APPLESOX LOOK FOR FIRST SERIES WIN, SUNDAY

AppleSox left-hander Grady Miller (0-1), will look to get win number one, and propel the AppleSox to a series victory, Sunday. First pitch is at 6:05 p.m.

WENATCHEE APPLESOX (1-7) vs Corvallis Knights (4-4)
Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium     |       6:05 p.m.
L- Grady Miller (0-1) vs. R- Aaron Pope (0-1)
GAME NOTES       |       APPLESOX STATS       |       LISTEN LIVE

The Wenatchee AppleSox (1-7, 0-3, North), fifth place in the division, continue a nine-game homestand against the Corvallis Knights (4-4, 3-3 South)...Wenatchee is going for its first series win of the season, Sunday...the AppleSox are playing their 17th franchise season (12th in the WCL) and are led by second-year skipper, AJ Proszek (28-37) (.431), who is in his 4th season with the Sox...Proszek is assisted by Kyle Hunt and Colton Loomis, both in their first seasons.

LAST NIGHT -- APPLESOX 6, KNIGHTS 3
WENATCHEE – The Wenatchee AppleSox (1-7), scored six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, Saturday night, to pick up their first win of 2016 against the Corvallis Knights (4-4), at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium...trailing 1-0, the bottom of the sixth inning started with Jeremy Ydens being hit by a pitch...he stole second base before Parker Price walked to put two on with nobody out...Evan Douglas followed with a sacrifice bunt to put both runners into scoring position...Corvallis starter Chris Carns (0-2), was lifted at that point, and the Knights turned to Cameron Richman, who got the final out in Friday’s game...in a re-match at bat against Matt Fraizer, the Sox earned a sac-fly RBI to tie the contest up...Wenatchee went on to get five-consecutive hits and score five two-out runs after the sac fly...Matt Reitano opened the onslaught with an RBI triple to left center field...Price scored on the play...an RBI single for Steven Machtolf brought home Reitano, followed by singles for Jordan Rathbone and Ryan Murkle to load the bases...Haydan Hastings doubled down the left field line to empty the bases...Wenatchee hung a crooked number just in time for starter Justin Blatner (1-0), who earned the Sox first quality start of 2016, tossing six innings while only giving up one run on an RBI groundout for Corvallis’ Parker Woodley in the second. Blatner struck out five batters and only allowed five hits over six innings...relief pitcher Mac Lardner retired Corvallis in order in the seventh, before allowing two runs in the eighth (one unearned on an error)...Casey Legumina pitched the ninth inning, earning his first save. He walked one batter, but struck out two, including the games final hitter, on a 3-2 pitch that froze his man for the victory. 

TONIGHT'S NOTES

LAST NIGHT’S SIXTH INNING
Wenatchee scored six runs on five hits in the bottom of the sixth inning last night...the six runs in the inning were more than the team’s total scored in each of the first seven games of 2016...the five hits all came in succession, with two-outs...Wenatchee struck for five two-out runs after Evan Douglas and Matt Frazier each sacrificed to help Wenatchee to its first run of the night...Wenatchee also brought 10 batters to the plate in the frame, marking the second time that the AppleSox batted around this season, and the fist time that they brought more than 9 hitters to the plate. 

HASTINGS BAT SCORCHING
Over the last three games, Sox freshman Haydan Hastings is batting .500 (6-for-12) with two doubles, three RBI, two runs scored and a walk...no other AppleSox hitter has been as potent over the three-game stretch. 

CALL ON THE ZAGS
Last night’s AppleSox win featured a three-pitcher sequence of Justin Blatner, Mac Lardner, and Casey Legumina...Blatner just finished up his freshman year at GU, while Legumina and Lardner have the chance to join him in Spokane in the fall.

PLAYING FOR THE SERIES
Wenatchee has a chance to win its first series of 2016, Sunday...Wenatchee went 8-9 in WCL series last season...the club’s last series win was August 4-6 at home against Walla Walla (2-1). 

COMEBACK WIN
Saturday night’s game marked Wenatchee’s first comeback win of 2015...Wenatchee came back in 12 games a season ago, but blew 17 leads in losses a season ago...they have just one blown lead this season. 

NUMBERS SHIFTING
Wenatchee is batting .313 in this series with Corvallis, and pitching to the tune of a 3.50 ERA...far better than their .205 season average and 6.43 ERA. 

SOX DRAFTED (18)
Brandon Bailey - Round 6, Oakland Athletics
John Pomeroy - Round 13, Pittsburgh Pirates
Trenton Brooks - Round 17, Cleveland Indians
Taylor Jones - Round 19, Houston
Eric Filia - Round 20, Seattle Mariners
Hunter Wells - Round 23, Miami
Mike McCann - Round 24, Kansas City
Casey Legumina - Round 25, Toronto
Gage Burland - Round 26, NYY
John Brontsema - Round 26, Kansas City
CJ Gettman - Round 34, San Francisco
Michael Toglia - Round 35, Colorado (yet to play for WEN)
Ryan Kreidler - Round 35, Chicago (yet to play for WEN)
Matt Fraizer - Round 38, Oakland
Shane Martinez - Round 39, Oakland (yet to play for WEN)
Otis Statum - Round 39, Cincinatti (yet to play for WEN)
Jeremy Ydens - Round 40, St. Louis
Evan Douglas - Round 40, Miami

Wenatchee Wins First, Bats Ignite in Sixth

Jordan Rathbone, Steven Machtolf, and Ryan Murkle celebrate after being driven in on a bases-clearing double for Haydan Hastings in the sixth inning of a 6-3, AppleSox win, Saturday.

BOX SCORE

WENATCHEE – The Wenatchee AppleSox (1-7), scored six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, Saturday night, to pick up their first win of 2016 against the Corvallis Knights (4-4), at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. 

Five of the six runs scored in the sixth inning came with two outs, and five were scored on two extra-base hits. 

Trailing 1-0, the bottom of the sixth inning started with Jeremy Ydens being hit by a pitch. He stole second base before Parker Price walked to put two on with nobody out. Evan Douglas followed with a sacrifice bunt to put both runners into scoring position.

Corvallis starter Chris Carns (0-2), was lifted at that point, and the Knights turned to Cameron Richman, who got the final out in Friday’s game. In a re-match at bat against Matt Fraizer, the Sox earned a sac-fly RBI to tie the contest up.

Wenatchee went on to get five-consecutive hits and score five two-out runs after the sac fly. Matt Reitano opened the onslaught with an RBI triple to left center field. Price scored on the play. 

An RBI single for Steven Machtolf brought home Reitano, followed by singles for Jordan Rathbone and Ryan Murkle to load the bases. Haydan Hastings doubled down the left field line to empty the bases, earning Wenatchee’s first bases loaded hit of the season.

Wenatchee hung a crooked number just in time for starter Justin Blatner (1-0), who earned the Sox first quality start of 2016, tossing six innings while only giving up one run on an RBI groundout for Corvallis’ Parker Woodley in the second. Blatner struck out five batters and only allowed five hits over six innings. 

The Knights did make things interesting in the eighth against Sox reliever Mac Lardner. The future Gonzaga Bulldog retired Corvallis in order in the seventh, before allowing two runs in the eighth (one unearned on an error). Lardner stranded the bases loaded in the inning with a  pop out to AppleSox catcher, Reitano. 

Casey Legumina pitched the ninth inning, earning his first save. He walked one batter, but struck out two, including the games final hitter, on a 3-2 pitch that froze his man for the victory. 

Reitano finished 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Hastings was 1-for-3 with 3 RBI. Fraizer and Machtolf drove in the other two Wenatchee runs. 

Game three and a chance for a series win comes Sunday night, when left-hander Grady Miller (0-1), takes to the mound for Wenatchee. First pitch is at 6:05 p.m.

APPLESOX AND KNIGHTS CONTINUE SERIES, SATURDAY

Wenatchee continues its nine-game homestand Saturday night against the Corvallis Knights. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m., as Justin Blatner makes his Wenatchee debut on the mound.

WENATCHEE APPLESOX (0-7) vs Corvallis Knights (4-3)
Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium     |       7:05 p.m.
L- Justin Blatner (0-0) vs. R- Chris Carns (0-1)
GAME NOTES       |       APPLESOX STATS       |       LISTEN LIVE

The Wenatchee AppleSox (0-7, 0-3, North), fifth place in the division, continue a nine-game homestand against the Corvallis Knights (4-3, 3-3 South)...the AppleSox have yet to win a game in 2016 after playing both a home and road series on the season...the AppleSox are playing their 17th franchise season (12th in the WCL) and are led by second-year skipper, AJ Proszek (27-37) (.422), who is in his 4th season with the Sox...Proszek is assisted by Kyle Hunt and Colton Loomis, both in their first seasons.

LAST NIGHT -- KNIGHTS 7 - APPLESOX 5
WENATCHEE – The Wenatchee AppleSox (0-7), scored five runs late in Friday’s game against the Corvallis Knights (4-3), but fell 7-5 with the tying run on base at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium...Kyle Blankenship (0-2), got the start for Wenatchee and the AppleSox were in trouble after trailing in the top half of the seventh inning, 7-0...Andy Atwood hit a solo home run in the seventh to extend the lead already created in large part by Adam Taylor and Taylor Travess...Taylor was 4-4 with 2 runs scored and an RBI...Travess went 3-for-5 with 2 runs scored...Wenatchee had trouble getting to Knight starter Trenton Dupre (1-0), who threw six shutout innings, only allowing five hits...three of those hits went to Matt Frazier in his AppleSox debut, and Wenatchee scored its first runs on a 2-RBI single for Sheldon Liikala with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to score Steven Machtolf and Haydan Hastings, who also had a three-hit night...the runs came off of Cody Hoff, Corvallis’ first reliever. Brandon Cutsworth pitched a scoreless eighth inning before things got dicey in the ninth...with one out, Hastings doubled, and Matt Reitano followed with his first AppleSox hit, in his team debut. Hastings scored on an error in left field. Two batters later, Parker Price recorded his second triple of the season, for 2 RBI, cutting the Knight lead to 7-5. Evan Douglas followed with a walk to put the tying run on base...Cameron Richman was called out of the bullpen to get the save for Corvallis and caught Frazier looking on a 1-2 fastball to end the game.

TONIGHT'S NOTES

GOOD DEBUTS LAST NIGHT
Matt Frazier, Matt Reitano, and Eli Thornquist each made their AppleSox debuts Friday night...Frazier went 3-for-5, Reitano was 1-for-4 with a run scored, and Thornquist threw two innings of hitless baseball with four strikeouts and one walk.

APPLESOX GOING FOR WCL WIN #350
If the AppleSox win Thursday night, it will be West Coast League win number 350 for the squad.

BATS AWAKENING
Wenatchee tallied 12 hits last night in the club’s first double-digit hit effort of the season...Wenatchee also out-hit an opponent for the first time this year, tallying 12 to Corvallis’ 11. 

THE PRICE IS RIGHT
Through seven games, Parker Price has hit two triples for Wenatchee...last night his triple to the right field fence went for 2 RBI...there have been nine triples hit in the WCL this season. 

TRYING TO AVOID HISTORY
Wenatchee is one loss away from an 8-game losing streak dating back to the last game of 2015...the Sox have attained this mark once in 2008...Wenatchee also has lost five-straight home games dating to last year...this ties a team record set in 2000, 2003, and 2014.

BLATNER SET FOR 2016 DEBUT
Justin Blatner will make his first start for the Wenatchee AppleSox, Saturday night...the Gonzaga product will become the sixth starting pitcher to throw this year for Wenatchee, including the second left-hander. 

STORIED FRANCHISES
Wenatchee and Corvallis meet on Friday night, as the two winningest franchises in WCL history...their head-to-head records date back to the teams’ PIL days, and this duo has met for times in the WCL Championship series...the programs are tied with 9 playoff appearances each, while Corvallis has won 8 division titles, and Wenatchee, 6...the AppleSox own five championships, while Corvallis has won three...Corvallis has been runner-up four times, and Wenatchee twice...at least one of the two teams held a spot in the WCL Championship series from 2005 to 2014...the streak ending last year when Bend faced Kelowna for the title...Wenatchee and Corvallis also had turned out the most MLB talent, with the Knights claiming 15 major leaguers and the AppleSox with nine, heading into the 2016 spring. 

BAILEY DRAFTED
2014 Wenatchee AppleSox arm, Brandon Bailey, was selected by the Oakland Athletics today in the 6th Round of the 2016 MLB Draft. 

WENATCHEE FACING CARNS
Last year Chris Carns threw for the AppleSox and his season was cut short when he was hit with a foul ball line drive in the Wenatchee dugout during at start at Cowlitz...Carns was 1-3 with a 4.37 ERA in 5 starts for Wenatchee.

WENATCHEE WAKES UP BATS LATE, FALLS 7-5

The Corvallis Knights scored Friday's first seven runs, and Wenatchee rallied for five in the final three innings, but fell short at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

BOX SCORE

WENATCHEE – The Wenatchee AppleSox (0-7), scored five runs late in Friday’s game against the Corvallis Knights (4-3), but fell 7-5 with the tying run on base at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. 

Wenatchee out-hit an opponent for the first time in 2016 last night, scoring five runs in the final three innings, but the rally fell just short. 

Kyle Blankenship (0-2), got the start for Wenatchee and the AppleSox were in trouble in the top of the first after two errors on the same play led to two Corvallis runs. The Knights added on two more runs in the third inning on an RBI groundout for Andrew Reichenbach and an RBI single for Andy Atwood. 

Adam Taylor and Taylor Travess scored twice in the first three innings. They combined to go 7-for-9, and Taylor went 4-4 with a walk. 

Another run crossed in the fourth inning for Corvallis in the fourth on an RBI single for Taylor. Zak Taylor scored on the play after being aboard earlier in the inning with a walk. 

In the fifth inning, Blankenship loaded the bases and Roman Garcia scored on a sacrifice fly by Cody Hawken. It came off of Miceal Taylor who pitched first in relief for Wenatchee, but was charged to Blankenship. 

Taylor allowed a Corvallis home run in the seventh inning to Andy Atwood, extending their WCL lead with four home runs. 

Wenatchee had trouble getting to Knight starter Trenton Dupre (1-0), who threw six shutout innings, only allowing five hits. 

Three of those hits went to Matt Frazier in his AppleSox debut, and Wenatchee scored its first runs on a 2-RBI single for Sheldon Liikala with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to score Steven Machtolf and Haydan Hastings, who also had a three-hit night. 

The runs came off of Cody Hoff, Corvallis’ first reliever. Brandon Cutsworth pitched a scoreless eighth inning before things got dicey in the ninth. 

With one out, Hastings doubled, and Matt Reitano followed with his first AppleSox hit, in his team debut. Hastings scored on an error in left field. Two batters later, Parker Price recorded his second triple of the season, for 2 RBI, cutting the Knight lead to 7-5. Evan Douglas followed with a walk to put the tying run on base. 

Cameron Richman was called out of the bullpen to get the save for Corvallis and caught Frazier looking on a 1-2 fastball to end the game. 

The second game of the series is Saturday night, and Wenatchee will throw left-hander Justin Blatner for the first time this season. He faces off against former AppleSox hurler, Chris Carns (0-1). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

APPLESOX OPEN NINE-GAME HOMESTAND, FRIDAY

The AppleSox open a nine-game homestand at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium, starting Friday night at 7:05 p.m., against the Corvallis Knights.

WENATCHEE APPLESOX (0-6) at Corvallis Knights (3-3)
Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium     |       7:05 p.m.
R- Kyle Blankenship (0-1) vs. R- Trenton Dupre (0-0)
GAME NOTES       |       APPLESOX STATS       |       LISTEN LIVE

The Wenatchee AppleSox (0-6, 0-3, North), fifth place in the division, open a nine-game homestand against the Corvallis Knights (3-3, 3-3 South)...the AppleSox have yet to win a game in 2016 after playing both a home and road series on the season...the AppleSox are playing their 17th franchise season (12th in the WCL) and are led by second-year skipper, AJ Proszek (27-36) (.429), who is in his 4th season with the Sox...Proszek is assisted by Kyle Hunt and Colton Loomis, both in their first seasons.

LAST NIGHT -- HARBOURCATS 6 - APPLESOX 4
VICTORIA – The Wenatchee AppleSox (0-6), were swept by the Victoria HarbourCats (3-3), after suffering a 6-4 loss Thursday night at Royal Athletic Park in Victoria, B.C...Wenatchee grabbed its first lead of 2016 on the season in the first inning, Thursday, off of Victoria starter James Kannenberg...Jeremy Ydens got the first of his three hits on the night with two outs in the frame, and was brought home to score on an error by the HarbourCats shortstop Wyatt Young...Wenatchee added two more in the top of the second...the 3-0 advantage was cut in the home half, when Warkentin deposited a solo home run over the wall in left center field...the HarbourCats evened the score in the fourth on a 2-RBI double from Dakota Dean...Luke Mattson was poised in his AppleSox debut, and the Sox got him back a 4-3 lead in the top of the sixth on an RBI groundout for Steven Machtolf...Parker Price scored on the play, who was aboard earlier in the inning on a walk. A half inning earlier, Machtolf started a double play after diving for a popped bunt attempt on the first base side. He doubled his runner back at first with a throw to Erik Sauve after the miraculous diving catch...the Sox lead was short-lived. Mattson gave up two runs in the bottom of the sixth on Dean’s second 2-RBI double of the night. It got over the glove of Machtolf on a sharp bounce, with the infield playing in. PJ Floyd and Warkentin scored to give the ‘Cats the advantage...Riley Guntrip added an insurance run in the eighth inning off of Ross Clevenger. An RBI single scored Floyd and made it 6-4, HarbourCats.

TONIGHT'S NOTES

APPLESOX GOING FOR WCL WIN #350
If the AppleSox win Thursday night, it will be West Coast League win number 350 for the squad.

STILL TO COME
10 players from the AppleSox announced preseason roster still have not joined the team...10 have not made appearances..the bulk of the remainder of Wenatchee’s roster is expected to join the team over the coming weekend. 

YDENS OFF TO FAST START
In his first series for Wenatchee, Jeremy Ydens went 5-for-13 with 2 SB, two runs scored and an RBI.

FIRST LEAD
Wenatchee claimed lead number one in WCL play last night, on a run-scoring E6 in the first inning that brought home Jeremy Ydens. 

ACTIVE ON BASE PATHS
Wenatchee stole three bases on Thursday night...two were credited to Ydens who moved two bases in the second on a double steal, which set up two runs to score on an E3 in the inning. 

STORIED FRANCHISES
Wenatchee and Corvallis meet on Friday night, as the two winningest franchises in WCL history...their head-to-head records date back to the teams’ PIL days, and this duo has met for times in the WCL Championship series...the programs are tied with 9 playoff appearances each, while Corvallis has won 8 division titles, and Wenatchee, 6...the AppleSox own five championships, while Corvallis has won three...Corvallis has been runner-up four times, and Wenatchee twice...at least one of the two teams held a spot in the WCL Championship series from 2005 to 2014...the streak ending last year when Bend faced Kelowna for the title...Wenatchee and Corvallis also had turned out the most MLB talent, with the Knights claiming 15 major leaguers and the AppleSox with nine, heading into the 2016 spring. 

LONGEST OUTING
Wenatchee received it’s longest outing from a starter, Thursday night...Luke Mattson went six innings, scattering five runs, in the first loss of his 2016 season...the youngster showcased good command and a relaxed demeanor on the hill for the AppleSox.

SIX-STRAIGHT LOSSES
Wenatchee’s six-game losing streak is the team’s longest since a five-game skid July 6-11 last season...that stretch was also the last time the AppleSox lost back-to-back series...it is their longest losing streak in WCL play dating to 2005. 

BAILEY DRAFTED
2014 Wenatchee AppleSox arm, Brandon Bailey, was selected by the Oakland Athletics today in the 6th Round of the 2016 MLB Draft. 

APPLESOX SWEPT BY HARBOURCATS

The Wenatchee AppleSox fell 6-4 to the Victoria HarbourCats Thursday night. Wenatchee fell to 0-6 on the season. 

BOX SCORE

VICTORIA – The Wenatchee AppleSox (0-6), were swept by the Victoria HarbourCats (3-3), after suffering a 6-4 loss Thursday night at Royal Athletic Park in Victoria, B.C. 

Wenatchee grabbed its first lead of 2016 on the season in the first inning, Thursday, off of Victoria starter James Kannenberg. Jeremy Ydens got the first of his three hits on the night with two outs in the frame, and was brought home to score on an error by the HarbourCats shortstop Wyatt Young. 

Following a 1-2-3 bottom half of the first inning by Luke Mattson, who was making his AppleSox debut, Wenatchee added two more in the top of the second. Ryan Murkle, who singled, and Jordan Rathbone, who walked each scored on an error at first base by Matt Warkentin. 

The 3-0 advantage was cut in the home half, when Warkentin deposited a solo home run over the wall in left center field. The HarbourCats evened the score in the fourth on a 2-RBI double from Dakota Dean. 

Mattson was poised in his AppleSox debut, and the Sox got him back a 4-3 lead in the top of the sixth on an RBI groundout for Steven Machtolf. Parker Price scored on the play, who was aboard earlier in the inning on a walk. A half inning earlier, Machtolf started a double play after diving for a popped bunt attempt on the first base side. He doubled his runner back at first with a throw to Erik Sauve after the miraculous diving catch. 

The Sox lead was short-lived. Mattson gave up two runs in the bottom of the sixth on Dean’s second 2-RBI double of the night. It got over the glove of Machtolf on a sharp bounce, with the infield playing in. PJ Floyd and Warkentin scored to give the ‘Cats the advantage. 

Riley Guntrip added an insurance run in the eighth inning off of Ross Clevenger. An RBI single scored Floyd and made it 6-4, HarbourCats.  

Holden Lyons was lights out in relief for the HarbourCats. He tossed three innings of one-hit baseball to secure the win for Victoria and pick up the club’s first save. 

Wenatchee heads back home, Friday morning, and will arrive at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium in the late afternoon to prepare for a three-game set with the Corvallis Knights. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m., and Friday’s game opens a nine-game homestand for the AppleSox. 

AppleSox Wrap Up Series At Victoria, Thursday

The AppleSox face the HarbourCats in Victoria, Thursday, before heading home to battle Corvallis, Friday-Sunday. 

WENATCHEE APPLESOX (0-5) at Victoria HarbourCats (2-3)
Sports Traders Diamond at Royal Athletic Park     |       6:35 p.m.
R- Luke Mattson (0-0) vs. R- James Kannenberg (0-1)
GAME NOTES       |       APPLESOX STATS       |       LISTEN LIVE

The Wenatchee AppleSox (0-5, 0-2, North), fifth place in the division, finish their series with the Victoria HarbourCats (2-3, 2-3 North) up north in Canada...Wenatchee was held scoreless for a total of 18.2 innings, before Steven Machtolf drove in a run with an RBI HBP in the ninth inning yesterday...Wenatchee gave up double-digit runs for the third-consecutive night...the AppleSox are playing their 17th franchise season (12th in the WCL) and are led by second-year skipper, AJ Proszek (27-36) (.429), who is in his 4th season with the Sox...Proszek is assisted by Kyle Hunt and Colton Loomis, both in their first seasons.

LAST NIGHT -- HARBOURCATS 11 - APPLESOX 1 
VICTORIA – The Wenatchee AppleSox (0-5), lost their second-consecutive series to open 2016 to the Victoria HarbourCats (2-3), in a 12-4 contest Wednesday night, at Royal Athletic Park in Victoria, B.C...AppleSox starter Jimmy Dobrash retired all six batters who faced him in the first two innings, Wednesday...he allowed six runs in the third inning, and faced 11 HarbourCat batters...the inning started off with a walk, followed by two doubles, a single, and another double...a sacrifice fly, a walk, and two errors (one on a failed pickoff attempt, and another on a failed caught stealing attempt), led to the onslaught of runs...Wenatchee committed six errors, in total, Wednesday night. Dobrash left the game in the fourth inning, and Matt Young pitched the remainder of the game...the AppleSox scored two runs in their half of the fourth, on an RBI single for Jordan McGowan and a sacrifice fly for Erik Sauve...Victoria answered with one run in the fifth inning, and three more in the sixth inning to claim a 10-2 advantage...Cody Snider, PJ Floyd, and Hayden Jaco all contributed RBI in the game to keep Victoria in front throughout...Wenatchee scored two runs in the eight inning off of relievers Creed Smith and Skyler Henderson...Jeremy Ydens brought in a runner on an RBI groundout to shortstop, and Steven Machtolf reached on an error at third base. Both Parker Price and Haydan Hastings each scored from third base during the respective plays...Victoria went on to add two more runs in the ninth off of Young. An RBI single for PJ Floyd and a second error by Wenatchee’s third baseman led to the 12-4 final.  

TONIGHT'S NOTES

APPLESOX GOING FOR WCL WIN #350
If the AppleSox win Thursday night, it will be West Coast League win number 350 for the squad.

STILL TO COME
10 players from the AppleSox announced preseason roster still have not joined the team...11 have not made appearances...starting pitcher Luke Mattson will change that tonight, making his AppleSox debut...the bulk of the remainder of Wenatchee’s roster is expected to join the team over the coming weekend. 

SWING AND A MISS
AppleSox pitchers have struck out 23 HarbourCat batters on the series...Victoria has struck out the most times of any team in the WCL (60).

OUT IN THE ‘PEN
Last night Matt Young set new bullpen highs for innings pitched in relief (5.0), and strikeouts from a reliever (8).

TOO MANY MISCUES
Wenatchee committed 6 errors last night, its highest total of the season...in contrast, opponents have only committed three errors against the AppleSox all season. 

EXTRA-BASE WOES
For the AppleSox, the extra-base hit total still sits at 1 in 2016...a triple from Parker Price in the home-opener still sits as the team’s only knock for more than a single. 

LOST BACK-TO-BACK WCL SERIES
Victoria guaranteed a series win over the AppleSox last night with a 12-4 victory...Wenatchee has lost its first two WCL series of 2016...the last time Wenatchee lost back-to-back WCL series was July 6-11, 2015 at Paul Thomas Sr. Field against Bend and on the road against Cowlitz in Longview...Wenatchee has lost its two opening WCL series only twice in team history...each of those stints occurring in the last two seasons.

TOUGH STARTS
Wenatchee has not led in a WCL game through the first five contests of 2016...another first in team history...the AppleSox have been tied at a score that wasn’t 0-0, once...Saturday June 5, 5-5 in the bottom of the ninth and part of the top of the tenth against Yakima Valley.

2016 MLB DRAFT
The 2016 MLB Draft begins Thursday at 7 p.m. ET...Wenatchee’s James Kaprielianis the highest draft pick in Sox history...he was taken by the New York Yankees with the 16th pick of last year’s draft...previously, older brother of current Sox utility player Alex Gonzales, Marco Gonzales, was Wenatchee’s highest draft pick...Gonzales was taken by the St. Louis Cardinals with the 19th pick in the 2013 draft...he still holds the record as fastest former AppleSox pitcher to the majors, after being drafted...entering 2016 Wenatchee had produced 9 MLB players...second in the WCL to the Corvallis Knights (15)...Bellingham, Bend, Kelowna, and the Spokane RiverHawks were the other franchises to have former players make it to the big show. 

APPLESOX FALL IN SERIES LOSS TO HARBOURCATS

The Wenatchee AppleSox fell 12-4 in a decisive game two of a three-game series in Victoria, Wednesday. 

BOX SCORE

VICTORIA – The Wenatchee AppleSox (0-5), lost their second-consecutive series to open 2016 to the Victoria HarbourCats (2-3), in a 12-4 contest Wednesday night, at Royal Athletic Park in Victoria, B.C. 

AppleSox starter Jimmy Dobrash retired all six batters who faced him in the first two innings, Wednesday. 

He allowed six runs in the third inning, and faced 11 HarbourCat batters. The inning started off with a walk, followed by two doubles, a single, and another double. A sacrifice fly, a walk, and two errors (one on a failed pickoff attempt, and another on a failed caught stealing attempt), led to the onslaught of runs in the frame.

Wenatchee committed six errors, in total, Wednesday night. Dobrash left the game in the fourth inning, and Matt Young pitched the remainder of the game. 

The AppleSox scored two runs in their half of the fourth, on an RBI single for Jordan McGowan and a sacrifice fly for Erik Sauve. 

Victoria answered with one run in the fifth inning, and three more in the sixth inning to claim a 10-2 advantage. Cody Snider, PJ Floyd, and Hayden Jaco all contributed RBI in the game to keep Victoria in front throughout. 

Wenatchee scored two runs in the eight inning off of relievers Creed Smith and Skyler Henderson. They were pitching in relief of HarbourCat starter, Colin Asworth, who earned a 7-inning quality start in his first starting appearance of 2016. 

Jeremy Ydens brough in a runner on an RBI groundout to shortstop, and Steven Machtolf reached on an error at third base. Both Parker Price and Haydan Hastings each scored from third base during the respective plays. 

Victoria went on to add two nore runs in the ninth off of Young. An RBI single for PJ Floyd and a second error by Wenatchee’s third baseman led to a 12-4 defecit. 

Wenatchee committed a season-high six errors in the game, and with the loss, is guaraunteed to lose back-to-back series for the first time since July 6-11, 2015. 

The final game of the series will be played Thursday night at Royal Athletic Park. Luke Mattson will start for Wenatchee across from James Kannenberg for Victoria.

AppleSox Continue Road Series Wednesday

The AppleSox continue a three-game set with the Victoria HarbourCats, Wednesday night in British Columbia. 

WENATCHEE APPLESOX (0-4) at Victoria HarbourCats (1-3)
Sports Traders Diamond at Royal Athletic Park     |       6:35 p.m.
R- Jimmy Dobrash (0-1) vs. R- Chris Ashworth (0-0)
GAME NOTES       |       APPLESOX STATS       |       LISTEN LIVE

The Wenatchee AppleSox (0-4, 0-1, North), tied for fourth place in the division, head north to take on the Victoria HarbourCats (1-3, 1-3 North) for the first of two three-game series in Canada...Wenatchee was held scoreless for a total of 18.2 innings, before Steven Machtolf drove in a run with an RBI HBP in the ninth inning yesterday...the AppleSox are playing their 17th franchise season (12th in the WCL) and are led by second-year skipper, AJ Proszek (27-35) (.435), who is in his 4th season with the Sox...Proszek is assisted by Kyle Hunt and Colton Loomis, both in their first seasons.

LAST NIGHT -- HARBOURCATS 11 - APPLESOX 1 
VICTORIA – The Wenatchee AppleSox (0-4), fell to the Victoria HarbourCats (1-3), 11-1 Tuesday night...the AppleSox were held without a baserunner for 6 2/3 innings, and hitless through 7 innings, facing Dalton Erb of the HarbourCats...Erb received tremendous run support from the HarbourCats in the third, fourth, and fifth innings...the HarbourCats scored 10 of their 11 runs over the three frames...after 3 2/3 innings, it was 3-0 HarbourCats when Nick Hoefling made his AppleSox debut...a 2-RBI single off of the second base bag made it 5-0 HarbourCats...Cody Snider went 3-for-5 with a single, home run and double...he drove in three runs and stole two bases in the game...Victoria added more for a 10-0 lead after five innings...Ryan Murkle worked a 2-out walk off of Erb in the seventh inning to break up a perfect game, and Steven Machtolf started the eighth inning with a hard-hit single to right center field to break up Erb’s no-hit bid...Casey Legumina threw in relief along with Hoefling and struck out three batters during his inning of work, but also surrendered the HarbourCat’s 11th run...Wenatchee’s lone offensive bright spot came in the ninth inning...Royfel Granda and Jeremy Ydens got their first hits of 2016 during the frame...a walk of Ryan Murkle set up a bases loaded situation in which Wenatchee scored a run off of HarbourCat reliever Nick Wojtysiak...Steven Machtolf ended a streak of 18 2/3 scoreless innings dating back to the tenth inning of Saturday night’s game, and delivered the game’s only RBI for Wenatchee on a bases-loaded hit by pitch. 

TONIGHT'S NOTES

DOBRASH LOOKING TO IMPROVE ON SEASON-OPENING START
Jimmy Dobrash opened his first start for the Wenatchee AppleSox on Opening Night by retiring six of the first seven batters he faced...in the third inning he ran into some trouble, allowing three runs on three of his six hits allowed that evening...Dobrash recovered to throw a scoreless 2 2/3 inning after the Pippins struck for three, but he did run his pitch count to 94...all three of his walks came in the fourth/fifth innings...Dobrash struck out six of the first eight men he faced, Friday, and faces a Victoria team tonight that struck out 12 times a night ago...12 marked the highest strikeout total for the AppleSox pitching staff this season. 

OFFENSE BAFFLED
Wenatchee has struggled at the plate through its first four games in 2016...the AppleSox have just one extra-base hit and 5 RBI on 7 runs scored...the team is batting .157 (20x127) and has struck out 39 times (tied for second-most with the Bend Elks, and trailing league-leading Victoria [47])...last night, Wenatchee ended a consecutive scoreless inning dryspell at the plate in the ninth inning, when Steven Machtolf picked up an RBI on a bases-loaded HBP...it was the first run Wenatchee had scored since the ninth inning of Saturday’s 6-5 extra-inning loss on a Sheldon Liikala RBI bases-loaded walk...a span of 18 2/3 innings...the last time Wenatchee scored a run not via walk or HBP was on an Evan Douglas RBI single in the fifth inning of Saturday’s game...23 1/3 innings ago.

EXTENDING AT BATS
The AppleSox need to work on extending trips to the plate, Wednesday night...last night, Dalton Erb worked into the seventh inning before seeing an at bat reach 5 pitches (Granda, R.)...three-of-four batters in the inning worked past the five-pitch mark, to eventual wear Erb down for his first hit allowed...Wenatchee has been retired 1-2-3 in 14-of-37 offensive innings this season (37.8 percent). 

LIMITING THE BIG INNING
A theme of multi-run innings continues for the AppleSox in early 2016...Wenatchee has allowed runs in 13 defensive innings this season...in seven of those innings Wenatchee has given up three-or-more runs...two-or-more runs have been surrendered in 10 of the 13 frames.

GETTING THE SERIES EVEN
If the Sox win Wednesday, the series is back even at 1-1...the last time Wenatchee lost two-consecutive series was July 6-11 at home against Bend (0-3) and on the road at Cowlitz (1-2).

DOUBLE DIGITS
Wenatchee has given up 11 runs in each of its last two games...the last time the AppleSox gave up back-to-back double digit run scoring games wasJuly 3 and 4 of 2012...a span of 217 games in between.

THE STREAK
Victoria now has a five-game winning streak over Wenatchee, which started June 28 of last season in an 11-10 extra-inning win at Royal Athletic Park...the AppleSox have now lost five straight, in total, dating back to 2015. 

APPLESOX STRICKEN BY TOUGH PITCHING, FALL TO HARBOURCATS

The Wenatchee AppleSox struggled at the plate Tuesday night, being kept off base for 6 2/3 innings and no-hit through 7 innings. 

BOX SCORE

VICTORIA – The Wenatchee AppleSox (0-4), fell to the Victoria HarbourCats (1-3), 11-1 Tuesday night, while the HarbourCats starting pitcher was near-perfect at Royal Athletic Park in Victoria. 

The AppleSox were held without a baserunner for 6 2/3 innings, and hitless through 7 innings, facing Dalton Erb of the HarbourCats. 

Erb received tremendous run support from the HarbourCats in the third, fourth, and fifth innings. The HarbourCats scored 10 of their 11 runs over the three frames, and chased Sox starter Tyler Burch from the game, who appeared to leave due to some sort of injury. 

After 3 2/3 innings, it was 3-0 HarbourCats when Nick Hoefling made his AppleSox debut in relief of the injured Burch. A 2-RBI single off of the second base bag made it 5-0 HarbourCats, and Victoria never looked back. 

Cody Snider went 3-for-5 with a single, home run and double. He drove in three runs and stole two bases in the game. 

Victoria added two more in the fourth and three more in the fifth, for a 10-0 lead after five innings. 

It was all the help Erb needed, as he retired the first 20 batters faced, Tuesday. Ryan Murkle worked a 2-out walk off of Erb in the seventh inning to break up a perfect game, and Steven Machtolf started the eighth inning with a hard-hit single to right center field to break up Erb’s no-hit bid. 

Casey Legumina threw in relief along with Hoefling. Legumina struck out three batters during his inning of work, but also surrendered the HarbourCat’s 11th run. 

Wenatchee’s lone offensive bright spot came in the ninth inning. Royfel Granda and Jeremy Ydens got their first hits of 2016 during the frame. A walk of Ryan Murkle set up a bases loaded situation in which Wenatchee scored a run off of HarbourCat reliever Nick Wojtysiak. Steven Machtolf ended a streak of 18 2/3 scoreless innings dating back to the tenth inning of Saturday night’s game, and delivered the game’s only RBI for Wenatchee on a bases-loaded hit by pitch. 

Erb went eight innings, giving up just one walk, and tossing 13 strikeouts. Wojtysiak added a strikeout to drive the game total to 14 for Victoria. 

Wenatchee plays Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. Jimmy Dobrash will throw against the ‘Cats

Wenatchee Heads North to Face Victoria

Wenatchee opens its first road trip of 2016 with a three-game set that begins Tuesday night in Victoria, B.C.

WENATCHEE APPLESOX (0-3) at Victoria HarbourCats (0-3)
Sports Traders Diamond at Royal Athletic Park     |       6:35 p.m.
R- Ryan Garcia (0-0) vs. L- Grady Miller (0-0)
GAME NOTES       |       APPLESOX STATS       |       LISTEN LIVE
The Wenatchee AppleSox (0-3, 0-0, North), tied for fourth place in the division, head north to take on the Victoria HarbourCats (0-3, 0-3 North) for the first of two three-game series in Canada...Sunday night, Wenatchee was shut out for the first time since its opening WCL series in 2015, and was swept in an opening series for the first time in franchise history...the AppleSox are playing their 17th franchise season (12th in the WCL) and are led by second-year skipper, AJ Proszek (27-34) (.443), who is in his 4th season with the Sox...Proszek is assisted by Kyle Hunt and Colton Loomis, both in their first seasons.

SUNDAY NIGHT -- PIPPINS 11 - APPLESOX 0
WENATCHEE – A tough weekend for the Wenatchee AppleSox (0-3), ended in a disappointing 11-0 loss to the Yakima Valley Pippins (3-0), Sunday night...After retiring the Pippins in order in the second inning, Sox starter Grady Miller ran into some trouble in the third inning...three runs came to score on five-consecutive Pippin hits and a sacrifice fly...Miller retired the side in each of the fourth and fifth innings, before once again falling in hot water in the sixth against the Pippins...six straight hits in the sixth, after the leadoff runner was picked off, led to four more runs scoring and Yakima Valley led 7-0...Miceal Taylor pitched in relief of Miller and got the final two outs in the inning...he later allowed a run in the seventh on Chris Ceballos’ third double of the game...Ceballos finished with 3 RBI...in the eighth, Taylor retired the Pippins in order...the ninth inning led to three more runs scoring for the Pippins. Four-consecutive hits sparked the run scoring in the inning. Zac Bonneau hammered home the final hit of Yakima Valley’s 18...Wenatchee struggled offensively, only tallying four hits. Parker Price did reach base via a hit for a third-straight night, but Ryan Garcia controlled the Sox for six innings, only allowing three hits...Connor Lau and Derek Atlee were the Pippin relievers, and they shut Wenatchee down, only allowing one hit the rest of the way. 

TONIGHT'S NOTES

SHUTOUT LOSS
The AppleSox were shut out Sunday night for the first time since June 9, 2015...a WCL season-opening series at Walla Walla.

THE GOOD AND THE BAD
The AppleSox retired the visiting side in order nine times over the first three games, however, in six-of-eight Pippin scoring innings, Wenatchee allowed more than one run (10th inning Saturday, 8th inning Sunday)...on the other hand...Wenatchee had one run-scoring inning of four runs, and two run-scoring innings of just one run.

SOMETHING EXTRA
The AppleSox only have one extra-base hit through the first three games of the 2016 season...the Pippins went for 10 extra-base hits on the other side of the card during the weekend series.

STARTING PITCHING
None of Wenatchee’s first three starting pitchers was able to make it past 5.1 innings, Friday-Sunday...in 15.2 innings pitched, the starters have surrendered 15 runs. 

GOING FOR FIRST WIN
Wenatchee and Victoria can relate, entering Tuesday night’s series opener...both teams started the season 0-3...Victoria was swept by Walla Walla in a series in which the HarbourCats were outscored 17-8...Wenatchee was outscored 23-6.

FAMILIAR ARM FOR WENATCHEE
Tyler Burch showed well for Wenatchee in 2015 after making his Sox debut July 24 at home against Yakima Valley...Burch was 3-0 and recorded 2 quality starts over his three-game starting stretch at the end of 2015...in each of the three games he tossed at least 6 innings...he received an average run support of 11 runs per game...twice he held opponents to five or fewer hits. 

LAST TIME IN B.C.
Wenatchee last visited British Columbia July 28-30, 2015 against the Kelowna Falcons...Wenatchee lost the series 1-2 to the eventual East Division-Champion Falcons...the two teams combined to score 60 runs in the series...an average of 20 per game...Tyler Burch tossed the lone win in that series...a 17-7 contest that went to the AppleSox.

LAST TIME VS ‘CATS
Victoria visited Wenatchee to July 31-Aug. 2 in the second-to-last home series of the season for the AppleSox...the HarbourCats swept away the Sox, scoring 39 runs (60 in the series for both teams)...the final game of the series was a 21-10 loss, in which the HarbourCats bashed 21 hits off Wenatchee...it marked the highest-scoring game of any AppleSox opponent a season ago, and all-time.

LAST TIME IN VICTORIA
Wenatchee visited Victoria June 26-28, 2015...the Sox won the series 2-1, with 11-8 and 1-0 wins...in the series finale, Victoria won 11-10 in 11 innings, after the AppleSox scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning to tie the game...Wenatchee hit four home runs in the series, with three coming from Evan Douglas...he is unavailable to travel this series as he is completing classes at the Community Colleges of Spokane...Wenatchee was 3-3 in total last season in games played in Canada.

APPLESOX FALL TO PIPPINS, SWEPT IN FIRST SERIES

Wenatchee was never able to get its bats going, Sunday, and Yakima Valley pounced on the Sox in three big run scoring innings, to get the sweep. 

BOX SCORE            PHOTOS

WENATCHEE – A tough weekend for the Wenatchee AppleSox (0-3), ended in a disappointing 11-0 loss to the Yakima Valley Pippins (3-0), Sunday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. 

The Pippins looked like they were going to get to AppleSox starter Grady Miller in the first inning, after two leadoff singles and a double steal put runners at second and third with one out. Miller followed up with a strikeout and a flyout to end the inning, unscathed. 

After retiring the Pippins in order in the second inning, Miller ran into some trouble in the third inning. Three runs came to score on five-consecutive Pippin hits and a sacrifice fly. 

Miller retired the side in each of the fourth and fifth innings, before once again falling in hot water in the sixth against the Pippins. Six straight hits in the sixth, after the leadoff runner was picked off, led to four more runs scoring and Yakima Valley led 7-0. 

Miceal Taylor pitched in relief of Miller and got the final two outs in the inning. He later allowed a run in the seventh on Chris Ceballos’ third double of the game. Ceballos finished with 3 RBI. 

In the eighth, Taylor retired the Pippins in order.

The ninth inning led to three more runs scoring for the Pippins. Four-consecutive hits sparked the run scoring in the inning. Zac Bonneau hammered home the final hit of Yakima Valley’s 18, Sunday. 

Wenatchee struggled offensively, only tallying four hits. Parker Price did reach base via a hit for a third-straight night, but Ryan Garcia controlled the Sox for six innings, only allowing three hits. 

Connor Lau and Derek Atlee were the Pippin relievers, and they shut Wenatchee down, only allowing one hit the rest of the way. 

The sweep marked the first time the AppleSox have been swept to open a franchise season. Wenatchee looks to rebound Tuesday night at Victoria. The HarbourCats were also swept over the weekend. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 at Royal Athletic Park. 

AppleSox Conclude First Homestand, Sunday

The Wenatchee AppleSox and Yakima Valley Pippins wrap up the first homestand of 2016, Sunday with first pitch at 6:05 p.m. at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

YAKIMA VALLEY PIPPINS (2-0) at WENATCHEE APPLESOX (0-2)
Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium       |       6:05 p.m.
R- Ryan Garcia (0-0) vs. L- Grady Miller (0-0)
GAME NOTES       |       APPLESOX STATS       |       LISTEN LIVE

The Wenatchee AppleSox (0-2, 0-0, North), tied for fourth place in the division, host the Yakima Valley Pippins (2-0, 0-0 South) in the final game of a three-game set...last night, despite scoring five runs with two outs in the fifth and ninth innings, to complete a five-run comeback, the Sox still fell short in extra innings...the AppleSox are playing their 17th franchise season (12th in the WCL) and are led by second-year skipper, AJ Proszek (27-33) (.450), who is in his 4th season with the Sox...Proszek is assisted by Kyle Hunt and Colton Loomis, both in their first seasons.

LAST NIGHT -- PIPPINS 6 - APPLESOX 5 (10 innings)
WENATCHEE - The Wenatchee AppleSox (0-2), fell 6-5 to the Yakima Valley Pippins (2-0), Saturday night in ten innings, after posting two furious two-out rallies to force extra frames...Wenatchee scored four runs in the fifth inning, and one run in the ninth to even the score with the Pippins, after Yakima Valley led 5-0 after two innings at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium...both rallies came with two outs...the Pippins jumped out to an early lead against AppleSox starter Kyle Blankenship. Five extra-base hits in the first three innings led to 4 RBI...after the rough stretch, Blankenship recovered to retire nine of the next ten batters he faced, while only allowing one baserunner on a walk...Wenatchee got back in the game in the home half of the fifth inning, while bringing nine batters to the plate...Steven Machtolf, Parker Price and Evan Douglas all collected RBIs...Ross Clevenger fired three innings of one-hit baseball in relief, while striking out four batters and walking one...Matthew Fish took over partway through the ninth and the AppleSox walked twice, forcing home a run after already having two men on...Sheldon Liikala was the batter who walked to tie the game. Fish got the final out of the ninth to force extra frames...Ryan Garcia drove in the winning run for Yakima Valley in the top of the tenth.

TONIGHT'S NOTES

ON THE LINE
Did you know the Wenatchee AppleSox have never started a season 0-3 in 16 franchise seasons? The 2005 Sox started 0-2, but went on to win the WCCBL (WCL) Championship with a 29-7 record on the season.

MILLER LOOKS TO PASS ON WINNING WAYS
Grady Miller helped lead the Wenatchee High School Panthers to a 24-1 record in 2016...the Panthers lone loss was in the semifinal round of the WIAA 4A State Baseball Championships...Wenatchee fell to eventual state champion, Skyline....Miller was tabbed with a no-decision.

EXTRA-EXTRA
Last night was the first extra inning game of the AppleSox 2016 season...last year Wenatchee went 2-4 in extra inning contests, and is now 1-2 all time in extra inning games against Yakima Valley...all-time in extras, the Sox are 33-30...they did not play an extra inning game with the Pippins in 2015.

FAMILIAR FOES
Wenatchee finished its 2015 season against the Yakima Valley Pippins at County Stadium...Yakima Valley won two-of-three games in the series, including the series and season finale by a score of 4-3...in last year’s series, four of the nine games were decided by two runs or fewer...now in different divisions, the AppleSox and Pippins are only slated to meet in the regular season one other time in 2016...July 15-17 to end the pre-All Star schedule at County Stadium in Yakima...the Pippins now have won 4 of the last 5 meetings in the series.

2015 SEASON IN REVIEW
The Wenatchee AppleSox (24-30), failed to make the playoffs for just the third time in franchise history in 2015, after a run of 14-consecutive playoff berths was nixed in 2014...the AppleSox...Wenatchee finished 15-16 at home and 12-15 on the road last season...the AppleSox played 6 extra-inning games, going 2-4...the AppleSox had won their last three divisional series’ before running into Yakima Valley in the final series of the season...as mentioned a 2-1 series score in favor of the Pippins...Keston Hiura was the Sox’ offensive standout, while Hunter Wells tied the teams’ single-season wins record (7).

ABOUT THE APPLESOX ALL-TIME
Wenatchee is a perennial powerhouse in the West Coast League...with five championships, Wenatchee is the most decorated franchise in the league...Wenatchee has also been runner-up twice in the championship, which is a second-best mark in the league, and has won its division six times, also second best...the AppleSox’ nine playoff appearances are tied for first with Corvallis for most in the league.

Sox Comeback Bid Falls Short In Extras

The Wenatchee AppleSox fought hard, scoring five two-out runs after trailing 5-0 to the Yakima Valley after two innings at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. Yakima Valley got the better of Wenatchee in the tenth, winning 6-5 in extra frames.

BOX SCORE               PHOTOS

WENATCHEE – The Wenatchee AppleSox (0-2), fell 6-5 to the Yakima Valley Pippins (2-0), Saturday night in ten innings, after posting two furious two-out rallies to force extra frames.

Wenatchee scored four runs in the fifth inning, and one run in the ninth to even the score with the Pippins, after Yakima Valley led 5-0 after two innings at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. Both rallies came with two outs. 

The Pippins jumped out to an early lead against AppleSox starter Kyle Blankenship. Five extra-base hits in the first three innings led to RBIs for Jay Schuyler, Chris Ceballos, Derek Molina, and Mitchell Morimoto. 

After the rough stretch, Blankenship recovered to retire nine of the next ten batters he faced, while only allowing one baserunner on a walk. 

Wenatchee got back in the game in the home half of the fifth inning, while bringing nine batters to the plate. Jordan Rathbone started the inning with a single, and after a strikeout Kolby DeHaas was hit by pitch to put two runners aboard. 

Following another strikeout, Steven Machtolf hammered an RBI single to center field that was misplayed off of a hard bounce by Morimoto. Machtolf was credited for an RBI on the single, and DeHaas scored from first on the error. Parker Price and Evan Douglas followed up with RBI singles in the inning. 

Ross Clevenger took over in his first relief appearance for the AppleSox in the sixth inning. Clevenger fired three innings of one-hit baseball, while striking out four batters and walking one. Clevenger showcased a curveball-fastball mixture that had batters baffled. 

Tanner Simpson left the game after six innings for the Pippins, in line for a 5-4 win. In the ninth inning, the AppleSox ran Simpson’s reliever, Josh Rios, from the contest after he allowed two singles with two outs, following a failed hit and run attempt for the AppleSox and a leadoff walk of Alex Gonzales. 

Matthew Fish took over and the AppleSox walked twice, forcing home a run. Sheldon Liikala was the batter who walked to tie the game. Fish got the final out of the ninth to force extra frames. 

In the top of the tenth, Yakima Valley faced Jordan McGowan, who took over for Clevenger in the ninth. A leadoff walk and a sacrifice bunt put a runner in scoring position. A groundout to the right side of the infield moved the go-ahead runner to third, and Ryan Garcia drove it in for the lead. 

The AppleSox sacrificed leadoff batter, McGowan, to second base in the bottom of the tenth after a leadoff walk, but left him stranded there on a popout and groundout to first base in the next two at bats. 

With the win, the Pippins set up an opportunity for a series sweep, Sunday. Garcia, who provided the game-winning RBI for Yakima Valley will toe the rubber against Wenatchee High School graduate Grady Miller. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m., and gates open at 5 at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

AppleSox Continue Series With Pippins

The AppleSox and the Pippins meet at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium tonight at 7:05 p.m. Wenatchee is looking to even the series. 

YAKIMA VALLEY PIPPINS (1-0) at WENATCHEE APPLESOX (0-1)
Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium       |       7:05 p.m.
R- Tanner Simpson (0-0) vs. R- Kyle Blankenship (0-0)
GAME NOTES       |       APPLESOX STATS       |       LISTEN LIVE

The Wenatchee AppleSox (0-1, 0-0, North), tied for third place in the division, host the Yakima Valley Pippins (1-0, 0-0 South) in the second game of a three-game set with the Yakima Valley Pippins...last night, the AppleSox had a streak of four-consecutive home-opening wins snapped by the visiting Pippins...the AppleSox are playing their 17th franchise season (12th in the WCL) and are led by second-year skipper, AJ Proszek (27-32) (.458), who is in his 4th season with the Sox...Proszek is assisted by Kyle Hunt and Colton Loomis, both in their first seasons.

LAST NIGHT -- PIPPINS 6 - APPLESOX 1
WENATCHEE -  The Yakima Valley Pippins (1-0), were powered by dominant pitching en route to a 6-1 win over the Wenatchee AppleSox (0-1), Friday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium in the teams’ West Coast League opener...the Pippins combined to toss 14 strikeouts, Friday, and starter Zach Draper set the tone with 6 strikeouts in the first five innings...Wenatchee and Yakima Valley were scoreless through two innings of play, and Wenatchee starter Jimmy Dobrash responded to a leadoff single in the top of the first by striking out six of the next eight batters he faced...in the third, the Pippins opened the scoring with an RBI single from Jay Schuyler...Mitchell Marimoto picked up the second RBI of the frame, driving in Derek Molina, who was hit by pitch earlier in the inning...Shuyler came around to score a third run on a wild pitch in the inning...the score would hold until the seventh...the Pippins cashed in on an RBI single from Ryan Garcia, a walk of Bonneau, an RBI single for Tanner Simpson, and an additional run when Bonneau later came to score on a wild pitch...Wenatchee claimed its lone run of the game in the eighth...with one out in the bottom half, Parker Price led off with a triple Sheldon Liikala later drove in Price with a fielder’s choice 4-3 groundout.

TONIGHT'S NOTES

2015: BLANKENSHIP AS A STARTER
Kyle Blankenship totaled an 0-1 record in three starts last season for the AppleSox...his most recent start was August 7 at Yakima Valley, a game the AppleSox lost 9-2...Blankenship earned a no-decision after holding the Pippins to 2 runs over 6.0 innings on 8 hits...he struck out three batters and did not issue a walk.

FAMILIAR FOES
Wenatchee finished its 2015 season against the Yakima Valley Pippins at County Stadium...Yakima Valley won two-of-three games in the series, including the series and season finale by a score of 4-3...in last year’s series, four of the nine games were decided by two runs or fewer...now in different divisions, the AppleSox and Pippins are only slated to meet in the regular season one other time in 2016...July 15-17 to end the pre-All Star schedule at County Stadium in Yakima...the Pippins now have won 4 of the last 5 meetings in the series.

2015 SEASON IN REVIEW
The Wenatchee AppleSox (24-30), failed to make the playoffs for just the third time in franchise history in 2015, after a run of 14-consecutive playoff berths was nixed in 2014...the AppleSox...Wenatchee finished 15-16 at home and 12-15 on the road last season...the AppleSox played 6 extra-inning games, going 2-4...the AppleSox had won their last three divisional series’ before running into Yakima Valley in the final series of the season...as mentioned a 2-1 series score in favor of the Pippins...Keston Hiura was the Sox’ offensive standout, while Hunter Wells tied the teams’ single-season wins record (7).

ABOUT THE APPLESOX ALL-TIME
Wenatchee is a perennial powerhouse in the West Coast League...with five championships, Wenatchee is the most decorated franchise in the league...Wenatchee has also been runner-up twice in the championship, which is a second-best mark in the league, and has won its division six times, also second best...the AppleSox’ nine playoff appearances are tied for first with Corvallis for most in the league.

APPLESOX FALL TO PIPPINS IN 2016 SEASON OPENER

Wenatchee AppleSox shortstop Evan Douglas completes a sweeping tag at second base against the Yakima Valley Pippins in the early innings of a 6-1 loss, Friday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

BOX SCORE                 PHOTOS        

WENATCHEE – The Yakima Valley Pippins (1-0), were powered by dominant pitching en route to a 6-1 win over the Wenatchee AppleSox (0-1), Friday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium in the teams’ West Coast League opener. 

The Pippins combined to toss 14 strikeouts, Friday, and starter Zach Draper set the tone with 6 strikeouts in the first five innings. 

Wenatchee and Yakima Valley were scoreless through two innings of play, and Wenatchee starter Jimmy Dobrash responded to a leadoff single in the top of the first by striking out six of the next eight batters he faced. 

In the third, the Pippins opened the scoring with an RBI single from Jay Schuyler, which scored Zach Bonneau who was aboard earlier in the inning on a leadoff single. Mitchell Marimoto picked up the second RBI of the frame, driving in Derek Molina, who was hit by pitch earlier in the inning. Shuyler came around to score a third run on a wild pitch in the inning. The score would hold until the seventh. 

In the sixth inning, after Dobrash forced an inning-opening groundout to shortstop, two Pippins batters were hit by pitch, forcing AJ Proszek to go to the bullpen for the remainder of the evening. Dobrash finished allowing six hits, three runs, two of which were earned, while striking out seven batters on 94 pitches. 

Casey Legumina got the AppleSox out of the sixth unscathed, but the Pippins grabbed two more runs off of him in the seventh, and tallied an additional run against Matt Young, who relieved Legumina in the frame. 

The Pippins started the inning with a single, stolen base, and walk, courtesy of Marimoto and Chris Ceballos. Jonathan Sandberg then hit into a 4-6-3 double play, and the AppleSox looked to be back in business. Yakima Valley countered with an RBI single from Ryan Garcia, a walk of Bonneau, an RBI single for Tanner Simpson, and an additional run when Bonneau later came to score on a wild pitch. 

Wenatchee claimed its lone run of the game in the eighth. With one out in the bottom half, Parker Price dropped a hit into mid-range center field. Simpson thought he could catch up to the ball late, but it got under his glove on a diving try for a catch, allowing Price to cruise into third with a triple. Sheldon Liikala later drove in Price with a fielder’s choice 4-3 groundout. 

The AppleSox would load the bases on the Pippins in the ninth inning, but nothing came of it, as former AppleSox starting pitcher Zach Haggett came on in relief to shut the door. He capped the game with the Pippin’s 14th strikeout, foul tipped into the glove of Bonneau. 

The Pippins finished 6-for-16 with runners in scoring position while the AppleSox were 0-for-7. Wenatchee walked and hit four batters, for a total of eight free bases. 

For the Pippins, the win marked their third-consecutive on Opening Night, since their franchise’s inaugural Opening Night win against the AppleSox in Yakima in 2014. 

The AppleSox fell for the first time on Opening Night in four years, snapping a franchise-best Opening Night mark.

The series continues Saturday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m., and Kyle Blankenship will face off against a TBD pitcher for the Pippins. Gates open at 6 p.m. 

APPLESOX OPEN 2016 WITH JAM-PACKED WEEKEND

The AppleSox open their 17th season with an exciting home series against the Yakima Valley Pippins. First pitches Friday-Sunday are schedule for 7:05p.m., 7:05p.m., and 6:05p.m., respectively.

For complete AppleSox team information click: here
For tonight's game notes click: here

WENATCHEE - The Wenatchee AppleSox (0-0), welcome the Yakima Valley Pippins (0-0) to the Valley to kick-off the 2016 WCL season Friday-Sunday at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m., and gates open at 6 p.m. The series continues Saturday night at the same time, and Sunday first pitch is at 6:05 p.m., with gates opening at 5 p.m., for the first Spaghetti Sunday of 2016. From the time gates open, until first pitch, you can purchase a plate of spaghetti and slice of garlic bread for $7.50.

APPLESOX TICKETS: www.applesox.com/tickets/
BROADCAST: www.applesox.com/listen-live/
PAUL THOMAS SR. STADIUM: www.applesox.com/paul-thomas-sr-field/

TONIGHT'S TILT
The Wenatchee AppleSox (0-0, 0-0, North), tied for first place in the division, host the Yakima Valley Pippins (0-0, 0-0 South) in Wenatchee’s home opener...the AppleSox have opened each of the last four calendar seasons at home, and faced Walla Walla on the road to open WCL play last year...the AppleSox are playing their 17th franchise season (12th in the WCL) and are led by second-year skipper, AJ Proszek (27-31) (.466), who is in his 4th season with the Sox...Proszek is assisted by Kyle Hunt and Colton Loomis, both in their first seasons.

LET’S GET ITSTARTED
The AppleSox are 12-4 in Opening Night games...Wenatchee has won its last four openers...a franchise-best mark (2008-10: three consecutive)...the Sox have an 8-4 record in home-opening contests... the AppleSox have played on the road four times to open their season...they are a perfect 4-0 in those contests (all league games)...against the WCL, Wenatchee is 2-2 in opening games…against non-league opponents, the AppleSox are 6-2 in opening games...Wenatchee has faced the Pippins to open a season once (6/6/14), a game Yakima Valley won 4-3…it was the Pippins inaugural WCL game…the last time Wenatchee opened a season at home against a league opponent was June 5, 2015 against Corvallis…played in Wenatchee, the AppleSox won 3-2 in 14 innings.

FAMILIAR FOES
Wenatchee finished its 2015 season against the Yakima Valley Pippins at County Stadium...Yakima Valley won two-of-three games in the series, including the series and season finale by a score of 4-3...in last year’s series, four of the nine games were decided by two runs or fewer...now in different divisions, the AppleSox and Pippins are only slated to meet in the regular season one other time in 2016...July 15-17 to end the pre-All Star schedule at County Stadium in Yakima.

PITCHING DOMINANT IN 2015 OPENER
CJ Gettman offered a complete-game shutout, June 4, 2015 against the San Francisco Seals to open the season for the Wenatchee AppleSox...final score was 8-2 in favor of Wenatchee and it was the first AppleSox win of AJ Proszek’s Sox head coaching career...Chase Lewallen, the grandson of first AppleSox coach, Gary Lewallen, delivered the games first RBIs on a double into the left center field gap.

2015 SEASON IN REVIEW
The Wenatchee AppleSox (24-30), failed to make the playoffs for just the third time in franchise history in 2015, after a run of 14-consecutive playoff berths was nixed in 2014...the AppleSox...Wenatchee finished 15-16 at home and 12-15 on the road last season...the AppleSox played 6 extra-inning games, going 2-4...the AppleSox had won their last three divisional series’ before running into Yakima Valley in the final series of the season...as mentioned a 2-1 series score in favor of the Pippins...Keston Hiura was the Sox’ offensive standout, while Hunter Wells tied the teams’ single-season wins record (7).

ABOUT THE APPLESOX ALL-TIME
Wenatchee is a perennial powerhouse in the West Coast League...with five championships, Wenatchee is the most decorated franchise in the league...Wenatchee has also been runner-up twice in the championship, which is a second-best mark in the league, and has won its division six times, also second best...the AppleSox’ nine playoff appearances are tied for first with Corvallis for most in the league. 

AppleSox 2016 Coaching Staff

Kyle Hunt, a graduate assistant coach from Nevada (Reno), and Colton Loomis, a former AppleSox pitcher, and graduate of Northwest Nazarene University, join second-year head coach AJ Proszek to complete the AppleSox 2016 coaching staff. 

WENATCHEE – Former college baseball players, Kyle Hunt and Colton Loomis will join the Wenatchee AppleSox as assistant coaches in 2016, Head Coach AJ Proszek announced, Thursday. 

Hunt, a native of Mission Viejo, Calif., joins the AppleSox after completing his first season as an undergraduate assistant coach for the University of Nevada, Reno. He lettered at Nevada from 2012-15 and played in 210 career games over that span. 

He capped his career by starting in 52 games as a senior in 2015, leading the program to 41 wins and its first Mountain West Championship. Hunt was a shortstop for the Wolf Pack and posted a .244 batting average with 161 hits, 109 runs, 86 RBI, and 24 stolen bases in his collegiate career.  

Loomis, a native of Cashmere and Vancouver, Wash., is beginning his coaching career with the AppleSox after having just wrapped up his time on the diamond as a collegiate baseball player at Northwest Nazarene in Nampa, Idaho. He threw a no-hitter this spring, which was just the fifth in the 70-year history of NNU Baseball. Like Hunt, Loomis also led his program to its first conference championship. 

He played for the AppleSox in 2014 and 2015, with a 3.02 career ERA for the AppleSox. He threw 71 1/3 innings in his WCL playing career, and struck out 45 batters. He only allowed 1 earned run in his final 7 WCL outings; a span of 18 2/3 innings. 

As a senior at Cashmere High School in 2012, he was named the 1A/B State Player of the Year by the Washington Baseball Coaches Association and helped lead the Bulldogs to a state championship. 

The 2016 season will begin at home on June 3 with a three-game series against the Yakima Valley Pippins. The team’s 17th season will include 33 home games at Paul Thomas Sr. Field. 

Single game tickets start at just $7 for adults and $6 for kids. Season tickets are available now and can be purchased by contacting the AppleSox office at (509) 665-6900.

Local Arm Headlines AppleSox Final 2016 Additions

The Wenatchee AppleSox final 2016 pre-season roster features 28 players from Washington, Idaho, Oregon, California, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, and Wisconsin. 

WENATCHEE – Grady Miller, a left-handed pitcher from Wenatchee High School, and Miceal Taylor, a right-handed pitcher from Oregon Tech, round out the team’s 28-man roster, AppleSox Head Coach AJ Proszek announced, Tuesday.

“In Grady, we get a really talented kid,” said Proszek. “He should have the opportunity to provide some quality innings for us this summer, and it’s a great chance for him to play for us here in Wenatchee before he heads to Portland. Miceal pitched for us last season, and is another veteran guy on the roster who knows what we are looking for each day.”

Miller is currently a senior at Wenatchee High School and has helped lead the Panthers to a 23-0 record this season, and was instrumental in helping WHS qualify for the 4A State Semifinals in Pasco, May 27-28. Saturday, he turned in a complete game, one-hitter with 13 strikeouts and 1 walk, in his team’s 1-0 win over Gonzaga Prep. If Miller starts the semifinal game for Wenatchee, he will face off against Skyline High School for a chance to send the Panthers to the state championship. 

He is committed to the University of Portland, where he will enroll in the fall. 

Taylor just completed his junior season at Oregon Tech in Klamath Falls, Ore. He posted a 2-6 record for the AppleSox in 2015 with 11 appearances and 7 starts. He threw 55 innings, struck out 29 batters and walked 19. He was a 2013 graduate of West Valley High School in Spokane, and pitched two seasons at Wenatchee Valley College. 

At Oregon Tech, he was 0-5 in 9 games, with 7 starts. He threw 35 innings and racked up 25 strikeouts. 

Next fall, he will begin pitching for Central Washington University. 

The 2016 AppleSox full-time roster is comprised of 28 players from Washington, Idaho, Oregon, California, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, and Wisconsin. The team will have a handful of temporary players assigned to fill spots on the team, and those additions will fill roster spots until all full-time players have arrived during the first couple weeks of the season. Temporary players will be announced prior to June 3, at www.applesox.com/roster/  

The 2016 season will begin at home on June 3 with a three-game series against the Yakima Valley Pippins. The team’s 17th season will include 33 home games at Paul Thomas Sr. Field. 

Single game tickets start at just $7 for adults and $6 for kids. Season tickets are available now and can be purchased by contacting the AppleSox office at (509) 665-6900.

We Are a Family - AppleSox Host Families

Peter and Rozanne Lind, with 2015 AppleSox players Mitchell Holland and Drew Helmstadter, who lived were the couple's host players a season ago. In 2014, the Linds hosted AppleSox pitcher Ian Buckles. 

In baseball, the boys of summer are our heroes. They are the ones who hit the home runs, the ones that pitch perfect games, and the ones who make diving catches that take your breath away. In Wenatchee, backing up the best players in the WCL are the families of summer; the ones who make each and every year of summer collegiate baseball a success.

“If I wouldn’t have had a host family, I wouldn’t have been able to play for the AppleSox,” said 2014 pitcher Ian Buckles, who played his final summer of collegiate baseball in Wenatchee after spending time with Bellingham and Klamath Falls.

Buckles, whose baseball playing career is now over, lived with AppleSox host family, Peter and Rozanne Lind, long-time supporters (and “parents”) of AppleSox baseball.

“We’ve just had incredibly wonderful experiences with our players,” said Rozanne. Her husband, Peter, admits that he wasn’t the bigger baseball fan of the couple, but since joining the AppleSox army of host families, he has used his season tickets to engage with the game and local community.

“I didn’t know much about baseball ten years ago,” he said. “But now, not only have I learned a lot about the game, but I’ve also had the opportunity to share great experiences with the people that we see each night at the games. It’s not just about the baseball.”

For the players, having a host family also isn’t simple. It’s not about simply having a bed, but about having a family.

“Sometimes, as players, we wouldn’t get home until 11 or 11:30 at night,” Buckles said. “Often, my family would already be in bed. Rozanne would leave plates out on the counter and maybe a big pot of soup on the stove, and it was amazing to have things like that – a nice home-cooked meal to come home to. It was a homey feeling – like living with my parents. We got close in such a short period of time.”

Players also take on roles around the house, to help their summer family, who they only get to see for half of the better part of three months.

“We let them know to not be afraid to ask for help, and we’d do dishes and help clean up the yard and things like that. We can’t play baseball without them, so helping out is the least we can do.”

Families also tend to grow during the WCL summers, the Linds explained.

“We always call the parents of the players who will be staying with us ahead of time, and most often we meet them during the summer when they come to visit and have dinner once or twice,” Rozanne said. “We have a great time with the parents when we get to meet them.”

Off the field, there’s plenty of fun to be had. Just ask the Lind’s adopted grandkids.

“This year they’re 11 and 13,” Rozanne said. “The AppleSox players always love to have kids over. The kids think the AppleSox are superstars, so they’re pretty much in awe of them and love to play around in the yard with them.”

Buckles also remembers the kids – taking him back to being an older brother at his home in Kent, Wash.

“Having the grandkids over was a lot of fun,” he said. “They’d come over quite a bit, and we’d hangout. It was just a good time.”

The worst part about being a host family? That’s an easy one, say the Linds, who don’t look forward to goodbyes.

“We realized that we are their parents for the summer,” Peter said. “It’s hard when they leave us in August, it’s like sending your kids off to college.”

“There have definitely been more than a few tears shed,” said Rozanne.

“They’re an ongoing part of my life now,” echoed Buckles.

Peter and Rozanne would give prospective families one piece of advice:

“Find out what it’s all about. We’d never trade any of the summers we’ve had with the AppleSox. It’s been a great experience.”

To find out about becoming an AppleSox host family, call 509-665-6900. The AppleSox are looking for families in Wenatchee, Cashmere, and Entiat.

Each Host Family receives two premium AppleSox season tickets ($430 value) or four general admission season passes ($460 value).

Players arrive around the first of June and leave around the 18th of August.

Players have games almost nightly over the 2 ½ month period, and for half of those games, the team is on the road.

Successful host homes have been: Young families with kids, couples whose children have moved away, seniors who enjoy company and help around the house, and many others!

There are many stories like the Lind’s, call the AppleSox today at 509-665-6900 or email: info@applesox.com to sign up for the best summer of your life!