Southpaw Helps Spin Sweep

/

YAKIMA, Wash. – The Wenatchee AppleSox (23-18, 19-17) did what they haven’t done since 2012, as they swept a divisional foe, the Yakima Valley Pippins (21-15), on the road with a 4-2 win to cap the series, Saturday.

The AppleSox entered the series five games back of the Pippins and sat in third place in the WCL East. Headed to the All Star break, they are now just two games back of Yakima and hold the outright second place spot in the East.

To make it sweeter, Saturday’s win ensures that the AppleSox can obtain a season series win over the Pippins, which could be an important factor in tie-breaking, post season qualification situations.

On Saturday, Calvin LeBrun got to make his first 2014 start for the AppleSox. He was reached for a run in the first, when he had runners on the corners with no one out. He did force the Pippins leading hitter, Vince Fernandez into a 6-4-3 double play and traded two outs for a run.

Fernandez, (0 for 4) was held hitless for just the seventh time this season.

LeBrun ended up allowing one more run in the sixth, but that was all the Pippins could scratch off of him.

A beautiful hit and run between Tyler Frost (runner) and Kyle Vanderkin set up the AppleSox first run in the third inning.

Ty Jackson gave the AppleSox a 2-1 lead in the fourth with a solo home run to right center field. It was his second home run of 2014. He will participate in the WCL Home Run Derby on Monday in Klamath Falls, Ore.

After obtaining the lead, the AppleSox wouldn’t look back. They added one more in the fifth on two Pippins errors and were able to secure an insurance run in the ninth on a Vanderkin sacrifice fly, set up by a Frost double.

While John Pomeroy and Hunter Wells did allow runners into scoring position in the seventh and eighth innings, the AppleSox bullpen was able to hold.

Pomeroy totaled an inning and it was his first appearance since being injured in mid-June at Klamath Falls.

Wells picked up his second save of the season as he walked a runner in the ninth, but ended the game by striking out Shawn Wardian to secure the series sweep.

The AppleSox will send Ian Buckles, Caleb Wood and Ty Jackson to the WCL All Star Game on Monday. Additionally, Michael McCann was selected but is unable to attend.

Wenatchee returns to action on Tuesday, as Kelowna rolls into town for a three game set that kicks off at 7:05 p.m. from Paul Thomas Sr. Field.

 

WEN   0 0 1  1 1 0   0 0 1     4   8   1

YAK    1 0 0  0 0 1   0 0 0     2   9   2

 

WP – Calvin LeBrun

LP – Andrew Woods

S – Hunter Wells

Extra, Extra!

/

YAKIMA, Wash. – The Wenatchee AppleSox (22-18, 18-17) found themselves in a similar situation as Wednesday night, when the Yakima Valley Pippins (21-14) forced Friday’s contest to extra innings, but the AppleSox would create a 7-4 victory in the eleventh inning.  

On Wednesday, the AppleSox stranded a whole bushel of runners in scoring position during extra frames. When Tyler Frost hit a one-out triple in the eleventh, the AppleSox decided to manufacture a go-ahead run.

With a 3-1 count to AJ Alcantara, Head Coach Ed Knaggs put on a suicide squeeze call and the bunt paid off perfectly. This was after the AppleSox missed a similar call on the road in Walla Walla in a 14 inning contest two nights ago.

Alcantara and Michael McCann were later brought around to score in the eleventh, helped by two errors against Vince Fernandez and JC Snyder.

Trenton Brooks was able to finish the game and secure his win as he allowed a walk in the bottom of the eleventh, but retired the rest of his batters.

Friday’s contest was a pitcher’s duel until the fifth inning, in which the AppleSox were able to score four runs in the top half. Five consecutive singles and a Caleb Wood two-RBI double, helped spur the quick run production for Wenatchee.

The five hits in the fifth off of undefeated starter, Eli Morgan (5-0), came after the AppleSox were held to one hit through the first four innings.

Yakima Valley would answer with one off of Ian Buckles in the bottom of the fifth, to break the shut out.

Vince Fernandez then made the game interesting in the bottom of the sixth, as he hit a two-run home run to right field to bring the Pippins within a run.

Nathan Hadley helped get the AppleSox out of the sixth and looked to have a chance to do the same in the seventh, but while attempting to play a pop up in foul territory, Hadley was unable to secure the baseball and the Pippins had new life.

Justin Jacobs then smashed a pitch to right field for an RBI to tie the game at four.

The score would hold until Wenatchee pulled off the suicide squeeze in the eleventh.

With the win, Wenatchee took the first two games of the series from Yakima Valley. They now are three games back in the WCL East and have a chance to make it two, with a sweep on Saturday night. This will all set up a major race in the WCL East headed out of the All Star break.

Calvin LeBrun will make his first start of 2014, Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

 

WEN   0 0 0  0 4 0   0 0 0   0 3     7  13  1

YAK    0 0 0  0 1 2   1 0 0   0 0     4   9   2

 

WP – Trenton Brooks

LP – Beau Kerns

S –

Temporary AppleSox Broadcast Change

/

The tragic fires in the Methow Valley have cut off power to much of that region.  As a result, our flagship radio station KCSY (Sunny) FM is currently off the air.  We hope for the continued safety of the residents in that area.

While the radio station works to restore their power, AppleSox fans have a variety of options for listening to the live game broadcasts.

All games are streamed online.  Directions to connect online are at www.applesox.com/listen-live.

In Chelan and Douglas Counties, cable television subscribers can hear the games live on KWCC TV.  Charter subscribers will find the games on channel 19.  LocalTel subscribers can tune to channel 12.

In the Wenatchee Valley, the games can be heard on the FM dial at 87.7.

Our next broadcast will be tonight at 6:45 PM as the AppleSox play game #2 of a three-game series in Yakima. 

Updates on the status of our radio broadcasts will be posted on the AppleSox Facebook and Twitter pages. Fans are also encouraged to follow @AppleSox_Radio for updates on twitter.  Fans can also call the AppleSox office at 665 6900.

AppleSox Put It All Together; Down Pippins

/

YAKIMA, Wash. – Following a 14-inning marathon at Walla Walla, the Wenatchee AppleSox (21-18, 17-17) were able to get back to .500 in WCL play as they knocked off the Yakima Valley Pippins (21-13) by ten runs, 11-1, Thursday night.

For days, AppleSox coach Ed Knaggs has talked about improvement. The team was putting together quality wins, but falling just short in the run column.

Last night, the team put together a quality outing for a win, their third-straight against Yakima Valley, dating back to a WCL-opening series in June.

Brandon Bailey was the starter for the AppleSox Thursday night and approached his limited summer pitch count rather rapidly, making it through just three innings. Over those three frames, he shut out Yakima and got out of a third-inning, runners at second and third with no outs, jam.

The AppleSox chipped in with a run a piece in the second and third innings as Ty Jackson scored on a Joe Gillette sacrifice fly to right field and Tyler Frost came around on Sam Brown ground out after tripling with one out in the third.

Bailey did not log enough innings to earn a win and he handed the game over to yesterday’s new AppleSox pitcher, Travis Cook.

Cook, intended to play at Central Washington next year, saw a runner reach base on an error and promptly erased any idea of a threat with a 6-4-3 double play. He cruised for the rest of his appearance, retiring the next four batters he saw. Cook earned the victory.

The AppleSox added a fourth run to make it 4-0 in the top of the fourth, as Joe Gillette singled home Ty Jackson.

The AppleSox big scoring came in the sixth and eighth innings as they shoved across three runs in each of the frames. The three in the eighth were assisted by an error, intentional walk, and batter hit by pitch. It took only one hit to set up the trio of runs.

In the eighth, two out hitting was the key for the AppleSox. They rattled off four two-out singles, started by relatively new face, Cole Kreuter.

Colton  Loomis worked for four innings out of the bullpen and found his groove quickly. En route to the save he allowed three hits and just one run.

The AppleSox added two runs in the ninth, as Nick Brooks and Kreuter both hit singles after Michael McCann and Kyle Vanderkin made it to scoring position.

WEN   0 1 1  1 0 3   0 3 2     11  14  2

YAK    0 0 0  0 0 0   0 1 0      1    7   2

 

WP – Travis Cook

LP – Austin Woodward

S – Colton Loomis

 

An “Extra” Look Back:

Wednesday’s fourteen-inning, 9-9, tie was broken when Andrew Mendenhall hit a single to right center to walk it off for Walla Walla.

Joe Gillette and Ty Jackson helped extend the game for Wenatchee as Gillette hit a grand slam in the seventh inning to tie the game at eight and Jackson hit an RBI single in the eighth to tie it at nine.

Matt Majors worked an astounding 5.1 innings out of the bullpen, while not allowing a run, although the AppleSox did leave runners stranded in scoring position more than once in extra innings.

Clark McKitrick and Shaun Vetrovec held well out of the AppleSox bullpen and gave the club multiple chances to win the game, but their four and 3.2 inning efforts fell just short.

 

WEN   0 0 0  1 1 1   5 1 0   0 0 0   0 0     9   21  1

WW    3 0 2  0 0 3   1 0 0   0 0 0   0 1    10  13  0

 

WP – Omar Porras

LP – Clark McKitrick

S –

Sweets Steal Game Two

/

WALLA WALLA, Wash. – The Wenatchee AppleSox (20-17, 16-16) looked as though they were coasting to a Tuesday night win against the Walla Walla Sweets (16-16), until the Sweets rattled of six runs in the bottom of the eighth to win 8-7.

The AppleSox got an early lead for their starter Drew Rasmussen on Tuesday. Ty Jackson drove home two of the AppleSox three runs in the top of the first, with a two-RBI triple.

Rasmussen would repay the early run support by dialing up six innings of two run baseball, while getting out of a tough bases loaded jam in the third inning with only one run scoring.

Nick Brooks added a run for Wenatchee on a solo home run to left field in the top of the fourth. It was his first home run of the season and he said that he knew it was gone as soon as he hit it.

Wenatchee also added three more runs in the seventh, as Jackson knocked in two of the three on an RBI single, to complete his four RBI night.

Colton Loomis took over in the seventh and cut one-two-three through the Sweets lineup. In the eighth, however, Wenatchee ran into trouble.

Michael Duarte started the bottom of the inning with a solo home run; his fourth of the season. Then after two runners got on base, Mike Paulson pinch hit for Walla Walla. He ended up hitting a three-run home run to right field to bring the game back within one, 7-6.

Trenton Brooks took over out of the bullpen and after walking a batter and getting two outs, Renae Martinez hit a two-run go ahead home run off of T. Brooks to give Walla Walla the 8-7 lead.

Jay Flaa came in to close the game and struck out the side to secure the game two win for Walla Walla.

The series is now tied with a rubber match game three set for tonight at 7:05 p.m. Tyler Frost will take to the bump for Wenatchee at Borleske Stadium.  

 

WEN   3 0 0  1 0 0   3 0 0     7   9   2

WW    0 0 1  1 0 0   0 6 x     8  12  0

 

WP – Cody Mathews

LP – Trenton Brooks

S – Jay Flaa

AppleSox Get Winning Train Back On Tracks

/

WALLA WALLA, Wash. – The Wenatchee AppleSox (20-16, 16-15) broke a three game losing streak to the Walla Walla Sweets (15-16), with a 6-3 win a night ago.  

From the get-go it was Tom Zarosinski working the AppleSox through the early innings on the mound. Zarosinski, who will be married at the end of the month, was making his final start of the season, Monday.

Zarosinski did allow two hits in the first inning, but his defense helped him out, as AJ Alcantara cut down a single for Michael Duarte, who tried to stretch the hit into a double at second. A big throw from right field beat Duarte to the second base bag.

In the second and fourth innings, Zarosinski retired the Sweets in order. After the fifth inning, Zarosinski had allowed a total of four hits and found his pitch count under 70.

The AppleSox scored their first three runs in the third, fourth, and fifth innings. Sam Brown scored the game’s opening run on a Caleb Wood single up the middle. Michael McCann scored in the fourth on a Nate Esposito RBI down the left field side, and Ty Jackson brought Brown around for the second time in the fifth on an RBI ground out.

In the sixth inning, Walla Walla finally was able to crack the code on Zarosinski. Duarte led off the frame with a single. Mike Paulson then walked, to set the stage for Sweets power hitter Andrew Mendenhall.

Mendenhall stuck a hanging curveball over the left centerfield fence for a three-run home run. It was Mendenhall’s fourth home run of the season.

Zarosinski followed up the shot by giving up a double, but then worked out of the rest of the sixth inning by retiring the next three batters.

Nathan Hadley took the reigns in the seventh for Wenatchee and he was lights out. Over his three innings of relief he surrendered zero hits and struck out four batters.

Jackson was able to give Hadley the lead and win in the eighth as he connected for a two-run home run to left field to put the AppleSox in front 5-3. The first home run in 2014 for Jackson was followed by an RBI ground out by Nick Brooks that scored McCann.

In the eighth and ninth innings, Nathan Hadley worked one-two-three through the Sweets order to secure a 3-0 record on the season.

Game two of the series is slated for Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m. Drew Rasmussen will take the mound for Wenatchee.

 

WEN   0 0 1  1 1 0   0 3 0     6  12  0

WW    0 0 0  0 0 3   0 0 0     3   7   3

 

WP – Nathan Hadley

LP – Omar Porras

S –

Four AppleSox Named to WCL North All Star Team

/
The AppleSox had four players named to the WCL North All Star Team on Tuesday.

The AppleSox had four players named to the WCL North All Star Team on Tuesday.

On the day of the MLB All Star game, the WCL All Star teams were announced. The AppleSox had four players voted to the WCL North All Star Team which will compete in Klamath Falls, Ore. on July 21st.

 Michael McCann, Caleb Wood, Ian Buckles, and Ty Jackson were each named to the 2014 WCL North All Star team.

 The AppleSox four representatives are just behind Yakima’s five, for third most on the North roster. The Bellingham Bells will send six to the All Star game; the most amongst individual WCL teams.

 Caleb Wood, Michael McCann and Ty Jackson have all made waves offensively for the AppleSox.

 Wood, a sophomore from Gonzaga, leads the AppleSox in total at bats this season. He has compiled a .357 average to date and sat atop the WCL in batting average for multiple weeks during the first half. Wood has 14 RBIs, and nine extra base hits, including two home runs. He currently ranks second in the WCL in batting average and total at bats.

McCann, a freshman from Seattle University, has been a multifaceted player for Wenatchee. He has seen time as a catcher, designated hitter, and first and third baseman. McCann has been dependable for the AppleSox as he has been locking down opposing base runners while steadily producing a .323 average. McCann has driven in 13 runs and has four extra base hits. He has also been walked 16 times. McCann was voted as a member of the All Star team, but will miss the game as he attends to family matters over the All Star break.

Jackson, a sophomore third baseman, designated hitter, and pitcher from Lewis-Clark State College, is rolling into the All Star Break playing through shoulder pain. He has a .295 average with 16 RBIs and nine extra base hits, including a home run. The home run came in the AppleSox 6-3 win on Monday. Before experiencing shoulder discomfort, Jackson also pitched for the AppleSox. For a time halfway through the first half, Jackson led the WCL in doubles.

Ian Buckles will be representing the AppleSox pitching staff in Klamath Falls.

Buckles, a junior from George Fox University, was one of the league’s hottest pitchers out of the gates. The AppleSox starter has a 3-2 record with a 3.63 ERA. He has started six games and worked a total of 34.2 innings, while striking out 20 batters and walking eight. He was the first pitcher in the WCL to reach three wins, with zero losses.

The All Star Game will be played at Kiger Stadium in Klamath Falls, Ore. on Monday July 21st. For more information on the All Star festivities and how to get tickets, visit: http://www.wclallstarevents.com/index.cfm

 

The North and South All Star Rosters are printed below:

 The North Team:                                                                            

Michael McCann - WEN – C

Jarod Gonzales - WW - 1B

Scott Heath - BELL - 1B

Gabe Clark - VIC - 1B

Shawn Wardian - YAK - 1B

Caleb Wood - WEN 2B

Ty Jackson - WEN - 3B

Sean Bouchard - WW - 3B

Alex Degoti  - VIC - SS

Vince Fernandez - YAK - OF

Scotland Church - KELN - OF

Andrew Mendenhall - WW - OF

Danny Miller - BELL - OF

Zach Johnson - BELL - P

Aaron Sandefur - BELL - P

David Bigelow - BELL - P

Ian Buckles - WEN P

Eli Morgan - YAK - P

Brandon Williams - YAK - P

Seth Martinez- BELL - P

Alex Rogers - VIC - P

 

The South Team:

Tanner Lubach - MED - C

Kevin Kline - CORV - 1B

Victor Garcia - MED - 1B

Cory VanDomele - COW-2B

Marc Gallegos - CORV - 2B

Dennis Morton - KF - 3B

Nick Lopez - BEND - SS

Jake Peevyhouse -BEND-OF

Spencer Smith - MED - OF

Steven Packard - KT - OF

Danny Woodrow - KITS -OF

Billy Sahlinger - COW - P

Joe Reta - COW - P

Chris Haddeland - CORV - P

Jackson Lockwood-CORV-P

Nathan Kuchta - MED - P

David Peterson - MED - P

Kevin Sheets - BEND - P

Josh Moss - KITS - P

Brandon Choate - CORV - P

Shane Bieber - COW – P

The North team will have two replacement players, Dan Ludwig and Jake Roberts. Ludwig is a pitcher from Bellingham and Roberts is a catcher from Yakima. They will replace Michael McCann and Aaron Sandefur.

You can read the WCL's release here