Seven-Run Inning Leads AppleSox Past Cowlitz

The Wenatchee AppleSox scored seven runs in the bottom of the third to buoy them past the Cowlitz Black Bears with a 9-2 win on Tuesday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Michael Davinni went 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored and Garrett Gores (1-1) tossed 5.2 scoreless innings of relief to earn the victory.

Wenatchee sent 12 men to the plate in the third inning and scored the game’s first seven runs despite only collecting three hits in the inning. Three walks, two errors and a hit by pitch also paved the way for a big inning. The AppleSox didn’t get their first hit of the inning until Joichiro Oyama singled in a pair with the bases loaded. Each of the first seven hitters of the inning reached base and scored. Davinni singled in one, Ezra Samperi drew a bases-loaded walk and Aiva Arquette plated the final two runs of the inning with a single.

Oyama got the scoring started with his 2-RBI single. He also drew walks in each of his final three plate appearances to reach base in four-of-five trips to the dish. Enzo Apodaca also drew three walks and AppleSox hitters combined to draw eight free passes. They have drawn 15 walks in the last two games and 221 this summer, second-most in the West Coast League.

Grant Sherrod drove in a run in the fourth and then scored the final run of the night in the sixth. He picked up a two-out RBI single after Davinni singled and then Apodaca walked before him. Sherrod then doubled with two outs in the sixth and then scored after two more Cowlitz errors.

Gores entered after two runs scored in the fourth inning and then got the final two outs of the inning and each of the first 10 hitters that he faced in order. His 5.2 innings tossed marked his second-longest outing of the summer.

The AppleSox look to take the series when they face the Black Bears on Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. It’s the final WINatchee Wednesday of the summer. Fans are eligible to win prizes from local businesses just by attending the game. Tickets are available at saferseating.com.

Listen to the latest edition of the AppleSox Podcast. Listen to a recap of the game, highlights and interviews with Gores, Davinni, Mitch Darlington and Jake Putnam. Subscribe to the AppleSox Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

AppleSox Return Home To Face Black Bears

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox, currently in first place in the North Division in the second half, host the Cowlitz Black Bears this Tuesday-through-Thursday at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Wenatchee holds a one-game lead over the Bellingham Bells for first place in the North Division in the second half. If Bellingham and Wenatchee tie for the second half or the Bells win it, then the AppleSox claim the second-half playoff berth and have home-field advantage in the first round of the North Division Series. If they don’t win the second half then they can still gain a playoff spot if they have one of the four-best overall records in the North Division.

The AppleSox salvaged their three-game road trip against the Walla Walla Sweets with a 10-5 win on Sunday night. They trailed 3-0 after the first inning but rallied to score twice in the third and three times in the fourth to hold the lead for good. Matt Halbach went 2-for-5 with two doubles and 2 RBI to pace the offense and record his 10th multi-hit effort in 17 games this month. He leads the AppleSox with nine doubles and is batting .423 (11-for-26) over the last six games with at least one hit in each game. Halbach’s .362 batting average is tied for fourth-best in the WCL.

Wenatchee split its six-game series against Cowlitz a year ago, winning two-of-three at David Story Field in late June before dropping two-of-three in their final homestand of the summer. The AppleSox are 26-19 against the Black Bears since they joined the league in 2010. Centerfielder Enzo Apodaca hit .380 (8-for-21) against Cowlitz a year ago, including 4-for-4 with a home run and a walk in the home finale on Aug. 8, 2021.

The Black Bears are led by former major-league pitcher Alan Embree, who also previously coached the Bend Elks from 2013-18. They are 18-23 with a 6-9 record in the second half which are last overall and tied for-last, respectively, in the South Division. However, the Black Bears have won two-of-their-last-three series, including taking back-to-back wins over the Ridgefield Raptors on Saturday and Sunday. Aaron Parker launched a two-out walkoff solo home run in the bottom of the 10th inning in the series finale.

It’s a brief but action-packed homestand for the AppleSox and it begins with the final $2 Off Tuesday of the summer. Tickets, hot dogs, burgers and Coors draft pours are all $2 off.

The first 100 fans entering the ballpark each day will receive free freezer pops to help beat the heat. The AppleSox have also installed misters throughout the park to help fans stay cool. Tickets to all three games can be purchased at saferseating.com.

The AppleSox will wear their popular heritage uniforms for the final time this summer on Thursday. Fans have an opportunity to purchase one of the remaining game-worn uniforms by stopping by the third-base souvenir stand any day during this homestand. Jerseys are available for $100 and fans will receive them following Thursday’s game. If a fan purchases one before Thursday night and cannot make it to the game to pick up their uniform, then they can have it shipped to them for an additional $10. Tickets to Thursday’s game are available for $2.

Each game can be listened to live on kcsyfm.com on your computer or smart phone. If you live in Washington you can listen on your radio on any of the following stations:

·      Wenatchee: 93.9 FM

·      East Wenatchee/Rock Island: 98.1 FM

·      Lake Chelan Valley: 95.3 FM

·      Brewster/Pateros: 101.3 FM

·      Okanogan Valley: 101.9 FM

·      Omak/Tonasket/Oroville: 97.7 FM

·      Methow Valley: 106.3 FM

Coverage of each game begins at 6:10 p.m. with the Horan Estates Winery Pregame Show. Stick around after the game to hear the postgame show with player and coach interviews if the AppleSox win.

Mid-Inning Surge Carries AppleSox Past Sweets

The Wenatchee AppleSox rallied back from giving up three runs in the first inning to defeat the Walla Walla Sweets, 10-5, on Sunday night at Borleske Stadium.

Matt Halbach hit a pair of doubles, including a two-run double in the third inning. Ezra Samperi also drove in two runs, including hitting a game-tying RBI single in the fourth.

Halbach’s double in the second cut the deficit to one and the second runner to touch home was Joichiro Oyama, who scored his 48th run of the season. The incoming junior at UC Irvine set the West Coast League single-season record in his 42nd game of the summer. He moved past 2012 AppleSox’ infielder Mitchell Gunsolus, who set the mark in 54 games, and Taylor Wright, who tied the mark in 53 games with the Kelowna Falcons in 2017. 

Quincy Vassar bounced back from a tough first inning to pick up his second win of the summer. Each of the first five hitters of the first inning reached against him and three runs scored but he did not allow a run over the next 4.2 innings until the bottom of the sixth. He matched a season-high with eight strikeouts in his seventh and final start of the summer.

Jake Putnam tossed the final 3.1 innings and struck out three to earn his second save of the year. 

The AppleSox took the lead for good with a three-run fourth inning. Samperi plated the tying run and then was the second runner to score in the inning thanks to a wild pitch to make it 5-3, AppleSox.

Walla Walla drew with one run in the bottom of the sixth with two outs to knock Vassar out of the game but Jake Putnam got the final out of the inning on a batter interference call in the middle of a stolen base attempt. 

The AppleSox’ one-run lead didn’t last for long as they added four runs of insurance in the top of the seventh. Enzo Apodaca hit a ground ball to the right side that looked like it would be at least one out but instead took a high hope over the second baseman and into right field to score two runs. Samperi hit a sacrifice fly to right field and Xander Orejudos singled to right to plate Apodaca for the final two runs. 

Apodaca later tripled in the ninth and scored on a wild pitch for the AppleSox’ final run.

Wenatchee lost the series but gets back to .500 overall and remains in first place in the North Division. They are 9-6 in the second half and one game ahead of the Bellingham Bells. If Bellingham and Wenatchee tie for the second half or the Bells win it, then the AppleSox claim the second-half playoff berth and have home-field advantage in the first round of the North Division Series. If they don’t win the second half then they can still gain a playoff spot if they have one of the four-best overall records in the North Division

The AppleSox return home to face the Cowlitz Black Bears on Tuesday night in the first game of a three-game homestand. It’s a $2 Off Tuesday, with tickets, hot dogs, burger and Coors draft pours all $2 off. First pitch is at 6:35 p.m. at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium and tickets can be purchased at saferseating.com.

Listen to the latest AppleSox Podcast for a recap of the game, highlights and interviews with Halbach, Vassar, head coach Mitch Darlington and Adam Fahsel. Subscribe to the AppleSox Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

AppleSox Look To Salvage Series With Sweets

The Wenatchee AppleSox face the Walla Walla Sweets at 6:05 p.m. tonight at Borleske Stadium in the finale of their three-game road trip.

The AppleSox are looking to win the final game of the series after dropping the first two games. Walla Walla scored twice with two outs in the eighth inning to take their only lead of the game and win the opener, 4-3. The AppleSox out-hit the Sweets, 14-12, yesterday but fell 11-7 after falling behind 5-0 after two innings.

Walla Walla has now won four consecutive series but has not swept any and has not swept any team this summer. Wenatchee has been swept three times and has swept three teams.

The AppleSox are tied with the Bellingham Bells for first place in the North Division in the second half. If the season ended today the AppleSox would earn the second-half playoff berth because of the tie since the Bells already won the first half playoff spot. Wenatchee is tied with Kamloops for the second-best overall record in the North Division. The AppleSox have to either win the North Division in the second half or tie with Bellingham to earn the second half playoff spot. If they do not do either of those then they just need to have one of the four-best overall records in the North Division to earn a playoff berth, but they will not have home-field advantage in the first round.

Joichiro Oyama reached base safely in all five plate appearances yesterday with his 17th multi-hit game and fifth three-hit effort of the summer. He leads the West Coast League in at-bats, runs, hits and stolen bases and is chasing several single-season records. Oyama scored twice yesterday to match the league’s single-season runs record and he can set the new high mark with a run today. The incoming junior at UC Irvine is eight away from tying the single-season stolen bases mark and is three triples away from tying the single-season high for triples.

Quincy Vassar starts for the AppleSox in his final appearance of the summer. The southpaw from Vanguard is 1-3 with a 4.45 ERA and his coming off a dominant, albeit brief, effort last week. Vassar tossed four scoreless innings and struck out six Kamloops NorthPaws in Wenatchee’s 16-4 win this past Tuesday. He walked one and allowed one hit on 48 pitches and was pulled with the AppleSox ahead, 13-0, so that he could start tonight.

Vassar, a Brewster native, wraps up his summer with the AppleSox after tonight’s game. He is 1-3 with a 4.45 ERA in eight games (six starts) and has struck out 37, walked nine and allowed 34 hits. Vassar has not allowed any runs in his last 11 innings on the mound, going all the way back to when he tossed seven shutout innings against the Nanaimo NightOwls on July 8. He has a 4.30 ERA as a starting pitcher and has not allowed a run in half of his starts.

Walla Walla sends Hayden Hattenbach to the bump for his third start of the season. The righty from UC Santa Barbara is making his second start of the summer and is 0-2 with a 7.04 ERA in seven appearances. He has struck out 12, walked 12 and allowed 33 hits in 23 innings. Hattenbach’s last start came a week ago against Kelowna when he allowed four runs (three earned) on 13 hits, four walks and five strikeouts in eight innings. The Sweets won, 6-4, but Hattenbach got a no-decision.

Tonight’s game can be listened to live on kcsyfm.com on your computer or smart phone. If you live in Washington you can listen on your radio on any of the following stations:

·      Wenatchee: 93.9 FM

·      East Wenatchee/Rock Island: 98.1 FM

·      Lake Chelan Valley: 95.3 FM

·      Brewster/Pateros: 101.3 FM

·      Okanogan Valley: 101.9 FM

·      Omak/Tonasket/Oroville: 97.7 FM

·      Methow Valley: 106.3 FM

Coverage of tonight’s game begins at 6:10 p.m. with the Horan Estates Winery Pregame Show. Stick around after the game to hear the postgame show with player and coach interviews if the AppleSox win.

Oyama Ties WCL Record But AppleSox Fall On Saturday

Joichiro Oyama reached base in all five plate appearances and tied the West Coast League single-season record by scoring twice but the AppleSox lost to the Walla Walla Sweets, 11-7, on Saturday afternoon at Borleske Stadium.

Oyama scored a pair of runs to give him 47 this summer, which is tied with AppleSox alum Mitchell Gunsolus and former Kelowna Falcon Taylor Wright for the WCL’s single-season record. Gunsolus set the record with 54 games played in 2012 and Wright matched it in 53 games in 2017 but Oyama ties both of them after his 41st game of 2022.

The incoming junior at UC Irvine also drew closer to two other single-season records. He tripled and scored on an error in the fifth inning to pick up his fourth triple of the summer. Current Milwaukee Brewer Keston Hiura holds the AppleSox’ single-season record with six triples in 2015. The WCL record is seven, set by Andy Atwood with the Corvallis Knights in 2019.

Despite Oyama’s heroics the AppleSox did not get on the board until the fourth inning and trailed 5-0 before that. Wenatchee out-hit the Sweets, 14-12, while Matt Halbach (three hits), Aiva Arquette, Enzo Apodaca and Grant Sherrod all recorded multi-hit games in addition to Oyama.

Adam Fahsel extended his hitting streak to nine games with a single in the eighth. He recorded the seventh different hitting streak of at least nine games for the AppleSox this summer. Fahsel’s streak is the AppleSox’ longest active hitting streak and is tied for the third-longest of the year, three games short of a pair of 12-game hitting streaks by Oyama and Michael Davinni.

The Sweets took a 5-0 lead into the fourth before the AppleSox got on the board. Wenatchee scored two runs apiece in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings but also gave up six runs combined in the bottom of those same three innings.

Their best chance to get back in the game came in the top of the fifth. Each of the first five hitters in the order reached base and two runs scored as the AppleSox batted with the bases loaded and no outs. All of the next three hitters struck out to retire the side and keep Walla Walla ahead, 8-4. The Sweets scored twice in the bottom of the inning to negate the AppleSox’ late charge.

Wenatchee will attempt to salvage the series on Sunday when it faces Walla Walla in the series finale. Quincy Vassar makes his seventh start of the summer and the series finale is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.

Listen to the latest edition of the AppleSox Podcast for a recap of the game, highlights and a pregame interview with Sherrod. Subscribe to the AppleSox Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

AppleSox Continue Road Trip To Walla Walla

The Wenatchee AppleSox face the Walla Walla Sweets at 4:35 p.m. this afternoon at Borleske Stadium for the second game of the three-game road trip.

The AppleSox scored first and took a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth but the Sweets tied it that inning and then scored twice in the eighth with two outs to defeat Wenatchee in the series opener. The loss snapped the AppleSox’ three-game winning streak and was the first road defeat since July 7 at Kelowna.

Riley Sinclair tossed a season-high six innings but the AppleSox fell to 6-7 when their starting pitcher tosses five-or-more innings. Wenatchee is 14-13 when its starter doesn’t make through five complete innings.

Adam Fahsel holds the AppleSox’ longest active hitting streak at eight games after singling in fifth inning last night. He is batting .466 over this hit streak and if he can get a hit tonight, then Fahsel will have recorded the AppleSox’ sixth different hitting streak of at least nine games. Wenatchee’s longest hitting streak this season is 12 games, set by Michael Davinni in the first 12 games of the season and then matched by Joichiro Oyama June 29-July 15. Oyama is two runs away from tying the West Coast League’s single-season record of 47.

Hunter Gibson makes his first start of the summer tonight for the AppleSox. He is coming off five shutout innings of relief on Sunday against Corvallis in his longest outing of the summer. The right-hander from Big Bend has a 2.70 ERA in seven games and has tossed 16.2 innings. He has only walked three hitters this summer and just one over his last five appearances spanning 13 innings.

Walla Walla counters with Stu Flesland, a southpaw from the University of Washington. He is 1-0 with a 2.07 ERA in seven games, three starts, spanning 17.1 innings. Flesland has struck out 23, walked six and allowed 11 hits. He previously pitched in the WCL in 2019 in two games with the Yakima Valley Pippins and allowed 11 runs over seven innings in two games. Flesland posted a 3.24 ERA in 31 games (five starts) with the Huskies this past spring and did not allow any runs in his first six games this summer.

Tonight’s game can be listened to live on kcsyfm.com on your computer or smart phone. If you live in Washington you can listen on your radio on any of the following stations:

·      Wenatchee: 93.9 FM

·      East Wenatchee/Rock Island: 98.1 FM

·      Lake Chelan Valley: 95.3 FM

·      Brewster/Pateros: 101.3 FM

·      Okanogan Valley: 101.9 FM

·      Omak/Tonasket/Oroville: 97.7 FM

·      Methow Valley: 106.3 FM

Coverage of tonight’s game begins at 6:10 p.m. with the Horan Estates Winery Pregame Show. Stick around after the game to hear the postgame show with player and coach interviews if the AppleSox win.

Sweets Rally In 8th, Beat AppleSox

The Walla Walla Sweets scored two runs on three consecutive hits to defeat the Wenatchee AppleSox, 4-3, on Friday night at Borleske Stadium. 

Riley Sinclair struck out six in six shutout innings for season highs in both categories. Enzo Apodaca led the offense with a 3-for-4 night for his third three-hit game of the summer.

The AppleSox scored first for the fourth straight game but lost for the first time in that span. Joichiro Oyama walked, stole his West Coast League-leading 31st bag of the summer and scored on a groundout by Matt Halbach in the third to open the scoring. Oyama scored his 45th run of the summer and now sits two runs away from tying the WCL’s single-season runs record.

Apodaca led off with a double off the right-field fence and scored on a two-out single by Grant Sherrod in the fourth after the Sweets tied the game with a run in the bottom of the third.

A solo home run in the sixth tied the game up before Walla Walla’s two-out rally in the eighth. Wenatchee nearly tied the game up in the bottom of the ninth, loading up the bases with one out. Oyama lined a ball sharply to the third base side that was snared and resulted in a force out at third as a run scored. That was all that Wenatchee would get as a groundout ended the game.

Listen to the latest edition of the AppleSox Podcast to hear a recap of the game as well as the pregame interview with Matt Halbach. Subscribe to the AppleSox Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

AppleSox To Host Team Photo Signing Party Wednesday At Pybus

The 22nd season in Wenatchee AppleSox history has been a memorable one and the AppleSox are thanking fans for celebrating summer with them by giving fans a free keepsake to remember this summer. The annual AppleSox team photo signing party is this Wednesday at Pybus Public Market.

Fans can stop by Pybus from noon until 1:30 p.m. to meet the AppleSox and pick up their own signed team photo for free. The AppleSox team photo autograph party is made possible thanks to our friends at Weinstein Beverage, Sunny FM, Parsons Photography and Pybus Public Market.

The AppleSox return home on Tuesday, July 26, to face the Cowlitz Black Bears at 6:35 p.m. in the first game of a three-game series. It’s a $2 Off Tuesday with general admission seats available for as affordable as $5 and reserved premium seats available at just $10. Hot dogs, burgers and Coors draft pours are also $2 off and fans can take 20-percent off team merchandise at the AppleSox’ third-base souvenir stand. Tickets are available at saferseating.com.

AppleSox Hit Road, Face Sweets

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox look to keep up their strong play as they play a road game tonight for the first time in a couple of weeks with a 7:05 p.m. matchup against the Walla Walla Sweets at Borleske Stadium.

Wenatchee picked up its third sweep of the season last night with a 6-5 win over the Kamloops NorthPaws. They led the North Division in the second half with an 8-4 record and would earn a playoff spot if they hang onto this lead. The AppleSox can also qualify for the postseason by having one of the four-best records in the division.

The past homestand was a big one for the AppleSox as they won six-of-eight, including two non-league wins. Wenatchee has won seven-of-its-last-nine games in WCL play and swept two-of-their-last-three series. The AppleSox are outscoring opponents 79-35 over the last nine games.

The AppleSox won four-of-six games against the Sweets a year ago but are 38-42 against them all-time. Walla Walla enters tonight’s game 18-21 overall and 6-6 in the second half. They won two-of-three games earlier this week against the Springfield Drifters but lost last night looking for the series sweep.

Riley Sinclair gets the ball for the AppleSox tonight in his sixth start of the summer. He is 1-0 with a 5.87 ERA, 13 strikeouts, 11 walks and 16 hits over 15.1 innings. His last appearance was last Saturday when he tossed four innings and allowed three runs on five hits, four walks and four strikeouts against the Corvallis Knights. It marked the third straight start that Sinclair pitched four innings, his season high this year. He has allowed three runs or less in all five of his starts in 2022.

Walla Walla has not announced a probable pitcher.

Tonight’s game can be listened to live on kcsyfm.com on your computer or smart phone. If you live in Washington you can listen on your radio on any of the following stations:

·      Wenatchee: 93.9 FM

·      East Wenatchee/Rock Island: 98.1 FM

·      Lake Chelan Valley: 95.3 FM

·      Brewster/Pateros: 101.3 FM

·      Okanogan Valley: 101.9 FM

·      Omak/Tonasket/Oroville: 97.7 FM

·      Methow Valley: 106.3 FM

Coverage of tonight’s game begins at 6:10 p.m. with the Horan Estates Winery Pregame Show. Stick around after the game to hear the postgame show with player and coach interviews if the AppleSox win.

AppleSox Sweep NorthPaws

Enzo Apodaca delivered a go-ahead single in the sixth and Evan Canfield tossed 3.2 scoreless innings in relief as the Wenatchee AppleSox defeated the Kamloops NorthPaws, 6-5, on Thursday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

The AppleSox picked up their third series sweep of the summer, all of which have come against teams in their first season in the WCL. Thursday night’s win was their toughest of the series. After a 16-4 win on Tuesday and an 7-2 victory on Wednesday the AppleSox were knotted up, 5-5, until Apodaca’s two-out hit in the sixth.

The AppleSox led 5-2 after three innings but gave up three runs in the top of the third to tie the game up before Apodaca’s heroics. Aiva Arquette doubled in a pair in the first inning and Andrew Haight doubled in Xander Orejudos in the third. Two wild pitches plated a pair of runs in the second.

Canfield entered in the top of the sixth with one out and a runner at second. He walked three and allowed one hit but struck out five hitters, including four consecutive in the seventh in the eighth and then the last one for the final out

Orejudos, Arquette and Matt Halbach all recorded multi-hit games in the AppleSox’ win. The AppleSox collected at least 10 hits in all three games of this series and remain in first place in the West Coast League in the North Division in the second half with an 8-4 record.

Prior to Thursday’s game the AppleSox presented Joichiro Oyama with the 2022 Tommy Watanabe Award. He became the fourth recipient of the AppleSox’ annual award. Oyama was honored for his respect for the game and those around it.

Wenatchee won six-of-the-eight games on this homestand and have won four-of-their-last-five games. They travel to Walla Walla to face the Sweets on Friday night for the first game of a three-game series. It is the first road game for the AppleSox since July 10. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m.

Listen to the latest edition of the AppleSox Podcast to hear a recap of the game, highlights and interviews with Canfield, Apodaca, Mitch Darlington and Reese Ligtenberg. Subscribe to the AppleSox Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Oyama Named 2022 Tommy Watanabe Award Winner

It’s things like his Mickey Mouse luggage bag that he brings on every road trip. 

The smile and thumbs-up when asked to pose for a photo while crossing the border late in the evening at the end of a six-game road trip.

Picking up AppleSox head coach Mitch Darlington’s just-over-a-year-old son, Dash, and carrying him back to his dad.

The tip of his helmet to the home-plate umpire before every plate appearance. 

All of these are part of the charm that is Joichiro Oyama. His love of the game and the smile that he brings to the field every day are why he is the 2022 Tommy Watanabe Award winner.

“You can’t bring up Jo’s name without smiling because he always is,” AppleSox general manager Allie Schank said. “He always is in a good mood whether he had a great day at the plate or an off night by his standards."

The AppleSox infielder has become a fan favorite with his charm and his old-fashioned style of playing. Oyama bunts, hits to the opposite field and steals bases. Listen to the crowd during a game and you’ll hear the crowd chanting “Jo-ichi-ro!” or saying “make it so, Jo!”

He has already written himself into the AppleSox’ history books by becoming the team’s single-season stolen bases leader with four bags shipped on July 10 against Nanaimo to give him 26 for the season, surpassing the previous mark of 23 set in 2003 by Brent Wyatt. 

Stolen bases aren’t the only record that Oyama may break this season. He enters Thursday night’s game four runs away from tying the WCL single-season record of 47.

His play speaks for itself but it’s the effect that he has on his teammates that makes him so deserving of this award. He always hustles and that was especially evident when he charged and helped make a tough play to help record the final out of the AppleSox’ win on Wednesday, July 20. Pitcher Jake Putnam was so excited that Oyama got to a slow rolling ball that hit off his glove that Putnam picked up Oyama and bear-hugged him on the pitcher’s mound as the team celebrated.

“Joichiro is the true definition of what it means to be a great teammate,” head coach Mitch Darlington said. “Jo brings an infectious joy for the game and his teammates everyday that he comes to the park. He plays the game with a fierce competitiveness, a sharp focus, all with a smile on his face. I’m thankful to have had the opportunity to coach such a great human being as Joichiro Oyama.” 

Oyama is the fourth recipient of the Tommy Watanabe Award, created in 2019 in honor of former AppleSox player Tommy Watanabe, who passed away in 2017. Oyama joins Michael O’Hara in 2021, Johnny Sage in 2019, Jacob Prater in 2018 as winners of the award. 

To learn more about Tommy Watanabe and the Award, please visit applesox.com/tommy-watanabe-award

AppleSox Wrap Up Lengthy Homestand Tonight vs Kamloops

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox conclude their eight-game homestand tonight against the Kamloops NorthPaws at 6:35 p.m. at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

It’s been a great home stretch for the AppleSox over the last couple of weeks. Wenatchee has won five-of-its-last-seven games, including non-league victories last week against the DubSea Fish Sticks. The AppleSox are 13-10 overall this summer when playing in the Apple Capital of the World.

Wenatchee is looking to pick up his third series sweep of the summer after previously winning all three games against Springfield in mid June and completing the trifecta at Nanaimo two weeks ago. The AppleSox won, 16-4, on Tuesday night before winning, 7-2, last night.

Crooked innings have been the name of the game for the AppleSox in this series. They have score five-or-more runs in an inning three times and have never trailed against Kamloops. Wenatchee scored five runs in the second and seven runs in the third inning on Tuesday and then followed it up with a five-run first inning last night.

The AppleSox continue to hold down the first spot in the second half in the North Division. They have split each of their first four series to open the second half but swept Nanaimo on the road and could do the same to Kamloops with a win tonight. Wenatchee holds a one-game lead over Victoria for the division lead and will either make the postseason by winning the second half or having one of the four-best overall records in the North Division.

Felix Schlede makes his fourth start overall and his third in West Coast League action tonight for the AppleSox. He started two Wednesdays ago against the DubSea Fish Sticks and allowed two runs over 4.1 innings, walked three and struck out four. For the second time in a start this summer Schlede did not allow any hits. The incoming freshman also stymied the Springfield Drifters on June 12 with 10 strikeouts in four innings. He has a 10.28 ERA over seven innings in three games in WCL play this year. He has 12 strikeouts, eight walks and four hits.

Kamloops original probable starter for tonight, Shay Timmer, started last night instead.

Tonight is the final game of this eight-game homestand and a Throwback Thursday, with general admission tickets available for a “throwback” price of $2. Tickets can be purchased at saferseating.com.

Wenatchee will also be sporting special uniforms that pay tribute to the Native American history of North Central Washington. Their uniforms are ones that were designed in collaboration with the Colville tribes for the final two Thursday home games of the 2022 season. Fans can purchase the game-worn uniforms on a first-come, first-serve basis in-person at the third-base souvenir stand and can receive them after the July 28 game.

Tonight’s game can be listened to live on kcsyfm.com on your computer or smart phone. If you live in Washington you can listen on your radio on any of the following stations:

·      Wenatchee: 93.9 FM

·      East Wenatchee/Rock Island: 98.1 FM

·      Lake Chelan Valley: 95.3 FM

·      Brewster/Pateros: 101.3 FM

·      Okanogan Valley: 101.9 FM

·      Omak/Tonasket/Oroville: 97.7 FM

·      Methow Valley: 106.3 FM

Coverage of tonight’s game begins at 6:10 p.m. with the Horan Estates Winery Pregame Show. Stick around after the game to hear the postgame show with player and coach interviews if the AppleSox win.

AppleSox Win Seventh Series of 2022

Jack Moffitt tossed five scoreless innings and the AppleSox scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning to defeat the Kamloops NorthPaws, 7-2, on Wednesday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. 

Wenatchee’s win moves them back to .500 overall at 19-19 and keeps them in first place in the second half with a 7-4 record. The AppleSox can clinch a playoff berth by either winning the second half or having one of the four best overall records in the North Division.

Moffitt (2-1) struck out a season-best six in his longest start of the summer to help give the AppleSox the series victory. He walked five but only allowed two hits. He got out of a one-out bases-loaded jam in the fourth with a strikeout and a groundout to keep the AppleSox firmly ahead.

Aiva Arquette collected two hits, including a 2-RBI double in the bottom of the first to put the AppleSox on the board and then scored two batters later on an RBI double from Cole Miller for the third run of the five-run frame. 

Enzo Apodaca drove in a pair of runs with an RBI double in the third and an RBI groundout in the first to score Grant Sherrod. 

It was Sherrod who started the AppleSox’ rally in the third by drawing a two-out walk and then going to third when Miller put down a bunt but the ball was thrown out of play. A wild pitch scored Sherrod and then Apodaca plated Miller for the AppleSox’ final run of the night. 

Kamloops tacked on singular runs in the sixth and seventh innings but Jake Putnam entered in the eighth and tossed a perfect final two innings to wrap up the win.

The AppleSox look to sweep their third series of the summer on Thursday night when they face the NorthPaws at 6:35 p.m. at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. It’s a Throwback Thursday with general admission tickets available for a “throwback” price of $2.

Wenatchee will also be sporting special uniforms that pay tribute to the Native American history of North Central Washington. Their uniforms are ones that were designed in collaboration with the Colville tribes for the final two Thursday home games of the 2022 season. Fans can purchase the game-worn uniforms on a first-come, first-serve basis beginning on Thursday and can receive them after July 28’s game.

AppleSox Play Penultimate Game Of Lengthy Homestand Tonight

The Wenatchee AppleSox face the Kamloops NorthPaws tonight at 6:35 p.m. at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium in the second-to-last game of their season-long eight-game homestand.

Wenatchee defeated Kamloops, 16-4, last night in the series opener and first-ever meeting between the two teams. The AppleSox pounced on the NorthPaws early with five runs in the second before scoring seven in the third inning and led 13-0 after four innings.

Now the AppleSox look to win their seventh series of the summer. When Wenatchee has won the first game of a three-game set they have gone on to win five series this year.

Last night was the ninth time that the AppleSox have scored 10-or-more runs in a game. They are 8-1 in those instances, including eight straight wins when reaching double-digits. The Sox are 17-6 when scoring five-or-more runs and enter tonight’s action with the third-most runs scored (256) in the WCL along with the second best batting average (.287). Wenatchee sits three runs back of being second and less than 10 points away from having the best batting average. The AppleSox are averaging 10.1 hits per game in their first 37 games this season.

Joichiro Oyama continues to climb closer to a few AppleSox records. The second baseman scored one run last night and now has scored a team and league-best 42 times this summer. He is five away from tying Mitchell Gunsolus’s 2012 AppleSox single-season record with 47 runs. Gunsolus and Kelowna’s Taylor Wright from 2017 hold a share of the WCL record.

Wenatchee sends right-hander Jack Moffitt to the mound for his team-leading seventh start of the summer. The redshirt sophomore at Gonzaga last pitched on July 6 at Kelowna and matched his season-high with 4.1 innings and set a season-high with five strikeouts. Moffitt only allowed one run on five hits and one walk but picked up a no decision. He is 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA in six appearances, all starts. Moffitt has struck out 19, walked 14 and allowed 25 hits in 20 innings.

Reed Interdonato starts for Kamloops in his fourth start and fifth appearance of the summer. The incoming sophomore at Monmouth is 0-2 with a 5.06 ERA, 11 strikeouts, eight walks and 11 hits in 10.2 innings. He allowed three unearned runs in four innings last Wednesday at Yakima Valley while walking three, allowing one hit and striking out two. He has allowed three runs in less than four innings in all three of his starts this summer.

This is the second-to-last game of this eight-game homestand and tickets are still available at saferseating.com. Wenatchee will wrap up the homestand tomorrow and then be on the road this weekend at Walla Walla before returning home next Tuesday-through-Thursday.

Tonight’s game can be listened to live on kcsyfm.com on your computer or smart phone. If you live in Washington you can listen on your radio on any of the following stations:

·      Wenatchee: 93.9 FM

·      East Wenatchee/Rock Island: 98.1 FM

·      Lake Chelan Valley: 95.3 FM

·      Brewster/Pateros: 101.3 FM

·      Okanogan Valley: 101.9 FM

·      Omak/Tonasket/Oroville: 97.7 FM

·      Methow Valley: 106.3 FM

Coverage of tonight’s game begins at 6:10 p.m. with the Horan Estates Winery Pregame Show. Stick around after the game to hear the postgame show with player and coach interviews if the AppleSox win.

Four AppleSox Players Selected In 2022 MLB Draft

Three former AppleSox players and one active player were selected in this year’s MLB Draft.

Brett Gillis, Torin Montgomery and Blake Klassen, all from the 2019 AppleSox team that came three outs away from advancing to the West Coast League Championship Series, were selected in addition to current Sox shortstop Aiva Arquette.

Gillis was picked in the ninth round by the Houston Astros. He recorded a 2.78 ERA in 14 appearances for the AppleSox in 2019 and saved two games in 32.1 innings, all in relief. He also recorded 92 at-bats as a position player, splitting time between designated hitting and third base. Gillis hit .239 with three extra-base hits and 10 RBI

He went on to join the Corvallis Knights in 2021 and won the West Coast League Championship with them. Gillis graduated from the University of Portland this past spring after a dominant senior year in which he recorded a 2.24 ERA and struck out 115 hitters over 84.1 innings in 14 games, all starts. He was a second team All-American for both Collegiate Baseball News and ABCA/Rawlings, while also being named the West Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year, a first time honor for a Portland arm. Gillis was also an ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Division I All-Region West First Team selection.

Montgomery was selected in the 14th round by the same team that originally drafted him straight out of high school in 2019, the Miami Marlins. He was a key late-season addition to the 2019 AppleSox, joining them on Aug. 2 and playing in each of the final eight-regular season games. Montgomery hit .344 with two home runs in his cameo then played in all three postseason games while picking up a hit in all but one of the 11 games that he played.

He originally committed to play at Boise State out of high school but the program’s 2020 season was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and then shut down. He transferred to Missouri, where he played each of the last two years. Montgomery hit .278 with five home runs in 47 games in 2021 before exploding with a .362 mark and seven home runs in 48 games this spring

Klassen was picked by the Miami Marlins in the 17th round. He played in 44 games with the AppleSox in 2019, primarily at first base, and hit .338 with 14 multi-hit games and earned All-WCL Honorable Mention honors.

Klassen played for the AppleSox prior to his freshman year at Arizona, in which he appeared in three games before transferring to play at Eastern Oklahoma State College for the 2021 season. He hit .388 in 40 games to earn a chance to transfer to UC Santa Barbara and went on to hit .352 in 37 games this spring. Klassen continued to play summer ball in 2020 and 2021 in the Northwoods League and Cape Cod League, respectively.

Arquette got the call that he was the Arizona Diamondbacks’ selection in the 18th round on Tuesday. He is in the midst of an impressive summer with the AppleSox prior to his freshman year at the University of Washington. Arquette is tied for the team lead with 24 RBI and has started 22 consecutive games at shortstop, entering Wednesday night, and 28 games there in total. He has a .325 batting average and has recorded 12 multi-hit games, including a four-hit debut with the AppleSox on June 6.

In addition to baseball Arquette is a phenomenal basketball player. He graduated from Saint Louis High School in Honolulu, Hawaii, this past spring and was the Gatorade State Player of the Year in Hawaii and a state champion in 2022. Arquette ended his high school career a nationally-ranked baseball recruit by Perfect Game.

All four of these players remain amateurs until they official sign contracts with the big-league clubs that drafted them. For more information on the results of the 2022 MLB Draft please visit mlb.com.

Watch a pregame interview with Arquette below later in the day on Tuesday after he learned that he had been selected by Arizona.

AppleSox Strike Early, Defeat NorthPaws Tuesday

The Wenatchee AppleSox scored five runs in the second inning and seven times in the third to defeat the Kamloops NorthPaws, 16-4, on Tuesday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Wenatchee led 13-0 after three innings and cruised from there in their first-ever game against Kamloops. The AppleSox improved to 9-1 against expansion teams in 2022 and 8-5 in the first game of a three-game series. They remain in first place in the North Division in the second half with a 6-4 record.

Matt Halbach went 2-for-3 with 4 RBI, including a bases-clearing double in the third inning. Adam Fahsel was 3-for-4 with three runs, 3 RBI and a hit by pitch to reach base the most times of any AppleSox hitter while batting ninth in the order. Aiva Arquette, Corey Jarrell, Grant Sherrod and Ezra Samperi all record two-hit games while Brandham Ponce hit his team-leading fourth home run of the season in the eighth.

Quincy Vassar started for the AppleSox and dominated in his four innings on the bump, only allowing one hit and striking out four. After a strikeout to end the first inning Vassar punched out the side in order in the second inning. He exited after the fourth due to the AppleSox leading 13-0 at the time. Vassar has not allowed any runs in his last 11 innings as a starting pitcher.

Will Jacobson tossed the final four innings to earn his first save of the summer and struck out three in that time. It was also the AppleSox’ seventh team save of the summer, all by seven different pitchers. Every save recorded by an AppleSox reliever has been the result of tossing three-or-more innings out of the bullpen.

The AppleSox look to take the series on Wednesday when they face the NorthPaws again. Jack Moffitt (1-1, 5.40 ERA) makes his team-leading seventh start of the summer. First pitch is at 6:35 p.m. and tickets are available at saferseating.com.

Listen to the latest edition of the AppleSox Podcast below to hear a recap of the game and interviews with Jacobson, Fahsel, head coach Mitch Darlington and Aiva Arquette.

AppleSox Host Kamloops In Potential Playoff Preview

GAME NOTES

The AppleSox face the Kamloops NorthPaws tonight in the first-ever meeting between the two teams at 6:35 p.m. at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Their first encounter comes at a time when both are in the thick of the North Division playoff race. Kamloops holds the second-best record in the North with a 17-16 mark while Wenatchee is a place behind them at 17-16. However, the AppleSox lead the North in the second half with a 5-4 record while the NorthPaws are 4-6. If the season ended today the two teams would meet in the North Division Series with Wenatchee holding home-field advantage and thus hosting Games 2 and (if necessary) 3.

The AppleSox are in first in the second half despite dropping two-of-three series. They lost two-of-three to the Kelowna Falcons two weeks ago, swept the Nanaimo NightOwls and then took one-of-three against the Corvallis Knights this past weekend. Wenatchee had opportunities to walk off in every game but only celebrated on Saturday night.

Kamloops defeated the Port Angeles Lefties, 3-1, last night in a makeup game at Civic Field. The NorthPaws were off this past weekend but lost back-to-back series before that, getting swept by Yakima Valley and losing two-of-three to Victoria prior. They opened the season on a tear at 16-11 but have lost five-of-their-last-six games.

Quincy Vassar returns to the starting rotation after appearing in relief on Saturday for the AppleSox. He allowed two runs on two hits and a walk in one inning against Corvallis. Prior to that Vassar had a dominant start on July 8 when he fired seven shutout innings and struck out seven against Nanaimo. The Brewster, Wash. native has tossed at least five innings in four-of-his-five starts. He is 1-3 with a 5.08 ERA in seven games, five starts, over 28.1 innings. Vassar has struck out 31, walked nine and allowed 33 hits.

Kamloops sends southpaw Colby Ring to the mound for his seventh start of the summer. He last pitched six days ago in relief, allowing three runs on two hits and two walks in 0.1 innings against Yakima Valley. He held a very strong 1.88 ERA through his first six games spanning 24 innings, but has been roughed up in his last two games, including allowing six runs on eight hits and two walks in 1.2 innings at Victoria on July 9. Ring is 2-1 with a 4.84 ERA in eight games, six starts, over 26 innings. He has struck out 23, walked 23 and allowed 26 hits.

Tonight’s game is another $2 Off Tuesday. Fans can purchase discounted tickets to the game for as affordable at $5 for general admission seats and $10 for reserved premium seating. Hot dogs, burgers and Coors draft pours are also $2 off. Fans can also save 20-percent on AppleSox merchandise purchased at the third-base souvenir stand.

In addition to all the exciting $2 Off Tuesday savings it is also a Taco Tuesday. Purchase three tacos at the concession stand for just $7. Tickets can be purchased at saferseating.com.

Tonight’s game can be listened to live on kcsyfm.com on your computer or smart phone. If you live in Washington you can listen on your radio on any of the following stations:

·      Wenatchee: 93.9 FM

·      East Wenatchee/Rock Island: 98.1 FM

·      Lake Chelan Valley: 95.3 FM

·      Brewster/Pateros: 101.3 FM

·      Okanogan Valley: 101.9 FM

·      Omak/Tonasket/Oroville: 97.7 FM

·      Methow Valley: 106.3 FM

Coverage of tonight’s game begins at 6:10 p.m. with the Horan Estates Winery Pregame Show. Stick around after the game to hear the postgame show with player and coach interviews if the AppleSox win.

AppleSox To Sport Special Jerseys In Collaboration With Colville Tribes

This year marks the 85th year anniversary of the founding of the Wenatchee Chiefs and the beginning of a long history of organized baseball in the Wenatchee Valley and the Wenatchee AppleSox are proud to celebrate that history this year.

In previous seasons the AppleSox have sported a Chiefs-inspired throwback uniform but have opted to take a different route this summer. They will instead honor the history of Native Americans in North Central Washington by sporting uniforms designed in collaboration with the Colville Tribal Language Program as well as Colville Casinos for the final two Thursday home games of the season on July 21 and 28.

The pattern along the sleeves, around the collar and down the buttons on the front of the jersey is an interpretation of a bitterroot basket pattern, which has strong significance to the Colville Tribes. The local dialect on the front translates to “Wenatchee” in English. The AppleSox “apple baseball” logo is on the left shoulder sleeve and the Colville Casinos 12 Tribes logo is on the right shoulder sleeve.

Fans have an opportunity to purchase this specialty player-worn jersey on a first-come, first-serve basis beginning this Thursday, July 21. Forty jerseys are available for purchase for $100 and all fans interested in buying one can only do so in-person at the AppleSox third-base souvenir stand but will not receive their jersey until after the game on July 28. Fans who purchase a jersey in person but are not able to make it to the July 28 game to pick it up may have it shipped to them for an additional $10.

These jerseys are part of the AppleSox “Throwback Thursdays” for the final two home games. Fans can purchase general admission tickets to the games on July 21 and July 28 for a “throwback” price of just $2. Tickets can be purchased now at saferseating.com.

AppleSox Fall In Extra Innings Again To Knights

Hunter Gibson tossed five shutout innings in relief but the AppleSox fell to the Corvallis Knights, 8-4, in 12 innings on Sunday afternoon at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. 

The AppleSox and Knights went to extra innings for the second time in the last three days and it was Corvallis again picking up the victory to earn the series victory. The Knights opened up the weekend with a 7-5 win in 10 innings on Friday and captured the series with a five-run top of the 12th on Sunday.

Enzo Apodaca and Cole Miller led the AppleSox with a pair of multi-hit games. Apodaca briefly gave the AppleSox the lead with a 2-RBI single in the bottom of the second after Corvallis scored in the top of the first. Wenatchee’s lead was short-lived as it surrendered a two-run homer in the top of the third to give the Knights a 3-2 lead.

Gibson came on in the fourth and dominated in his longest outing of the summer, striking out six and only allowed one hit and one walk. The AppleSox tied the game up in bottom of the sixth when Michael Davinni watched with his third walk of the day, stole second and then scored after back-to-back groundouts.

Neither team was able to manage a run until the Knights’ outburst in the top of the 12th but both nearly go scored go-ahead runs in previous innings. Apodaca singled with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and then Brandham Ponce hit a deep drive to left field that landed at the base off the wall right next to the foul pole. Head coach Mitch Darlington sent Apodaca around third as left fielder Briley Knight was picking up the baseball and a perfect relay from left field to shortstop Spencer Scott to catcher Tyler Quinn was a step ahead of Apodaca’s slide.

Corvallis nearly scored the go-ahead run an inning before winning the game. With a runner at second base and one out a ground ball to the left side of the second base bag was bobbled by shortstop Aiva Arquette and Knights head coach Brooke Knight sent runner Kiko Romero around third home but Arquette recovered to throw a strike to catcher Ezra Samperi to retire Romero and end the inning.

Wenatchee is off Monday but wraps up the eight-game homestand with a big three-game set against the Kamloops NorthPaws. The NorthPaws and AppleSox had the second and fourth-best overall records in the North Division entering Sunday night’s games and would both qualify for the playoffs. All three games begin at 6:35 p.m. and tickets can be purchased at saferseating.com.

Listen to the latest edition of the AppleSox Podcast for a recap of the game, highlights and a pregame interview with Riley Sinclair. Subscribe to the AppleSox Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

AppleSox Walk Off Knights

The Wenatchee AppleSox scored five unanswered runs, including one in the bottom of the ninth, to defeat the Corvallis Knights, 5-4, on Saturday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Corey Jarrell and Joichiro Oyama drew back-to-back walks to open the bottom of the ninth inning and Jarrell scored when Matt Halbach hit a hot shot to the second baseman Mason Le that he could not handle. Jarrell scored from second to give Wenatchee its first walkoff victory of the season.

Reese Ligtenberg (2-2) tossed the final five innings in relief to earn the victory. He allowed one run in the fifth but none after that and struck out three match his longest effort of the season out of the bullpen.

The AppleSox began Saturday a bit sluggish as Corvallis took a 4-0 lead into the bottom of the fifth but Wenatchee would respond. Three consecutive singles to open the inning led to the first run as Jarrell drove in Sherrod and then Joichiro Oyama put down a push bunt to the right side to sacrifice himself but score Cole Miller.

Miller came through for the AppleSox in the sixth with a two-out game-tying single after Enzo Apodaca cut the deficit to one with an RBI groundout two batters prior.

The AppleSox can pick up a series victory on Sunday when they face the Knights at 1:05 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at saferseating.com.

Listen to the latest edition of the AppleSox Podcast to hear a recap of the game, the highlights and interviews with Ligtenberg, Halbach, head coach Mitch Darlington and Connor Wilson. Subscribe to the AppleSox Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.