APPLESOX OPEN WEEKEND SERIES AT YAKIMA VALLEY

The AppleSox and the Yakima Valley Pippins meet tonight to end the pre-All-Star WCL schedule, Friday-Sunday. 

WENATCHEE APPLESOX at Yakima Valley Pippins
County Stadium     |       7:05 p.m.  
L- Grady Miller (2-1) vs. L- Zach Draper (6-0)
GAME NOTES       |       APPLESOX STATS       |       LISTEN LIVE

The Wenatchee AppleSox (12-24, 2-7, 4-8 North), fifth place in the North Division are visiting the Yakima Valley Pippins (21-15, 6-3, 12-9) to complete the final portion of the pre-All Star schedule...the AppleSox salvaged a game in the three-game series against Bend...the AppleSox are playing their 17th franchise season (12th in the WCL) and are led by second-year skipper, AJ Proszek (40-55) (.421), 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 4, BEND 2
WENATCHEE –  Dominant pitching and solid defense paved the way for the Wenatchee AppleSox (12-24, 2-7 Second Half), past the Bend Elks (15-21, 5-4), to take the final game of the three-game series 4-1 at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium, Thursday...the AppleSox were led from the git-go by Justin Blatner (3-1)...Wenatchee plated its first run of the game in the bottom of the third inning thanks to a hard-hit line drive that Ryan Kreidler hit off the glove of Bend’s third baseman, to plate the Sox first run...Kreidler ended up at second with a go-ahead double...Blatner continued to work the corners of the zone and throw all three pitches for strikes the rest of the night, reaching his average pitch count of 91...his defense also picked him up in the seventh inning, turning a double play to help him get out of the frame...his seven-inning start tied Grady Miller for the AppleSox longest of the season, and the southpaw only gave up four hits...Kreidler added two more RBI prior to Blatner’s seventh inning...one run was allowed to score with two outs in the sixth, due to a throwing error by Bend’s second baseman...Kreidler singled down the left field line to pick up the insurance runs for Wenatchee...his second and third RBI of the game...Dylan Riddle pitched a scoreless eighth inning, aided by his defense’s second double play...Wenatcheee was error-free for the fifth time this season...Tyler Burch threw the ninth inning, and gave up a solo home run after a leadoff out, to break up a 12-consecutive scoreless innings streak dating to June 15. He got the final two outs to secure the win for Wenatchee.

TONIGHT'S NOTES
FOR A SECOND TIME
The AppleSox are hoping the second time is a charm against the Yakima Valley Pippins...the Sox and Pippins met to open the 2016 season, and Yakima Valley swept the series three games to none...only 10 of the AppleSox current roster players saw playing time in the first three-game set against Yakima Valley. 

COMFORTABLE AWAY FROM HOME
Wenatchee has been playing well on the road in the all-time series with the Pippins...despite a 3-9 record against the Pippins in Wenatchee, the AppleSox are 6-3 at County Stadium. 

MILLER’S SECOND OUTING
Grady Miller is making his second start against the Yakima Valley Pippins...he is a quite different pitcher than the last time Yakima Valley faced him...emerging as one of the AppleSox top starters, since giving up 7 earned runs to the Pippins, June 5, Miller has only allowed 7 earned runs over his next five league starts...he has won two games over that span and has not suffered a loss since his outing against the Pippins to start 2016. 

SO CLOSE
Last night, Wenatchee nearly tossed its third shutout of the season...a one-out home run for Bend’s Billy King upended the bid last night and ended reliever, Tyler Burch’s consecutive scoreless innings streak at 12.0 innings.

BLATNER BACK
Justin Blatner threw seven scoreless innings last night and matched Grady Miller for the longest start on the summer for the AppleSox...Miller lasted seven innings in Wenatchee’s second win of the year against the Corvallis Knights, June 12...those shutout innings did lead to one of Wenatchee’s two shutouts on the season. 

OFFENSIVE
Over the last five and ten games, the AppleSox offense has been quiet...the team is hitting just .216 over the last ten games, and .201 over the last five outings. 

BEEN HERE BEFORE
In 2014, before the AppleSox headed to the All Star Break at Klamath Falls, the Sox swept the Yakima Valley Pippins in three games at County Stadium...that year, the teams were both in the WCL East, and Wenatchee used the games to trim a six-game deficit in the division’s second-place slot to just three games...the Pippins went on to win the division in their first franchise season. 

OUTMANNED
In the first meeting with the Yakima Valley Pippins, the AppleSox were outscored 23-6 by the Pippins...Wenatchee will look to show a different offense at County Stadium tonight. 

APPLESOX FUELED BY JUSTIN BLATNER’S STRONG START, WIN 4-1

The AppleSox beat the Bend Elks 4-1, behind strong pitching and timely hitting Thursday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. 

BOX SCORE

WENATCHEE –  Dominant pitching and solid defense paved the way for the Wenatchee AppleSox (12-24, 2-7 Second Half), past the Bend Elks (15-21, 5-4), to take the final game of the three-game series 4-1 at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium, Thursday.

The AppleSox were led from the git-go by Justin Blatner (3-1). He stifled Bend from the outset, retiring the first 10 batters to face him in the contest. 

Wenatchee plated its first run of the game in the bottom of the third inning thanks to a hard-hit line drive that Ryan Kreidler hit off the glove of Bend’s third baseman, which deflected into foul territory down the left-field line to plate the Sox first run. Kreidler ended up at second with a go-ahead double. 

Blatner continued to work the corners of the zone and throw all three pitches for strikes the rest of the night, reaching his average pitch count of 91. His defense also picked him up in the seventh inning, turning a double play to help him get out of the frame. His seven-inning start tied Grady Miller for the AppleSox longest of the season, and the southpaw only gave up four hits. 

Kreidler added two more RBI prior to Blatner’s seventh inning. One run was allowed to score with two outs in the sixth, due to a throwing error by Bend’s second baseman. Kreidler singled down the left field line to pick up the insurance runs for Wenatchee. His second and third RBI of the game. 

Dylan Riddle pitched a scoreless eighth inning, aided by his defense’s second double play. Wenatcheee was error-free for the fifth time this season. 

Tyler Burch threw the ninth inning, and gave up a solo home run after a leadoff out, to break up a 12-consecutive scoreless innings streak dating to June 15. He got the final two outs to secure the win for Wenatchee. 

The AppleSox are back in action beginning tomorrow night, when they face the Yakima Valley Pippins at County Stadium for a 7:05 p.m. first pitch in Yakima. 

SOX END HOMESTAND VS. BEND, THURSDAY

The AppleSox are looking to end a six-game homestand on a positive note with a win, Thursday night. 

WENATCHEE APPLESOX vs. Bend Elks
Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium     |       7:05 p.m.  
L- Justin Blatner (2-1) vs. H- TBA
GAME NOTES       |       APPLESOX STATS       |       LISTEN LIVE

The Wenatchee AppleSox (11-24, 1-7, 4-8 North), fifth place in the North Division are at home finishing a six-game homestand against the Bend Elks (16-19, 5-3, 7-8 South)...the AppleSox beat the Elks 2-1 in a series early this year...Wenatchee came up with its second-lowest hit total of the season last night (3)...the AppleSox are playing their 17th franchise season (12th in the WCL) and are led by second-year skipper, AJ Proszek (40-54) (.426), 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 2, BEND 4
WENATCHEE –  A two-run blast wasn’t enough to power the Wenatchee AppleSox (11-24, 1-7 Second Half), past the Bend Elks (15-20, 5-3), in a 4-2 loss at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium, Wednesday...the AppleSox were held hitless through the first three innings of Wednesday’s contest...meanwhile, Bend built a lead in the first on a run scoring via error and an RBI single for Patrick Flynn...Luke Mattson (1-6) settled down after the first three batters of the night reached base...he retired nine straight...Bend again reached him for two runs in the fourth inning on four hits, including RBI singles for Jared Gonzales and Derek Chapman...Wenatchee answered with its only runs of the night in the bottom half of the inning...following a Ryan Kreidler walk, Toglia delivered the team’s first hit of the game on a deep home run to right field...the two-run shot tied him with Victoria’s Ben Polshuk with the most in the WCL to date...it was the Sox’ ninth home run at home this year, of a WCL third-best 12 total dingers...Wenatchee went quiet the rest of the night, collecting just two more hits off of Kris Jackson (3-2), Bend’s starter...Jackson made it through seven innings, and Wenatchee’s lone other offensive chance came on an Alex Gonzales robbed home run in the eight inning by Flynn...the would-be blast come off of Gerhett Moser, but Flynn brought it back from over the right field fence...Nick Hoefling threw a stellar three innings of scoreless relief for Wenatchee starting in the sixth inning, and the bullpen kept Bend from scoring, but it was too little, too late, for the AppleSox offense.

TONIGHT'S NOTES
TOGLIA ON FIRE
With home runs in each of his last two games, Michael Toglia is now tied for the WCL lead in homers with Ben Polshuk of the Vitroria HarbourCats...each player has hit five homers this year...all of Toglia’s 2016 home runs have been hit at home.

TEAM HOMERS
Wenatchee has done a phenomenal job of hitting home runs this season...with 12, the AppleSox rank third in the West Coast League behind Victoria (20) and Bend (14)...the AppleSox have hit 9-of-12 homers this year out of the confines of Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium...team record for home runs is 25, hit by a 2012 squad that won the WCL Championship.

CAREER HOME RUNS
When Evan Douglas poked a shot over the right field fence in the third inning two nights ago, he moved up a spot on the career home run list (league and nonleague)...he now has eight homers (seven last season) and is tied for third...the leader is Taylor Sparks who hit 10 in 2012.

ANEMIC AS A WHOLE
Last night, outside of Toglia’s home run, the AppleSox only grabbed two other hits...that mark is the second-fewest of the year for Wenatchee...the AppleSox worst offensive performance was a 2-hit night at Bend June 23, when the AppleSox were trying for a sweep.

AVOIDING A SWEEP
The last time the AppleSox were swept at home was June 27-29 against the Victoria HarbourCats...Wenatchee also was swept at home by Yakima Valley to start the season...the AppleSox have been swept five times this season, and never dished out a sweep.

CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR
The AppleSox have lost 24 games this season, and 16 of those games were decided by two runs or fewer...Wenatchee holds a 3-13 records in those games.

TURNING THURSDAY
This has not been a favorable day of the week for the AppleSox in 2016...totaling a 1-6 record, the Sox are playing their worst baseball record-wise on Thursdays.

A TREND
Bend and Wenatchee have met in five games this season, and the Elks hold a 3-2 lead in the series...in all three wins for Bend, they have jumped out to a first-inning lead (1-0, June 23 - 6-0, July 12 - 2-0, July 13)...the AppleSox held one first-inning lead over the Elks this season (1-0, June 22).

GIVING INNINGS
Justin Blatner averages the second-longest outings of the season for Wenatchee, (Grady Miller, 6.0 innings-per-game)...Blatner averages 5.73 innings pitched per start. 

MICHAEL TOGLIA HITS LEAGUE-LEADING FIFTH HOME RUN, APPLESOX FALL

Michael Toglia belted his league-leading fifth home run over the right field fence, Wednesday, but it wasn't enough for an AppleSox offense that mustered just three hits. 

BOX SCORE

WENATCHEE –  A two-run blast wasn’t enough to power the Wenatchee AppleSox (11-24, 1-7 Second Half), past the Bend Elks (15-20, 5-3), in a 4-2 loss at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium, Wednesday.

The AppleSox were held hitless through the first three innings of Wednesday’s contest. Meanwhile, Bend built a lead in the first on a run scoring via error and an RBI single for Patrick Flynn. 

Luke Mattson (1-6) settled down after the first three batters of the night reached base. He retired nine straight. Bend again reached him for two runs in the fourth inning on four hits, including RBI singles for Jared Gonzales and Derek Chapman. 

Wenatchee answered with its only runs of the night in the bottom half of the inning. Following a Ryan Kreidler walk, Toglia delvered the team’s first hit of the game on a deep home run to right field. The two-run shot tied him with Victoria’s Ben Polshuk with the most in the WCL to date. It was the Sox’ ninth home run at home this year, of a WCL third-best 12 total dingers. 

Wenatchee went quiet the rest of the night, collecting just two more hits off of Kris Jackson (3-2), Bend’s starter. Jackson made it through seven innings, and Wenatchee’s lone other offensive chance came on an Alex Gonzales robbed home run in the eight inning by Flynn. 

The would-be blast come off of Gerhett Moser, but Flynn brought it back from over the right field fence. 

Nick Hoefling threw a stellar three innings of scoreless relief for Wenatchee starting in the sixth inning, and the bullpen kept Bend from scoring, but it was too little, too late, for the AppleSox offense. 

Game three of the series and the finale on the homestand is Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. Justin Blatner (2-1) will pitch for the AppleSox. 

SOX, ELKS BATTLE FOR SEASON SERIES LEAD

The AppleSox and the Elks are tied at 2-2 on the season series in 2016. Wenatchee and Bend meet tonight at 7:05 p.m. for game two of a three-game series. 

WENATCHEE APPLESOX vs. Bend Elks
Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium     |       7:05 p.m.  
R- Luke Mattson (1-5) vs. R- TBA
GAME NOTES       |       APPLESOX STATS       |       LISTEN LIVE

The Wenatchee AppleSox (11-23, 1-6, 4-8 North), tied for fourth place in the North Division are at home continuing a six-game homestand against the Bend Elks (15-19, 4-3, 7-8 South)...the AppleSox beat the Elks 2-1 in a series early this year...the AppleSox allowed their most runs to an opponent last night...the AppleSox are playing their 17th franchise season (12th in the WCL) and are led by second-year skipper, AJ Proszek (40-53) (.430), 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 3, BEND 13
WENATCHEE –  The Wenatchee AppleSox (11-23, 1-6 Second Half), fell behind 6-0 in the first inning and couldn’t fight back against the Bend Elks (14-20, 4-3), in a 13-3 loss at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium, Tuesday...the Elks jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first inning, with three hits and an error...Taylor Borchers (0-2), making his first AppleSox start, struggled with command, and walked three batters in the opening inning, and threw a total of 45 pitches...Wenatchee got on the board in the third inning on the strength of an Evan Douglas home run. It was Douglas’ first home run of the season after hitting seven last year...the solo shot made the score 6-1...trailing 7-2 in the sixth inning, Michael Toglia hit his team-leading fourth home run of the season...like fellow All Star Douglas, it was a solo home run, and the second of the game for Wenatchee...it came after an RBI single for Matt Fraier in the fifth inning...Bend scored the final 6 runs of the game to win 13-3, including two runs off of Mac Lardner and four runs off of Jimmy Dobrash...the Elks received a good start from Chase Thometz (3-1), who allowed just three runs over seven innings of work.

TONIGHT'S NOTES
CAREER HOME RUNS
Evan Douglas is approaching the AppleSox lead for career home runs after his solo home run last night...the career home run list for the AppleSox includes both league and non-league games...Douglas is now tied for third on the all-time list...Taylor Sparks is the Sox all-time leader with 10 career home runs. 

MORE THAN ONE LEAVING THE YARD
Michael Toglia also bashed a home run last night...it was his fourth of the season and moves him into second in the WCL North and league behind Ben Polshuk of Victoria with 5...last night Toglia became the 14th AppleSox player to hit four or more home runs in a season. 

MATTSON BACK
When Luke Mattson takes the hill, one thing is for certain...he will earn a decision...tonight he is hoping for his second win of the year...in his two best starts, Mattson has pitched six inning, and he’s coming off a 4 1/3 inning no-walk start in a seven-inning game at Corvallis.

NEEDING MORE
It’s been a tough run for the AppleSox offense in 2016...unable to out-hit opponents in 23 games this year...Wenatchee is 3-20 in games in which the opposing team totals more hits. 

MOST AGAINST THEM
Last night’s 13 runs scored by the Bend Elks is the most scored against the AppleSox in 2016...previously, the high was 12, scored by the Yakima Valley Pippins in the season’s opening series. 

BATTLE TESTED
The AppleSox have played a very tough round of opponents in 2016...of the teams Wenatchee has played, the opponents total a 115-109 overall record, in a league that has seen many teams hold strong runs for portions of the season...Yakima Valley, Walla Walla, Victoria, Bellingham, and Gresham have all held first or second-half leads in the WCL this year...neither Victoria, the WCL first-half North Champion, or Corvallis, the WCL second-half champion is leading its respective division currently...in fact, neither team has an above-.500 record. 

ON CASHMERE NIGHT
Assistant Coach of the AppleSox Colton Loomis will surely be celebrated on Cashmere Night...the product of the nearby Central Washington community joined the Cashmere High School baseball team after starting his high school career in Vancouver, Wash...Loomis helped lead the Bulldogs to two state championships, including one during his senior year in which he was also named the 1A/B State Player of the Year by the Washington Baseball Coaches Association...during that senior season, Loomis went 10-0 with a 0.67 ERA and struck out 81 batters.

APPLESOX SUFFER EARLY DEFICIT, FALL TO BEND

Michael Toglia and Evan Douglas (above), each homered Tuesday, but it wasn't enough for the AppleSox in a 13-3 loss. 

BOX SCORE

WENATCHEE –  The Wenatchee AppleSox (11-23, 1-6 Second Half), fell behind 6-0 in the first inning and couldn’t fight back against the Bend Elks (14-20, 4-3), in a 13-3 loss at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium, Tuesday.

The Elks jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first inning, with three hits and an error. Taylor Borchers (0-2), making his first AppleSox start, struggled with command, and walked three batters in the opening inning, and threw a total of 45 pitches. 

Wenatchee got on the board in the third inning on the strength of an Evan Douglas home run. It was Douglas’ first home run of the season after hitting seven last year. The solo shot made the score 6-1. 
Trailing 7-2 in the sixth inning, Michael Toglia hit his team-leading fourth home run of the season. Like fellow All Star Douglas, it was a solo home run, and the second of the game for Wenatchee. It came after an RBI single for Matt Fraier in the fifth inning. 

Bend scored the final 6 runs of the game to win 13-3, including two runs off of Mac Lardner and four runs off of Jimmy Dobrash. 

The Elks received a good start from Chase Thometz (3-1), who allowed just three runs over seven innings of work. 

The AppleSox and the Elks continue the series, Wednesday. It is Cashmere Night at the ballpark and first pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. 

Homestand Continues, Borchers to Make First Start

Taylor Borchers will make his first 2016 start for the AppleSox, Tuesday night, versus the Bend Elks at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

WENATCHEE APPLESOX vs. Bend Elks
Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium     |       7:05 p.m.  
R- Taylor Borchers (0-1) vs. R- TBA
GAME NOTES       |       APPLESOX STATS       |       LISTEN LIVE

The Wenatchee AppleSox (11-22, 1-5, 4-8 North), tied for fourth place in the North Division are at home continuing a six-game homestand against the Bend Elks (14-19, 3-3, 7-8 South)...the AppleSox beat the Elks 2-1 in a series early this year...the AppleSox got their first second-half win last night...the AppleSox are playing their 17th franchise season (12th in the WCL) and are led by second-year skipper, AJ Proszek (40-52) (.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 - APPLESOX 5, GRESHAM 4
WENATCHEE –  The Wenatchee AppleSox (11-22, 1-5 Second Half), almost lost a late-inning lead for a third straight game against the Gresham GreyWolves (16-17, 5-1), but stuck together late for a 5-4 win at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium, Monday...Gresham got off to a lead in its first try for a sweep against the AppleSox all-time, but Wenatchee answered in the third inning with two runs of its own on a Matt Reitano RBI double, and a wild pitch to even the score at 2-2...in the fourth, Sheldon Liikala put the AppleSox ahead with an RBI single, in just his third game back with the team since early June...two more runs added necessary insurance in the bottom of the fifth, when Ryan Kreidler sacrificed home a run a fly ball to center field, and Evan Douglas walked home a run with the bases loaded...the five runs backed up a five-inning start for All-Star pitcher Matt Young (2-0)...Ross Clevenger relieved Young for 3 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on four hits and two doubles...he walked four batters, and left the bases loaded with one out in the top of the ninth inning...Miceal Taylor entered the game to preserve an AppleSox would-be win, and earned his first save of the season...he struck out a man with the bases loaded on three pitches, and then faced the man who tied Sunday night’s game in the ninth, setting up a Gresham extra-inning win...this time, Josh Adams wouldn’t get a chance to tie the score for Gresham. On a 2-1 wild pitch that got past the catcher Alex Gonzales, Dylan Doherty tried to score from third, but was caught back at the plate on a flip to his pitcher Taylor. 

TONIGHT'S NOTES
OLD-SCHOOL REMATCH
Did you know that the Wenatchee AppleSox and the Bend Elks met for the 2010 WCL Championship?...the AppleSox won the series two games to one. 

A WIN IS A WIN... 
Last night, the AppleSox won on a walkoff wild pitch that resulted in a runner being tossed out at home plate...with the victory, Wenatchee is 2-7 in one-run games...and now 3-12 in games decided by two runs or fewer.

A RARITY
The AppleSox won last night for just the third time while being out-hit by an opponent...Gresham tallied seven hits to Wenatchee’s six...the AppleSox are now 3-19 in games in which they are out-hit by their opponent.

MAKING HIS FIRST START
Taylor Borchers made his first appearance at second base this week...now he will make his first start for the Wenatchee AppleSox tonight...Borchers has been a reliever in four games, throwing a nice 7:2 strikeout-to-walk ratio over nine innings. 

MONDAY, MONDAY
Last night marked Wenatchee’s first Monday win of the season...it was the final day of the week on the calendar that the AppleSox hadn’t grabbed a win...more good news is, Tuesday is the AppleSox best day of the week, and the only day the Sox have an above-.500 record. 

SHARING THE WEALTH
Everybody who has pitched out of Wenatchee’s bullpen has earned a save this season, with the exception of long-reliever Eli Thornquist...the AppleSox are 9-10 in save opportunities and Nick Hoefling is the team’s save leader with two saves. 

FIRST WIN AGAINST DIVISION LEADER
Last night, Wenatchee played a North/South Division leader for a 12th time this season...picking up the team’s first win against a division leader...0-3 vs. the North...1-8 vs. the South. 

PITCHING BETTER IN JULY
The AppleSox are improving steadily across the board in pitching approach for the month of July...the team has a 3.59 ERA in July as opposed to 4.60 in the month of June. 

APPLESOX CLING TO LATE LEAD, WIN ON FINAL PLAY

The AppleSox caught a runner at the plate trying to score on a wild pitch to win Monday's series finale versus the Gresham GreyWolves, 5-4. 

BOX SCORE

WENATCHEE –  The Wenatchee AppleSox (11-22, 1-5 Second Half), almost lost a late-inning lead for a third straight game against the Gresham GreyWolves (16-17, 5-1), but stuck together late for a 5-4 win at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium, Monday.

After leading by three runs after five innings, Wenatchee saw its lead trickle away late, but with the bases loaded in the ninth inning, a wild pitch relayed back to the plate was in time for the game’s final out. 

Gresham got off to a lead in its first try for a sweep against the AppleSox all-time, but Wenatchee answered in the third inning with two runs of its own on a Matt Reitano RBI double, and a wild pitch to even the score at 2-2. 

In the fourth, Sheldon Liikala put the AppleSox ahead with an RBI single, in just his third game back with the team since early June. Two more runs added necessary insurance in the bottom of the fifth, when Ryan Kreidler sacrificed home a run a fly ball to center field, and Evan Douglas walked home a run with the bases loaded. 

Wenatchee walked 10 times in the game; a new single-game high for the team. The five runs backed up a five-inning start for All-Star pitcher Matt Young (2-0). He threw five innings, giving up two runs on three hits, with only one of the runs coming earned. 

Ross Clevenger relieved Young for 3 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on four hits and two doubles. He walked four batters, and left the bases loaded with one out in the top of the ninth inning. 

Miceal Taylor entered the game to preserve an AppleSox would-be win, and earned his first save of the season. He struck out a man with the bases loaded on three pitches, and then faced the man who tied Sunday night’s game in the ninth, setting up a Gresham extra-inning win. 

This time, Josh Adams wouldn’t get a chance to tie the score for Gresham. On a 2-1 wild pitch that got past the catcher Alex Gonzales, Dylan Doherty tried to score from third, but was caught back at the plate on a flip to his pitcher Taylor. 

Gonzales had entered in the fourth inning as a replacement for Matt Retiano, and made the heads-up play to save a win for Wenatchee. 

A six-game homestand continues Tuesday against the Bend Elks. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. 

APPLESOX SEEKING FIRST SECOND-HALF WIN

The AppleSox wrap up a series with the Gresham GreyWolves, Monday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

WENATCHEE APPLESOX vs. Gresham GreyWolves
Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium     |       7:05 p.m.  
L- Matt Young (1-0) vs. R- Donavon Ramirez (2-1)
GAME NOTES       |       APPLESOX STATS       |       LISTEN LIVE

The Wenatchee AppleSox (10-22, 0-5, 4-8 North), fifth place in the North Division are at home continuing a six-game homestand against the Gresham GreyWolves (16-16, 5-0, 7-8 South)...the AppleSox beat the GreyWolves 2-1 in a series early this year...Wenatchee is the last WCL team left without a win in the second half...the AppleSox are playing their 17th franchise season (12th in the WCL) and are led by second-year skipper, AJ Proszek (39-52) (.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 - APPLESOX 3, GRESHAM 4 (11 innings)
WENATCHEE –  The Wenatchee AppleSox (10-22, 0-5 Second Half), were headed to a first second-half win, but the Gresham GreyWolves (16-16, 5-0), rallied late for a 4-3 11-inning win at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium, Sunday...Josh Adams singled home Konnor Zickefoose for an early Gresham advantage...Taylor Borchers doubled into right-center field to put the AppleSox ahead 2-1 in the second...again, Wenatchee scored a third unearned run off of Shoup in the fifth on an RBI groundout for Ryan Kreidler...from that point on, the AppleSox offense was quiet, but continued to lead following a six-inning start by Grady Miller...it was Miller’s third quality start of the season, and he only allowed the one run in the second inning...Nick Hoefling took over in the seventh inning, while Shoup threw seven frames for his quality start...Hoefling struggled, walking three batters, and a run came to score off of him in the eighth inning on an error at second base...Dylan Riddle (0-3) entered in the eighth with the bases loaded and two outs. He struck out a batter to preserve Wenatchee’s 3-2 advantage...in the ninth, Gresham tied the game on Adams’ second RBI of the game. It came with two outs on an 0-1 pitch and Adams singled the run in on a broken bat single to left-center field...the score stayed tied into the eleventh inning, when Ryan Rodriguez led off with a triple for Gresham...Ryan Smith brought him home on a sac fly RBI to right field...Michael Clark relieved Brett Gannaway (1-1), who tossed three scoreless innings. Clark earned the save (2), striking out two of the three batters he faced. 

TONIGHT'S NOTES
APPLESOX NAMED TO 2016 ALL STAR GAME
Michael Toglia, Evan Douglas, and Matt Young will each make their first West Coast League All Star appearances, League President Donnie Marbut announced, Monday... Toglia has hit for a league top-25 .283 batting average...the power hitter is tied with Jordan Rathbone, another AppleSox player, for most triples in the West Coast League, at four...Toglia is tied for third in home runs with three, and leads the WCL North division with 20 RBI...that number ranks second amongst all league hitters... Douglas is the team’s leading hitter for most of the first half, Douglas ranks second on the club in doubles with five...he is tied for third on the team with 26 hits...Young holds the lowest ERA of all AppleSox starters in 2016...he trades starts with Ross Clevenger each week, and will be Wenatchee’s starting pitcher Monday night vs. Gresham...he holds a team-best strikeout to walk ratio at 3.6:1, averages over 10 strikeouts per nine innings pitched, also a team-best mark...over 24 1/3 innings, he has accumulated a 1-0 record and has allowed only 20 hits, the lowest of all starting pitchers.

TWO-SIDED
Pitcher for the AppleSox are striking out opposing batters at a rate of 7.66 times per game, which ranks fourth-best in the West Coast League...although, AppleSox batters are striking out 8.38 time per game...the most in the West Coast League.

WHAT HURTS THE MOST
Last night, Wenatchee let a good start from Grady Miller slip away...the Sox lost a ninth-inning lead for the first time thisyear in the team’s first blown save...Wenatchee is now 9-1 when leading in a game after eight innings...the AppleSox have lost nine games this season in which they previously held leads.

THE ONLY ONE
As it was in the first half of the season, the AppleSox are the only team left winless in the WCL second half.

FIRST SERIES WIN
Last night, Gresham picked up its first series win over Wenatchee all-time...tonight the GreyWolves will try for their first sweep.

SINGLES
Wenatchee posted no more than one hit in each of its offensive innings a night ago.

WINLESS AGAINST LEADERS
The AppleSox are now 0-8 against teams leading the WCLSouth and 0-3 against teams leading the WCL North...now 0-11 against teams leading a WCL division this year. 

TOGLIA, DOUGLAS, AND YOUNG NAMED WCL ALL STARS

Three AppleSox players will represent Wenatchee in the 2016 West Coast League All Star Game, to be played at Longview, Tuesday June 19. The Cowlitz Black Bears will host. 

WENATCHEE – Michael Toglia, Evan Douglas, and Matt Young will each make their first West Coast League All Star appearances, League President Donnie Marbut announced, Monday, along with the rest of the North and South All Star rosters. 

Toglia headlines the three AppleSox players selected. A freshman from UCLA, Toglia has hit for a league top-25 .283 batting average. The power hitter is tied with Jordan Rathbone, another AppleSox player, for most triples in the West Coast League, at four. Toglia is tied for third in home runs with three, and leads the WCL North division with 20 RBI. That number ranks second amongst all league hitters. 

Douglas, a junior who will play at Lewis-Clark State, has continued to be a consistent hitter for the AppleSox. The team’s leading hitter for most of the first half, Douglas ranks second on the club in doubles with five. He is tied for third on the team with 26 hits. 

Young, the only pitcher selected from Wenatchee and a junior headed to Nevada (Reno), holds the lowest ERA of all AppleSox starters in 2016. He trades starts with Ross Clevenger each week, and will be Wenatchee’s starting pitcher Monday night vs. Gresham. He holds a team-best strikeout to walk ratio at 3.6:1. He averages over 10 strikeouts per nine innings pitched, also a team-best mark. Over 24 1/3 innings, he has accumulated a 1-0 record and has allowed only 20 hits, the lowest of all starting pitchers. 

The WCL's annual showcase is set for Tuesday, July 19 at David Story Field in Longview, Washington. First pitch is set for 7:05 pm. As in past years, a Home Run Derby will be held prior to the game. For the first time, an area high school player will join the field of WCL sluggers. Last night, the Black Bears held a qualifying Home Run Derby where they invited local area high school talent to slug it out for a coveted spot in the WCL All-Star Game HR Derby. Kelso High School's Zach Threlfall was the winner.

The North team will be managed by Bryan Donohue of Kelowna and the South by Cowlitz skipper Grady Tweit.

This year's North and South rosters feature 15 prospects from the Pac-12. Bellingham and Victoria each led the North with six players selected. Corvallis also had six players selected to lead the South division.

NORTH

1B - Jake Veith of Gonzaga (Bellingham Bells)
2B - Griffin Andreychuk of Seattle (Victoria HarbourCats)
SS - Andru Cardenas of Chico State (Bellingham Bells)
3B - Danny Casals of Maine (Bellingham Bells)
C - Willie MacIver of Washington (Walla Walla Sweets)
C - Brendt Citta of San Jose City College (Kelowna Falcons) 
UTL - Nick Nyquist of Gonzaga (Walla Walla Sweets)
UTL - Evan Douglas of Lewis-Clark State (Wenatchee AppleSox)
OF - Ben Polshuk of Cal Poly (Victoria HarbourCats)
OF - Jarron Silva of UCLA (Victoria HarbourCats)
OF - Shane Hanon of Edmonds CC (Bellingham Bells)
OF - Michael Toglia of UCLA (Wenatchee AppleSox)
P - Austin Dondanville of Cal Poly (Victoria HarbourCats)
P - Bobby Ay of Cal Poly (Walla Walla Sweets)
P - Jared Horn of Cal (Bellingham Bells)
P - Will McAffer of South Dakota State (Victoria HarbourCats)
P - Easton Lucas of Pepperdine (Walla Walla Sweets)
P - Joey Matulovich of Cal (Bellingham Bells)
P - Matt Young of Nevada-Reno (Wenatchee AppleSox)
P - Jared Morton of UC Riverside (Kelowna Falcons)
P - Josh Mitchell of Pittsburgh (Victoria HarbourCats)

SOUTH

1B - Tommy Lane of Marshall (Bend Elks)
2B - George Mendazona of Oregon State (Bend Elks)
SS - Andy Atwood of Oregon State (Corvallis Knights)
3B - Kenyon Yovan of Oregon (Cowlitz Black Bears)
C - Chris Ceballos of Cal State Fullerton (Yakima Valley Pippins)
C - Louis Wolf of OIT (Bend Elks)
UTL - Mitchell Morimoto of Arizona (Yakima Valley Pippins)
UTL - Adley Rutschman of Oregon State (Corvallis Knights)
OF - Jeffrey Mitchell, Jr. of Cal (Gresham GreyWolves)
OF - Kyle Nobach of Oregon State (Corvallis Knights)
OF - Ryan Smith of Southern Illinois (Gresham GreyWolves)
OF - Weston Hatten of Washington State (Cowlitz Black Bears)
P - Zach Draper of College of Idaho (Yakima Valley Pippins)
P - Cameron Bishop of UC Irvine (Corvallis Knights)
P - Ryley Widell of Central Arizona College (Corvallis Knights)
P - Sam Boone of Youngstown State (Bend Elks)
P - Riley Newman of Linfield  (Bend Elks)
P - Chase Kaplan of Kansas (Corvallis Knights)
P - Trenton Dupre of Washington State (Corvallis Knights)
P - Parker McFadden of Washington State (Cowlitz Black Bears)
P - Jake Brewer of Concordia (Kitsap BlueJackets)

APPLESOX LOSE LATE LEAD, FALL IN EXTRAS

The AppleSox couldn't hold a ninth-inning lead and didn't take advantage of Grady Miller's third quality start of the summer in a 4-3 extra-inning loss. 

BOX SCORE

WENATCHEE - The Wenatchee AppleSox (10-22, 0-5 Second Half), were headed to a first second-half win, but the Gresham GreyWolves (16-16, 5-0), rallied late for a 4-3 11-inning win at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium, Sunday. 

The AppleSox fell behind early when Josh Adams singled home Konnor Zickefoose for an early Gresham advantage. 

Aaron Shoup began his strong start with two scoreless innings, allowing only one hit. In the third inning, Wenatchee’s second hit of the game brought home two runs. Taylor Borchers doubled into right-center field to put the AppleSox ahead 2-1. The runs came unearned following an error. 

Again, Wenatchee scored a third unearned run off of Shoup in the fifth on an RBI groundout for Ryan Kreidler. 

From that point on, the AppleSox offense was quiet, but continued to lead following a six-inning start by Grady Miller. It was Miller’s third quality start of the season, and he only allowed the one run in the second inning. 

Nick Hoefling took over in the seventh inning, while Shoup threw seven frames for his quality start. Hoefling struggled, walking three batters, and a run came to score off of him in the eighth inning on an error at second base. 

Dylan Riddle (0-3) entered in the eighth with the bases loaded and two outs. He struck out a batter to preserve Wenatchee’s 3-2 advantage. 

In the ninth, Gresham tied the game on Adams’ second RBI of the game. It came with two outs on an 0-1 pitch and Adams singled the run in on a broken bat single to left-center field. 

The score stayed tied into the eleventh inning, when Ryan Rodriguez led off with a triple for Gresham. Ryan Smith brought him home on a sac fly RBI to right field. Michael Clark relieved Brett Gannaway (1-1), who tossed three scoreless innings. Clark earned the save (2), striking out two of the three batters he faced. 

The series wraps up Monday night at 7:05 p.m., and Matt Young (1-0) will pitch for the AppleSox. 

APPLESOX AIM TO EVEN SERIES WITH GRESHAM

Make sure you're at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium when the US Bank Play Ball Kid yells those magic words! 6:05 p.m. first pitch!

WENATCHEE APPLESOX vs. Gresham GreyWolves
Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium     |       6:05 p.m.  
L- Grady Miller (2-1) vs. L- Aaron Shoup (1-2)
GAME NOTES       |       APPLESOX STATS       |       LISTEN LIVE

The Wenatchee AppleSox (10-21, 0-4, 4-8 North), tied for fourth place in the North Division are at home continuing a six-game homestand against the Gresham GreyWolves team (15-16, 4-0, 7-8 South)...the AppleSox beat the GreyWolves 2-1 in a series early this year...for the first time, Wenatchee is behind in as series versus the Wolves...the AppleSox are playing their 17th franchise season (12th in the WCL) and are led by second-year skipper, AJ Proszek (39-51) (.433), 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 4, GRESHAM 6
WENATCHEE –  The Wenatchee AppleSox (10-21, 0-4), played a tight 6-4 contest with the Gresham GreyWolves (15-16, 4-0), but couldn’t get past strong relief pitching in the loss at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium, Saturday...Back-to-back RBI singles for Ryan Rodriguez and Ryan Smith had the Wolves out in front early...Shane Martinez started a first-inning barrage with his first home run of the season, a leadoff solo shot to left field...Ryan Kredler followed with a double, and Michael Toglia tripled him home for a 2-2 score...Jordan Rathbone followed the triple with an RBI single to put the Sox up 3-2 into the second inning...Blatner kept Gresham off the board again until the top of the fifth...an error scored Dylan Doherty, who was aboard earlier in the frame on a single to tie the game 3-3...in the fifth Toglia hit his second triple of the night, which scored Kreidler from first base for a 4-3 lead...Eli Thornquist (2-1) and Chris Brown (1-2) battled into the sixth inning, but after a 1-2-3 frame, Thornquist gave away the Sox lead on Smith’s second RBI single of the night...with the game tied 4-4, Gresham added two more runs in the eighth after Thornquist left with one out and the bases loaded. Following an infield fly forced by Tyler Burch, a wild pitch and an error brought home the go-ahead and insurance runs for Gresham, and a 6-4 lead...Brown was nearly untouchable for the GreyWolves...he mowed down nine Wenatchee batters out of the bullpen, and allowed just one hit over four innings of shutout relief. 

TONIGHT'S NOTES
RECORDS SET
Last night, the AppleSox set a season record for team triples in a season...Michael Toglia hit two triples in the game, to give the AppleSox 15 on the year...the record-setting mark bettered the 13-triple efforts of the 2011 and 2015 AppleSox...with two triples hit last night, Michael Toglia became just the second AppleSox player all-time to hit two triples in the same game...previously, the feat was accomplished by Brent Wyatt of the 2006 AppleSox, Aug. 1 at Bellingham. 

TOGLIA’S TREMENDOUD YEAR
Michael Toglia is hitting a third-best .284 for the Wenatchee AppleSox in 2016...over the last five games he is hitting .313...this season, Toglia has four triples, tying him for first in the West Coast League. 

WCL LEADERS
The AppleSox 15 triples are five better than the next-closest WCL team, Walla Walla with 10...Michael Toglia and Jordan Rathbone each have four triples on the season, and are leading the league.

NEARING INDIVIDUAL RECORD
Michael Toglia and Jordan Rathbone are now each two triples away from tying Keston Hiura for the team’s single-season record of 6 triples in a season. 

WOES AT HOME
A 6-10 home record at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium ranks as the worst WCL mark for any of the 11 teams at their home park. 

ANOTHER CLOSE GAME LOST
Wenatchee is now 2-11 in games decided by two runs or fewer, after last night’s loss...Wenatchee has also lost 8 leads in games that the team has lost...the AppleSox own the league’s worst one-run game record at 1-6. 

ON THE LEADERBOARD
Wenatchee is being led on the WCL leaderboards by Michael Togia...his 20 RBI are the most in the WCL North and second only, in total, to Tommy Lane of the Bend Elks with 26...his 3 home runs rank him tied for second in the WCL behind Victoria’s Ben Polshuk.

MUST-HAVE LATE LEAD
Notice that the AppleSox have not lost a game when trailing after seven innings, as they were a night ago...the team has trailed 17 times after the seventh and lost all of the contests...on the flip side, if Wenatchee leads after the seventh and eighth innings, the AppleSox are 9-0 on the season...the Sox will hope for the later this evening.  

MILLER BACK
Three of Grady Miller’s previous six league and non-league starts this season have come on Sundays...Miller will once again don the red alternate uniform for the AppleSox, pitching in his team-leading fourth Sunday game of the season...Miller is 2-1 on Sundays this year. 

TOGLIA’S TWO TRIPLES, NEW TEAM TRIPLE RECORD NOT ENOUGH IN CLOSE LOSS

The AppleSox couldn't keep the bats hot late against Gresham's bullpen, and despite setting the team record for triples in a season, the AppleSox, and Michael Toglia's two triples weren't enough Saturday. 

BOX SCORE

WENATCHEE - The Wenatchee AppleSox (10-21, 0-4 Second Half), played a tight 6-4 contest with the Gresham GreyWolves (15-16, 4-0), but couldn’t get past strong relief pitching in the loss at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium, Saturday. 

Gresham jumped on AppleSox starter Justin Blatner for two runs in the first inning, in what was a high-scoring frame. Back-to-back RBI singles for Ryan Rodriguez and Ryan Smith had the Wolves out in front early. 

Wenatchee answered back immediately in the bottom of the first, hitting for a team cycle in the half inning. Shane Martinez started the barrage with his first home run of the season, a leadoff solo shot to left field. Ryan Kredler followed with a double, and Michael Toglia tripled him home for a 2-2 score. 

Toglia’s triple was the 14th of the season for the AppleSox, setting a new team record for triples in a season (previously held by the 2011 and 2015 AppleSox), with still 23 games left to play in the league regular season. 

Jordan Rathbone followed the triple with an RBI single to put the Sox up 3-2 into the second inning. 

Blatner settled down and the defense helped him out with inning-ending double plays in the second and third innings. Blatner kept Gresham off the board again until the top of the fifth. An error scored Dylan Doherty, who was aboard earlier in the frame on a single to tie the game 3-3. 

Again, Wenatchee had a quick answer, this time in the bottom of the fifth, on Toglia’s second triple of the night, which scored Kreidler from first base for a 4-3 lead. With two triples in the same game, Toglia accomplished a feat not attained by an AppleSox player since Brent Wyatt hit two triples at Bellingham, August 1, 2006. 

Eli Thornquist (2-1) and Chris Brown (1-2) battled into the sixth inning, but after a 1-2-3 frame, Thornquist gave away the Sox lead on Smith’s second RBI single of the night. With the game tied 4-4, Gresham added two more runs in the eighth after Thornquist left with one out and the bases loaded. Following an infield fly forced by Tyler Burch, a wild pitch and an error brought home the go-ahead and insurance runs for Gresham, and a 6-4 lead. 

Brown was nearly untouchable for the GreyWolves. He mowed down nine Wenatchee batters out of the bullpen, and allowed just one hit over four innings of shutout relief. 

Game two of the series is Sunday at 6:05 p.m. Grady Miller (2-1) will pitch for the AppleSox

APPLESOX FACE SOUTH SECOND-HALF LEADERS

The AppleSox are back at home to open a six-game homestand, and will play at 7:05 p.m., 6:05 p.m., and 7:05 p.m. this weekend/Monday. 

WENATCHEE APPLESOX vs. Gresham GreyWolves
Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium     |       7:05 p.m.  
R- Justin Blatner (2-1) vs. L- Gabe Benavides (1-3)
GAME NOTES       |       APPLESOX STATS       |       LISTEN LIVE

The Wenatchee AppleSox (10-20, 0-3, 4-8 North), tied for fourth place in the North Division are at home to take on a streaky Gresham GreyWolves team (14-16, 3-0, 7-8 South), that has jumped out to an early advantage in the WCL South division (second half)...the AppleSox beat the GreyWolves 2-1 in a series early this year...the AppleSox are playing their 17th franchise season (12th in the WCL) and are led by second-year skipper, AJ Proszek (39-50) (.438), who is in his 4th season with the Sox...Proszek is assisted by Kyle Hunt and Colton Loomis, both in their first seasons.

THURSDAY NIGHT - DOUBLEHEADER -- APPLESOX 3, KNIGHTS 5 | APPLESOX 1, KNIGHTS 4
CORVALLIS –  The Wenatchee AppleSox (10-20, 0-3 Second Half), were swept in Thursday night’s scheduled doubleheader with the Corvallis Knights (18-9, 0-0), 5-3 and 4-1 at Goss Stadium in Corvallis, Ore... Wenatchee scored first in the opener of the doubleheader...an RBI triple, courtesy of Haydan Hastings in the second inning, resulted in an early 1-0 lead for the AppleSox...Jimmy Dobrash pitched well, tossing three innings of shutout baseball to start the game...the Knights got a leadoff double and began getting aggressive on the base paths in the fourth...two runs came to score and Corvallis scored five runs in total during the fourth and fifth innings off of Dobrash and reliever Dylan Riddle (0-2)...Jacob Fricke came in and won the ballgame with four scoreless innings of relief for Corvallis...in game two, Corvallis carried over momentum from late in game one to claim a first-inning lead off of Luke Mattson (1-5)...Jordan Rathbone brought the AppleSox back on an RBI triple in the second inning...it was Rathbone’s fourth of the year, two shy of the team’s single-season record, set by Keston Hiura last summer...as a team, the AppleSox have tied the team single-season record for triples with the 2011 and 2015 AppleSox at 13...again, Corvallis scored all the late runs plating one in the fourth and two in the fifth, for the 4-1 win...all of the runs were charged to Mattson, with Miceal Taylor throwing a fine 1 2/3 innings scoreless in relief...the AppleSox couldn’t figure out starter Branden Cutsforth (1-0) in the second game. He tossed the full seven innings, earning the win for the Knights. 

TONIGHT'S NOTES
APPLESOX GOING FOR FIRST WIN OF SECOND HALF
The AppleSox face a team that they had quite a bit of success against in the earier part of 2016...Wenatchee went 2-1 in the first series meeting with the Gresham GreyWolves...Wenatchee almost had a sweep, leading into the seventh inning of game three, but a 6-run frame for the GreyWolves upended the AppleSox bid for the sweep...Gresham scored 11-unanswered runs after falling behind 6-0 in the game...Wenatchee hit three home runs in the series at Gresham...two of which were credited to Otis Statum. 

TOGLIA AMONGST WCL LEADERS
Michael Toglia has been having a great pre-All Star break run for the ApleSox...Toglia is second in the WCL in runs batted in (18), and ranks first in the North...his three home runs have him tied for second in the league, and first in the North...two triples has Toglia tied for third in the league, and his 23 hits ranks him in the league’s top-25.

THE TRIPLE THREAT
13 triples on the 2016 season has tied this current AppleSox team with the 2015 and 2011 squads for most in a season, with 30 games left on the schedule...Jordan Rathbone has hit four triples, which has him ranked first in the WCL and two away from tying last year’s Keston Hiura for the single-season team record.

HOT AND NOT... AT THE HALFWAY POINT
Halfway through the 2016 season, Victoria is putting up amazing numbers...the HarbourCats have won 23 of the last 24 games...Gresham has won 4-of-5 and Corvallis and Bellingham have each won 5-of-7...Wenatchee has lost 11-of-13..Kelowna has lost four straight and 6-of-7, and Cowlitz has lost 4-of-5.

TRYING TO REPLICATE
Wenatchee needs to replicate its offensive performance agaisnt Gresham from the first series meeting...the Sox hit .313 with 18 runs batted in, five doubles, two triples, and three home runs...the Sox had a .400 on-base percentage and slugged .473.

A REMATCH
Both Justin Blatner and Gabe Benavides are making their second starts against their respective opponents...a great 5.2 innings of shutout baseball led the AppleSox to a 9-1 win...Gabe Benavides pitched in Gresham’s last win versus the AppleSox, lasting 4.1 innings, giving up six runs, five of which were earned...he got credit for a no-decision in the comeback win. 

CORVALLIS SWEEPS DOUBLEHEADER, SERIES

Wenatchee battled hard in a doubleheader at Corvallis, but fell to the Knights late in both games. 

GAME 1 BOX SCORE
GAME 2 BOX SCORE

CORVALLIS - The Wenatchee AppleSox (10-20, 0-3 Second Half), were swept following an 0-2 doubleheader against the Corvallis Knights (18-9, 0-0), falling 5-3 and 4-1 in two seven-inning games at Goss Stadium in Corvallis, Ore. 

Wenatchee scored first in the opener of the doubleheader. An RBI triple, courtesy of Haydan Hastings in the second inning, resulted in an early 1-0 lead for the AppleSox. 

Jimmy Dobrash pitched well, tossing three innings of shutout baseball to start the game. He ran into some trouble in the fourth inning against the Knights, who got a leadoff double and began getting aggressive on the base paths. Two runs came to score and Corvallis scored five runs in total during the fourth and fifth innings off of Dobrash and reliever Dylan Riddle (0-2).

Wenatchee could only muster one run late after chasing starter Grant Goodman from the game through three innings. Jacob Fricke came in and won the ballgame with four scoreless innings of relief for Corvallis. 

In game two, Corvallis carried over momentum from late in game one to claim a first-inning lead off of Luke Mattson (1-5). 

Jordan Rathbone brought the AppleSox back on an RBI triple in the second inning. It was Rathbone’s fourth of the year, two shy of the team’s single-season record, set by Keston Hiura last summer. As a team, the AppleSox have tied the team single-season record for triples with the 2011 and 2015 AppleSox at 13. 

Again, Corvallis scored all the late runs plating one in the fourth and two in the fifth, for the 4-1 win. All of the runs were charged to Mattson, with Miceal Taylor throwing a fine 1 2/3 innings scoreless in relief. 

The AppleSox couldn’t figure out starter Branden Cutsforth (1-0) in the second game. He tossed the full seven innings, earning the win for the Knights. 

Wenatchee will have an off day, Friday, before returning to action to take on the Gresham GreyWolves Saturday-Monday.. Game times are 7:05 p.m., 6:05 p.m., and 7:05 p.m. 

APPLESOX TO PLAY DOUBLEHEADER AT CORVALLIS

The AppleSox will play a scheduled Doubleheader at Corvallis, to end a stretch of 18-consecutive games. 

WENATCHEE APPLESOX at Corvallis Knights
Goss Stadium     |       6:05 p.m.  // approx. 8:05 p.m.
GM 1 || R- Jimmy Dobrash (1-2) vs. R- Grant Goodman (0-0)
GM 2 || R- Luke Mattson (1-4) vs. R- Branden Cutsforth (0-0)
GAME NOTES       |       APPLESOX STATS       |       LISTEN LIVE

The Wenatchee AppleSox (10-18, 4-8 North), tied for fourth place in the North Division visit the Corvallis Knights (16-9, 6-3 South) in their first series of the WCL Second Half...the Corvallis Knights are in the final two games of their first-half schedule...the AppleSox are playing their 17th franchise season (12th in the WCL) and are led by second-year skipper, AJ Proszek (39-48) (.448), 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 2, KNIGHTS 3
CORVALLIS –  The Wenatchee AppleSox (10-18, 0-1 Second Half), struggled to find an offensive answer against the Corvallis Knights (16-9, 0-0), in a 3-2 series-opening loss at Goss Stadium in Corvallis, Ore...Wenatchee went down in order in four of the first five innings, at the hand of Aaron Pope (3-2)...he only allowed two hits while totaling 10 strikeouts...Ross Clevenger (1-2), also pitched strongly, allowing just three hits through four innings to the first-half South-Champion Knights...Corvallis broke the scoreless tie in the fifth inning with an RBI single for Oregon State product Kyle Nobach...Emilio Alcantar followed with a sacrifice fly in the next at bat to give Corvallis a 2-0 lead...Wenatchee answered with a run off of Pope in the sixth inning, set up by a leadoff walk for Otis Statum, and the team’s second hit on a Matt Fraizer double...Matt Reitano drove in Statum with a sacrifice fly to left field...the AppleSox used just one reliever, Wednesday. Mac Lardner got out of trouble in the sixth inning, stranding two Corvallis runners in scoring position, but a squeeze play in the seventh inning led to a 3-1 Knight advantage...Alcantar sacrificed in his second RBI on a good bunt, and proved to provide the winning run for Corvallis...Reitano was responsible for both of the Sox RBI, after singling home Fraizer after his second double of the night in the eighth inning...Fraizer was in position to score following the double, after a balk moved him to third base...Chase Kaplan, who leads the WCL South with 6 saves, got the final three outs for Corvallis, preserving the one-run win. 

TONIGHT'S NOTES
DOUBLE TROUBLE
It’s time for the AppleSox to play a doubleheader with the Corvallis Knights...this game was previously scheduled as to help the clubs avoid playing a one-game continuation of the series later in the season (due to an odd number 11 teams in the WCL)...in WCL play this is on the AppleSox’ 10th double header, and seven of those double headers were scheduled because of rain...Wenatchee is 48-40 all-time...24-16 road, 24-24 home...the AppleSox have swept 14 times, split 20, and been swept 10 times...the AppleSox used to play the Aloha Knights in double-header action...Wenatchee leads the all-time double-header matchups 4-2.

A FIRST
Last night, Matt Fraizer became the first AppleSox player to come up with two doubles in a game this season...Matt Reitano also posted his first 2-RBI game of the summer. 

AGAINST DIVISION LEADERS
Wenatchee is now 0-7 against opponents leading either the WCL North or South divisions.

ERROR FREE
The AppleSox did not commit an error last night for just the fourth time this season...the AppleSox are 2-2 in games in which they do not commit an error. 

JUST ONE RUN
Corvallis and Wenatchee have met a total of 85 times in the history of league and non-league matchups...29-of-85 contests have been decided by just one run. 

CLOSE ONLY COUNTS...
Wenatchee is now 1-6 in one-run games in 2016, and 1-3 in two-run games...leading to a total record of 2-9 in games decided by two runs or fewer. 

MULTIPLE HITS
Jordan Rathbone leads the AppleSox in multi-hit games in 2016, with nine...the next closest is a four-way tie with six. 

THE END OF AN ERA
Finally, Wenatchee will put an end to an 18-game stretch dating back to June 20...the stretch hasn’t been all too kind to Wenatchee, with the AppleSox currently at a 6-10 record, and not able to attain a finish better than 8-10. 

APPLESOX FALL IN SECOND-HALF OPENER

The AppleSox fell 3-2 in their series-opener and WCL second-half opener at Corvallis, Wednesday.

BOX SCORE

CORVALLIS - The Wenatchee AppleSox (10-18, 0-1 Second Half), struggled to find an offensive answer against the Corvallis Knights (16-9, 0-0), in a 3-2 series-opening loss at Goss Stadium in Corvallis, Ore. 

Wenatchee went down in order in four of the first five innings, at the hand of Aaron Pope (3-2), who was making his second start of the season versus the AppleSox. 

Pope tossed a season-high 10 strikeouts over six innings, and walked just one batter. He only allowed two hits. 

Ross Clevenger (1-2), also pitched strongly, allowing just three hits through four innings to the first-half South-Champion Knights. 

Corvallis broke the scoreless tie in the fifth inning with an RBI single for Oregon State product Kyle Nobach. Emilio Alcantar followed with a sacrifice fly in the next at bat to give Corvallis a 2-0 lead. 

Wenatchee answered with a run off of Pope in the sixth inning, set up by a leadoff walk for Otis Statum, and the team’s second hit on a Matt Fraizer double. Matt Reitano drove in Statum with a sacrifice fly to left field. 

The AppleSox used just one reliever, Wednesday. Mac Lardner got out of trouble in the sixth inning, stranding two Corvallis runners in scoring position, but a squeeze play in the seventh inning led to a 3-1 Knight advantage. Alcantar sacrificed in his second RBI on a good bunt, and proved to provide the winning run for Corvallis. 

Reitano was responsible for both of the Sox RBI, after singling home Fraizer after his second double of the night in the eighth inning. Fraizer was in position to score following the double, after a balk moved him to third base. 

Chase Kaplan, who leads the WCL South with 6 saves, got the final three outs for Corvallis, preserving the one-run win. 

The series concludes Thursday with a scheduled double header. The first game will start at 6:05 p.m., with Jimmy Dobrash to pitch for Wenatchee. Game two will be played approximately 30 minutes after the first game, and Luke Mattson will get the nod.  

APPLESOX OPEN SECOND HALF AT CORVALLIS

The AppleSox play the Corvallis Knights, who won the WCL South First-Half title, in a three-game series over two days, starting Wednesday night. 

WENATCHEE APPLESOX vs Kelowna Falcons
Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium     |       7:05 p.m.
R- Ross Clevenger (1-1) vs. L- Aaron Pope (2-2)
GAME NOTES       |       APPLESOX STATS       |       LISTEN LIVE

The Wenatchee AppleSox (10-17, 4-8 North), tied for second place in the North Division visit the Corvallis Knights (15-9, 6-3 South) to begin the second half of their WCL schedule...the Corvallis Knights are in the final three games of their first-half schedule...the AppleSox are playing their 17th franchise season (12th in the WCL) and are led by second-year skipper, AJ Proszek (39-47) (.453), 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 9, FALCONS 5
WENACTHEE –  The Wenatchee AppleSox (10-17), capped the first half of the West Coast League season with a 9-5 victory over the Kelowna Falcons (13-14), Tuesday at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium...Kelowna opened scoring Tuesday, with a solo home run off of Grady Miller....the Falcons added a second run in the third inning on an RBI fielder’s choice groundout for Jesse Moore...the AppleSox took back the lead in the bottom of the frame, with an RBI single for Ryan Kreidler that scored Matt Fraizer, and an error in right field brought home Evan Douglas to tie the game at 2-2...Jordan Rathbone doubled home Kreidler for a 3-2, AppleSox lead...a half inning later, Davis Todosichuk tied the game back up at 3-3, following an RBI single...Miller battled for five innings, and the score held until Eli Thornquist (2-0) took over in the sixth inning...the Sox left-hander gave up two runs on RBI singles to Lane Lacrone and Moore...Michael Toglia jump-started a four-run bottom half of the inning, to get Wenatchee the lead for good...Kreidler doubled to get two in scoring position with nobody out...Rathbone singled home a run to get the contest to 5-4, and a 2-RBI double for Taylor Borchers put the Sox in front for the remainder of the night...in the seventh, Wenatchee added another run after a 1-2-3 frame for Thornquist. An RBI groundout for Borchers gave him his 3rd RBI of the night, and the AppleSox went on to add one more run of insurance in the eighth inning on an RBI E6 for Fraizer...Tyler Burch pitched the final two innings of the night for Wenatchee to pick up his first save.

TONIGHT'S NOTES
NEW BEGINNINGS
Wednesday marks the beginning of the WCL second-half schedule for the Wenatchee AppleSox...Victoria locked down the first-half title in the WCL North...if a different North team claims the best record in the second half, they will face Victoria in the Divisional round of the WCL Playoffs...if Victoria  repeats as division champion and wins the second half, the second North Divisional team into the playoffs will be the next-best team based on overall season record. 

ON THEIR GAMES
Taylor Borchers, Alex Gonzales, and Jordan Rathbone have gotten it working at the plate lately...Borchers and Gonzales are on their best five-game stretches of 2016m each hitting  .400 over the last five games...Wenatchee is hitting .273 in the last five games as a team, to raise the team average above the .240 mark. 

THREE GAMES/TWO DAYS
Due to the odd number of teams in the WCL, Wenatchee and Corvallis will avoid playing a single game to continue this three-game series later in the season, by playing a doubleheader tomorrow...the two games will each be regulation seven innings, and be the final games in an 18-game stretch without a day off for Wenatchee. 

OREGON
The AppleSox are playing well in the state of Oregon this summer...the Sox have two series wins and are 4-2...they haven’t yet lost a game one in the state of Oregon this year. 

THE BEST FROM BURCH
Tyler Burch earned his first save of 2016 last night for the Wenatchee AppleSox...he now has tossed 10.0 consecutive scoreless innings, dating back to a June 15 appearance against the Walla Walla Sweets.

ANOTHER COMEBACK
Last night’s win was the fourth comeback win for Wenatchee in 2016...Taylor Borchers supplied the go-ahead and game-winning RBI...each his first of the season. 

FINDING A WAY TO SCORE
Ryan Kreidler has scored nearly one-third of the AppleSox runs over the last five games...he has crossed the plate eighth times, and the team has scored 30 total runs in the last five outings. 

WINNING AGAINST THE LONG BALL
Last night marked the first time in 2016 that the AppleSox won a game in which the opposing team hit at least one home run...previously Wenatchee was 0-8. 

COMING OFF HIS BEST START
In terms of innings pitched, walks allowed, and strikeouts thrown, Ross Clevenger enters tonight coming off of his best start of 2016...the right-hander was a tough-luck loser at Cowlitz in his last outing, when Wenatchee could only muster three hits and fell in a complete game shutout played in a swift one hour and fifty three minutes. 

APPLESOX WIN SERIES, BACK-AND-FORTH GAME

The AppleSox ended the first half of the WCL season on a high note, with a 9-5 win over the Kelowna Falcons. 

BOX SCORE

WENATCHEE - The Wenatchee AppleSox (10-17), capped the first half of the West Coast League season with a 9-5 victory over the Kelowna Falcons (13-14), Tuesday at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. The WCL standings reset Tuesday, and the race for the second-half division championships begins. 

Kelowna opened scoring Tuesday, with a solo home run off of Grady Miller. Joey Crunkleton supplied the blast, and it was the first of the year against Miller. 

Wenatchee overcame the home run, having previously not won a game in which the opponent homered. 

The Falcons added a second run in the third inning on an RBI fielder’s choice groundout for Jesse Moore. The AppleSox took back the lead in the bottom of the frame, with an RBI single for Ryan Kreidler that scored Matt Fraizer, and an error in right field brought home Evan Douglas to tie the game at 2-2. 

Jordan Rathbone doubled home Kreidler for a 3-2, AppleSox lead. 

A half inning later, Davis Todosichuk tied the game back up at 3-3, following an RBI single. 

Miller battled for five innings, and the score held until Eli Thornquist (2-0) took over in the sixth inning. The first frame out of the bullpen for Thornquist was bumpy. The Sox left-hander gave up two runs on RBI singles to Lane Lacrone and Moore. 

Michael Toglia jump-started a four-run bottom half of the inning, to get Wenatchee the lead for good. Kreidler doubled to get two in scoring position with nobody out. Rathbone singled home a run to get the contest to 5-4, and a 2-RBI double for Taylor Borchers put the Sox in front for the remainder of the night. 

In the seventh, Wenatchee added another run after a 1-2-3 frame for Thornquist. An RBI groundout for Borchers gave him his 3rd RBI of the night, and the AppleSox went on to add one more run of insurance in the eighth inning on an RBI E6 for Fraizer. 

Tyler Burch pitched the final two innings of the night for Wenatchee to pick up his first save. He struck out three batters and increased his consecutive scoreless inning streak to 10 innings, dating back to June 15. 

Wenatchee starts the second half of its season, Wednesday night at Corvallis. The Knights and the AppleSox face off at 6:40 p.m. at Goss Stadium, and complete the series with a doubleheader starting at 6:05 p.m., Thursday.

APPLESOX AND FALCONS PLAY FOR SERIES

The AppleSox and the Kelowna Falcons will play for a series win, Tuesday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

WENATCHEE APPLESOX vs Kelowna Falcons
Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium     |       7:05 p.m.
L- Grady Miller (2-1) vs. R- Blake Randazzo (2-3)
GAME NOTES       |       APPLESOX STATS       |       LISTEN LIVE

The Wenatchee AppleSox (9-17, 3-8 North), fifth place in the North Division host the Kelowna Falcons (13-13, 7-7 North) in a rubber-match game three of a WCL North series at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium...last night, Wenatchee scored the final five runs in the game, but couldn’t tie the contest...the AppleSox are playing their 17th franchise season (12th in the WCL) and are led by second-year skipper, AJ Proszek (38-47) (.447), 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 5, FALCONS 6
WENACTHEE –  The Wenatchee AppleSox (9-17), rallied late for five runs in the seventh and eighth innings against the Kelowna Falcons (13-13), but fell 6-5 on Independence Day at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium...early on, Justin Blatner (2-1) struggled in his start for the AppleSox...the left-hander was hit for a three-run first by the Falcons, and gave up three doubles in the frame...AJ Sawyer hit a two-run home run to put Kelowna ahead 5-0 in the third...Sawyer’s night wasn’t done, however, as he drove in Daniel Nist on an RBI single in the fifth inning...after only getting three hits and no runs off of Jake Simmons (4-1), the AppleSox finally broke through against the Kelowna starter in the seventh inning...a sacrifice fly to center field for Haydan Hastings gave Wenatchee its first run, and an RBI single for Otis Statum made it 6-2 after seven...Okeefe Hall came in for Kelowna in the eighth, and ran into trouble in the form of Michael Toglia...he crused a two-run home run over the right field fence for a 6-4 score...it was Toglia’s third home run of the season, and good for his 17th and 18th RBI..he is now the WCL North leader in runs batted in...Jordan Rathbone contributed a key two-out single later in the inning, to cut the deficit to one...trying to complete their largest comeback of 2016, the AppleSox couldn’t get past final Falcon reliever Jared Morton, who picked up his fifth save...in the ninth, Morton struck out the first two to face him, and then Alex Gonzales singled to get the tying run aboard. Shane Martinez lined out to center field to end the game, and even the series with the Falcons.

TONIGHT'S NOTES
MILLER’S GREAT REBOUND
Grady Miller will be key to the AppleSox success in trying to pick up a series win over the Kelowna Falcons, Tuesday...after a rough first start, allowing 7 runs, all earned, Miller has rebounded to throw some of the AppleSox best baseball on the mound...in the last three league starts for Miller, he is 2-0, while allowing an average of 2.33 runs per start...each of his starts have lasted at least six innings, and he turned in Wenatchee’s longest start of the summer at 7 innings, June 12 versus the Corvallis Knights...Miller’s 3.6:1 strikeout to walk ratio is tied with Matt Young for best on the AppleSox pitching staff. 

THE WCL FIRST HALF
Wenatchee is locked into a fifth-place finish in the first half of the WCL standings in the North Division...the standings reset for the AppleSox tomorrow night when the team takes to the road to play the Corvallis Knights for a three-game stretch. 

TWO-OUT RBIs
Four of Wenatchee’s five runs driven in last night came with two outs...56 of the team’s 103 RBI have come with two outs this season...Michael Toglia is the team leader with 11...he added two last night on his home run.

DINGER
Last night, Michael Toglia hit his team-leading third home run of the season...it was the AppleSox’ 8th home run of the season, tying them for second in the WCL for second in home runs with the Bellingham Bells...Wenatchee also allowed a home run to AJ Sawyer...the AppleSox are now 2-3 when they hit a home run, but a very telling 0-8 when the opponent cashes in on a long ball. 

CLOSE CALL
Kelowna was barely able to hold off a late Wenatchee charge last night...the AppleSox fell by a single run for the fifth time this season, and the Sox are now a total of 2-8 in games decided by two runs or fewer. 

THE WORST STRETCH
Wenatchee hasn’t played a worse ten-game stretch than this current span...the AppleSox are 2-8 in their last ten games, but have a chance to get back another series win on the season. 

2016 SERIES PLAY
Wenatchee has won four series, and lost four series in 2016...the AppleSox are not playing well in the final games of series...standing at a total of 1-7...Grady Miller pitched the only rubber-match game three for the AppleSox this season, and helped Wenatchee to a 3-0 shutout win over the Corvallis Knights...it was Wenatchee’s first shutout of 2016.