top of the second before Sweeney launched a 338-foot home run in the fifth. A stolen base and a throwing error in the top of the ninth plated an insurance run to cap the scoring.

Williamson (4-1) entered with a runner at second and one out in the fourth and shut the door, getting each of the final 17 outs. His most impressive inning was the eighth when he allowed a leadoff single but struck out the next three hitters to strand the tying run at the second. Williamson fired at least five innings in relief for a third time this summer and also pitched at least four innings for a fifth time in 10 appearances.

The AppleSox wrap up the regular season this weekend at Kelowna to take on a Falcons team that has rattled off four consecutive victories. Kelowna is two games out of first place in the second half and has already punched a playoff berth after sweeping Kamloops.