Darlington To Return For Third Season As AppleSox Skipper

The Wenatchee AppleSox are proud to announce that Mitch Darlington will return for a third season as AppleSox head coach in 2024.

Darlington has led the AppleSox to the postseason in each of the last two campaigns, becoming the first AppleSox head coach in team history to achieve that feat. Darlington’s 64 wins through two seasons are already third-most in AppleSox history and 21 away from moving into second place.

“Coach Darlington brings a level of excellence and a refocused energy to the Wenatchee AppleSox,” general manager Allie Schank said. “The team culture and past recruiting success give me confidence that the future of the program is bright under Mitch's leadership. I'm looking forward to this upcoming season and I can't wait to see the impact Mitch has in the coming years.”

The 2023 AppleSox recorded the best regular-season record in in the last 10 seasons and tied the 2012 team for the second-most wins in franchise history. Seven members of the team earned All-WCL honors to help lead the team to its 15th playoff berth in 23 seasons. Wenatchee broke single-season records for home victories (21), home winning streak in league play (12 games), three-game series sweeps (eight), most home runs hit in a league game (four on July 13), players used in a single summer (55) and walks drawn (299). Wenatchee’s 19-8 record in the first half was the team's best mark in either half since the West Coast League adopted the two-halves playoff format in 2016.

In Darlington’s first season he recovered from a 12-15 start with a 15-12 finish to win the 2022 North Division second-half playoff spot. Wenatchee swept Kamloops in the first round to earn its first postseason series victory since 2013. Darlington’s AppleSox shattered single-season franchise records for walks, runs, stolen bases and RBI. Second baseman Joichiro Oyama was named WCL co-MVP after breaking single-season franchise records for runs, stolen bases, walks and plate appearances while also tying for single-season records for triples and games played.

“I think we took another step forward (in 2023),” Darlington said. “I think we are growing not only the brand, but growing the type of players that want to come in here and play for us and are creating a culture where a lot of a lot of guys are starting to hear about the AppleSox.”

Darlington will begin his third campaign as the AppleSox head coach in June. The 2024 West Coast League schedule will be announced next month. Stay tuned to applesox.com as well as westcoastleague.com for news on the 2024 season.

Fans can purchase season tickets now for the 2024 season by emailing allie@applesox.com or by calling 509-665-6900.

Seven AppleSox Earn 2023 All-WCL Honors

The West Coast League announced on Thursday the members of its 2023 all-league team and seven members of the Wenatchee AppleSox were honored.

Frankie Carney, Toby Haarer, Jadon Williamson, Evan Canfield, Michael Cunneely, Ryan Martinez and Brandham Ponce gave Wenatchee its most All-WCL honorees since eight players were recognized in 2019. Carney earned first team second baseman while Haarer and Williamson earned second team starting pitcher and relief pitcher, respectively. Canfield, Cunneely, Martinez and Ponce all earned honorable mention.

Carney, a redshirt freshman at UC Irvine, was the second straight Anteater to lock down second base and earn First Team All-WCL honors after Joichiro Oyama did so in 2022. Carney recorded the second-best batting average in the WCL (.356), which also marked the best by an AppleSox player to play in at least 40 games since former Anteater Keston Hiura in 2015. He recorded a team-best 17-game hitting streak from July 17 - Aug. 8, which was five games away from breaking the team record and the second-longest in the WCL. The San Diego native also finished second in the league with 40 walks, good for second most all-time by an AppleSox player, and led the WCL with 44 runs, third-most in a summer in team history. Carney reached base with at least a walk or a hit in all but six of the 42 games that he played in.

Haarer, a sophomore at Central Arizona, was one of the AppleSox’ most efficient starters in 2023 by going 5-1 with a 1.90 ERA in seven games. The right-hander led the team in wins, finished second in ERA and was the 10th pitcher in AppleSox history to start at least six games and record an ERA under 2.00. Haarer started each of the final six games that he pitched in and allowed three earned runs or less in each one. The Scottsdale, Ariz. native completed at least five innings four times and won each of his last four starts.

Williamson, a redshirt junior at Lewis-Clark State College, tied for third on the AppleSox in innings pitched despite making all 10 of his appearances in relief. He tied for the team lead in strikeouts (42), also tied for the seventh-most in the WCL. Williamson recorded five outings of at least four innings in the regular season and then tossed 7.1 innings out of the bullpen on Aug. 8 in the postseason. The Longview native’s most important performance came on Aug. 3 when he tossed 5.2 scoreless innings and struck out seven against Bellingham in a 3-1 win.

Canfield, a redshirt sophomore at Edmonds, was also a horse out of the bullpen for Wenatchee, recording a 2.03 ERA in his second season with the AppleSox. The right-hander’s 12 appearances led the team and his 36 strikeouts were third-most. Canfield record five different outings of at least three innings, including a season-high 5.1 innings of shutout ball in a 5-1 win over Bellingham on July 25. The Bothell, Wash. native’s finest outing was his first of the season, when he tossed five shutout innings and struck out nine to earn the win against Springfield on June 7.

Cunneely, a sophomore at Gonzaga, was the AppleSox’ second-most used pitcher after Canfield, recording a 3.81 ERA in 10 appearances. His control was impressive all season as he only walked six over 28.1 innings. The right-hander tossed six different outings of at least three innings with a season-high six of scoreless ball on July 22 in a 10-6 win over Nanaimo. Cunneely finished the summer strong with a 2.51 ERA over his final four games, spanning 14.1 innings. The Spokane native recorded a season-high seven strikeouts in four scoreless innings on June 27 against Port Angeles.

Martinez, a sophomore at Pacific, started all eight of the games that he pitched in and tossed at least five innings in six of them. He only walked seven hitters over 39.2 innings and recorded a 3.63 ERA with Wenatchee. The right-hander twice fired seven innings and was superb in both outings, first with no runs, five strikeouts and no walks on June 17 against Kelowna and then with one unearned run, four strikeouts and one walk vs. Edmonton in his final start of the summer on July 29. The Las Vegas native finished 3-2 but the AppleSox all but two of the games that he pitched in.

Ponce, a senior at Washington State, shined in his second year with the AppleSox by tying for the team lead in doubles (10) and increasing his batting average from .243 in 2022 to .279 in 2023. The Federal Way, Wash. native recorded an 11-game hitting streak from June 8-21, batting .418 (18-for-43) over it. Ponce put together a monster June, slashing .309/.390/.456 with seven doubles, a home run and 15 RBI. He also thrived in home games, batting .362 with seven doubles and 12-of-his-19 RBI.

The AppleSox ended the 2023 season with a 37-17 record, tied for their second-best in team history, and advanced to the North Division Series to earn its 15th playoff berth in franchise history. Wenatchee broke single-season records for home victories (21), home winning streak in league play (12 games), three-game series sweeps (eight), most home runs hit in a league game (four on July 13), players used in a single summer (55) and walks drawn (299). Wenatchee’s 19-8 record in the first half was the team's best mark in either half since the West Coast League adopted the two-halves playoff format in 2016.

2024 season tickets are now available for purchase by calling 509-665-6900. The 2024 schedule will be released by the WCL in November.

Monson Dominates But AppleSox’ Season Comes To An End

The Wenatchee AppleSox fell to the Victoria HarbourCats, 4-2, in Game 2 of the North Division Series on Wednesday night at Royal Athletic Park.

Andrew Monson struck out five over five scoreless and hitless innings in his first start of the summer. He faced the minimum in the second and fourth innings and the only men to reach against him did so on three walks.

The HarbourCats broke open a scoreless tie two pitches into the sixth after Monson departed on a triple and a double. A two-run homer put Victoria up 3-0. They added an insurance run in the seventh and collected all six of their hits over their final three innings at the plate.

Wenatchee broke up the shutout in the ninth with two runs. Kyle Henington reached on a leadoff infield single and then Brandham Ponce singled to right and reached second on a throwing error that also allowed Henington to score. Izzy Lopez hit a two-out RBI single to plate Ponce four batters later with Wenatchee down to its final out.

The AppleSox recorded the third-best overall record in the entire WCL in the regular season but saw their 2023 summer come to an end. Wenatchee’s 37 regular-season victories were a 10-game improvement from a year ago and tied for their second-most in a summer in team history.

Stay tuned to AppleSox.com this offseason for news on the 2024 season, roster and much more.

AppleSox Look To Extend Series

The Wenatchee AppleSox travel to British Columbia tonight to face the Victoria HarbourCats in Game 2 of the North Division Series at 6:35 at Royal Athletic Park.

The AppleSox must win tonight to keep their season alive after falling to the HarbourCats, 6-2, on Tuesday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. Jadon Williamson tossed 7.1 innings out of the bullpen and Frankie Carney went 2-for-4 but the AppleSox could not take the series opener. Victoria took a 3-0 lead in the first to pull off the road victory.

The AppleSox face the tall task of needing to win twice on the road to advance to the North Division Championship Game. The HarbourCats went a WCL-best 25-2 at home in the regular season to set a new league record. The winner of this series will host the North Division Championship Game on Saturday night against the winner of the Bellingham-Kelowna series. The Bells shut out the Falcons, 1-0, in the series opener at Elks Stadium last night.

Andrew Monson makes his first start of the summer with the season on the line. The incoming junior at Sacramento State went 2-1 with a 2.57 ERA, 23 strikeouts, 7 walks and 11 hits over 14 innings in five games out of the bullpen. Monson last pitched on July 28, tossing 3.2 innings of scoreless relief. He allowed two inherited runners to score by walking the first three hitters that he faced but then silenced the Riverhawks the rest of the way, striking out six and earning the win in an eventual 13-inning victory. Monson pitched once against Victoria,

Davis Franklin tosses for the HarbourCats in attempt to lead them to the North Division Championship Game. The incoming sophomore at Puget Sound was 2-1 with a 1.44 ERA, 30 strikeouts, one walk and 21 hits over 25 innings in 13 games (1 start). Franklin earned the save against the AppleSox with a 1-2-3 ninth inning and two strikeouts on July 15. The southpaw last pitched on Saturday, recording a scoreless ninth inning against Edmonton to earn his fourth save of the summer.

Fans can tune in to the action tonight and all season long on KCSY Sunny FM. Pregame coverage presented by Kenady Real Estate Group begins at 6:10 p.m. You can listen online worldwide at kcsyfm.com, the TuneIn radio app or on one of the following translators.

• 93.9 FM in Wenatchee

• 95.3 FM in the Lake Chelan Valley

• 97.7 FM in Omak, Riverside, Tonasket and Oroville

• 98.1 FM in East Wenatchee, Rock Island and Quincy

• 101.3 FM in Brewster and Pateros

• 106.3 FM in the Methow Valley

All West Coast League games are video broadcast on wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv.

Williamson's Herculean Relief Effort Not Enough In Game 1

The Wenatchee AppleSox fell behind, 0-1, in the North Division Series with a 6-2 loss to the Victoria HarbourCats on Tuesday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Jadon Williamson tossed 7.1 innings out of the bullpen but Wenatchee could not overcome giving up three runs in the top of the first. The incoming junior at Lewis-Clark State College struck out five, walked one and only allowed five hits out of the bullpen after entering with two outs in the first inning.

Victoria took an early lead thanks to a three-spot in the first inning and never looked back, cashing in on two walks, two hit by pitches, an error and an infield single. They added two more runs in the fifth thanks in part to two AppleSox errors and then scored a final run in the ninth on three walks and a wild pitch.

Frankie Carney reached base in each of his first three plate appearances with two singles and a walk and finished 2-for-4 while also stealing second in the fifth. Carson Ohland singled twice and scored in the sixth while Sebastian David recorded hits in his final two at-bats to finish 2-for-4. The AppleSox were 27-6 in the regular season when out-hitting opponent but their 8-6 difference on Tuesday was not enough.

The AppleSox had two opportunities to potentially change the momentum of the game but could not. An inning-ending double play with runners at first and third in the bottom of the first failed to get the AppleSox on the board after one full inning. Brandham Ponce singled in a run in the third inning with the bases loaded but Carney was thrown out at home on a perfect relay while trying to give Ponce a 2-RBI single and cut the deficit to one.

The AppleSox must win on Wednesday night to continue their season and force a winner-take-all Game 3. Game 2 is at 6:35 p.m. at Royal Athletic Park and can be heard on KCSY Sunny FM at 93.9 FM in Wenatchee, kcsyfm.com worldwide and at other translators across central Washington found on applesox.com/listen-live. Pregame coverage presented by Kenady Real Estate Group begins at 6:10 p.m.

2023 North Division Series Begins Tonight

The Wenatchee AppleSox begin the postseason tonight with the best-of-three games North Division Series against the Victoria HarbourCats. 

These two teams split the regular-season series against each other. The AppleSox won all three games in the Apple Capital of the World June 9-11 before the HarbourCats took all three games in Victoria July 14-16. The series in June was the AppleSox’ first sweep at home while the series in July was the only time that they were swept this summer.

This is the 15th time in franchise history that the AppleSox have made it to the postseason and the third time in the last four years after missing the playoffs from 2014-18. Head coach Mitch Darlington has qualified for the postseason for the second time in as many years at the helm, becoming the first AppleSox head coach in AppleSox history to make the postseason in each of his first two seasons.

Wenatchee finished the regular season with a 37-17 record. Its 19-8 record in the first half was the team's best mark in either half since the West Coast League adopted the two-halves playoff format in 2016. The AppleSox also broke single-season franchise records for home victories (21), home game winning streak in league play (12), three-game series sweeps (eight), most home runs hit in a league game (four on July 13), players used in a single summer (56) and walks drawn (299).

Second baseman Frankie Carney finished the regular season with a .356 average in 42 games, the second-best in the WCL. It’s also tied with 2015 alum and fellow UC Irvine product Keston Hiura for the third-best mark by an AppleSox hitter to play at least 40 regular-season games. Carney ended the summer on a 16-game hitting streak, the longest by an AppleSox player this summer and the third-longest in the entire WCL.

Victoria won the second-half title by going 19-7 in it and finished 38-15 overall. The HarbourCats' 25-2 record at home broke their franchise's and the WCL's single-season record. They also shattered the league record for stolen bases with 150 steals, breaking their record of 149 a year ago. The HarbourCats also led the WCL in runs (359), hits (510), RBI (296), total bases (685), batting average (.282), on-base percentage (.388) and slugging percentage (.379). Gonzaga commit Hudson Shupe led the team with a .353 batting average, third-best in the WCL.

The AppleSox and the HarbourCats have met in the postseason once before in 2019. Victoria won the final two games of the series to take the series. Wenatchee won Game 1 behind seven shutout innings, 10 strikeouts, four hits and no walks from Jake Saum. The HarbourCats broke open Game 2 with a three-run fifth inning to earn a 7-2 win to even the series. Game 3 was an instant classic as the AppleSox, down to their final out, scored four runs in the top of the ninth to turn a 5-3 deficit into a 7-5 lead. Wenatchee failed to record an out in the bottom of the inning as Victoria walked it off to clinch the series and earn a berth in the West Coast League Championship Series. Current AppleSox pitching coach Mike Callia pitched 1.2 scoreless innings in Game 1 against Wenatchee.

The AppleSox send Samuel Round to the mound for the first game of the series. The incoming freshman at Gonzaga went 2-0 with a 3.66 ERA, 30 strikeouts, 13 walks and 21 hits over 27 innings in seven games (five starts) in the regular season. Round tossed at least five innings in each of his last four starts and allowed three runs or less in every game that he started. The right-hander pitched against Victoria in relief on June 11, allowing one run on two hits, two walks and two strikeouts over 1.1 innings.

The HarbourCats will start Daniel Gonzalez, an incoming freshman at Louisiana Monroe. The right-hander had no record with a 3.17 ERA, 19 strikeouts, three walks and six hits over 11.1 innings in five games (two starts) prior to the postseason. His last appearance came four days ago when he started and tossed a 1-2-3 first inning against Edmonton on just 11 pitches. Gonzalez faced the AppleSox on July 15, firing scoreless fifth and sixth innings.

Tickets for tonight’s game are available for as affordable as $5 and can be purchased at applesox.com/2023-schedule. The series shifts to Victoria for Game 2 tomorrow night and Game 3 will be played on Thursday at Royal Athletic Park, if necessary.

AppleSox End Regular Season 20 Games Over .500

The Wenatchee AppleSox fell to the Kelowna Falcons, 12-8, in the final game of the 2023 regular season on Sunday night at Elks Stadium.

Wenatchee (37-17, 18-8 second half) entered the game knowing that it was locked in as the third seed and would host Game 1 of the North Division Series against the Victoria HarbourCats on Tuesday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

The AppleSox led 4-1 after two innings but could not hang onto the lead. Jayden Holloway recorded his second consecutive three-hit game, Carson Ohland singled in a pair in the second and Izzy Lopez hit an RBI single in the first. Frankie Carney reached on a bunt single in the second to extend his hitting streak to 16 games. He finished the regular season second in the WCL with a .356 batting average and tied with 2015 alum Keston Hiura for the third-best batting average by an AppleSox player who appeared in at least 40 games in a single summer.

The team will practice on Monday in preparation for the first game of the postseason on Tuesday night at home. Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday in Victoria, also at 6:35 p.m. Game 3, if necessary, will be played at Royal Athletic Park on Thursday night. Tickets for Tuesday night’s game can be purchased now at applesox.com/2023-schedule.

AppleSox Can’t Hang On To Lead, Walked Off By Falcons

The Wenatchee AppleSox took a 6-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh but fell to the Kelowna Falcons, 7-6, in 10 innings on Saturday night at Elks Stadium.

Wenatchee (37-16, 18-8 second half) falls to second place in the North Division in the second half with the loss thanks to Victoria (37-15, 18-7 second half) winning on Saturday at Edmonton. If the HarbourCats win again on Sunday at noon then the AppleSox will earn the first wild card spot in the North Division and host Game 1 of the North Division Series against Victoria on Tuesday at 6:35.

Back-to-back singles to lead off the bottom of the 10th inning walked it off for Kelowna and gave Wenatchee its first extra-inning loss in five instances. The AppleSox loaded up the bases in the top of the 10th with two outs but stranded them to keep the game tied.

The Falcons tied the game up with four consecutive hitters reaching base in the bottom of the ninth before the first out was recorded. The winning run nearly scored in that inning but was tagged out trying to score on a passed ball.

Jayden Holloway and MJ Sweeney led the AppleSox’ bats with 3-for-5, 2-RBI nights. Sweeney plated two runs in the top of the first on an opposite-field single and Holloway delivered RBI singles in the fifth and seventh innings. Frankie Carney drew three walks and extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a two-out RBI single in the fourth to score Mason Persons after he delivered a two-out RBI double of his own.

Wenatchee wraps up the regular season on Sunday night with a 6:05 game against Kelowna. A win would give them their second-most victories in the regular season in franchise history.

AppleSox Play Penultimate Game Of 2023 Regular Season Tonight

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox look to earn their 13th series victory of the summer and remain in first place tonight as they face the Kelowna Falcons at 6:35 at Elks Stadium.

The AppleSox won another close game with a 3-2 win last night. Runs have been hard to come by on this road trip as Wenatchee has scored a combined eight runs over the first four games of this six-game swing. Despite that, the AppleSox’ 337 runs scored are second-most in the West Coast League.

Wenatchee leads the North Division in the second half with an 18-7 record and its magic number to clinch is down to two. The AppleSox will face the HarbourCats in the North Division Series on Tuesday night but it remains to be seen where the series will begin as Victoria is only half-a-game out of first with two games left in the regular season. Game 1 will be played at the site of the team with the lower record before the higher seed hosts Game 2 and, if necessary, Game 3.

Frankie Carney singled in the first inning last night to extend his hitting streak to 14 games. He is one game away from matching Easton Amundson’s 15-game stretch from June 4-22. His .360 average is fourth-best in the WCL. Each of the last two nights he has extended his hitting streak with first-inning singles.

Izzy Lopez is looking to record his fourth consecutive multi-steal game. He has swiped two bases in each of the last three games and leads the AppleSox with 17 stolen bases. Lopez is already tied for the fourth-most stolen bases in a single and is seven away from moving into second place.

Quincy Vassar will start a day earlier in the weekend than he has for his last three starts. He tossed five innings and gave up three runs last Sunday against Edmonton. The left-hander at Vanguard struck out four, walked three and allowed five hits in his fifth start of at least five innings. Vassar is 1-2 with a 3.99 ERA, 37 strikeouts, 25 walks and 34 hits over 38.1 innings in eight games (all starts).

Kelowna has announced that its listed probable pitcher, Jaxon Byrd, will not start tonight.

Fans can tune in to the action tonight and all season long on KCSY Sunny FM. Pregame coverage presented by Kenady Real Estate Group begins at 6:10 p.m. You can listen online worldwide at kcsyfm.com, the TuneIn radio app or on one of the following translators.

• 93.9 FM in Wenatchee

• 95.3 FM in the Lake Chelan Valley

• 97.7 FM in Omak, Riverside, Tonasket and Oroville

• 98.1 FM in East Wenatchee, Rock Island and Quincy

• 101.3 FM in Brewster and Pateros

• 106.3 FM in the Methow Valley

All West Coast League games are video broadcast on wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv.

AppleSox Win Another Close Game, Top Falcons

The Wenatchee AppleSox opened up the weekend with a 3-2 win over the Kelowna Falcons on Friday night at Elks Stadium.

Trei Hough (2-0) allowed one run over five innings while Braiden Boyd locked down a four-inning save for his third of the summer. The win was the AppleSox second straight victory in which it only needed two pitchers.

Wenatchee (37-15, 18-7 second half) is still a half-a-game ahead of Victoria (36-15, 17-7 second half) with two games to go and a magic number of two to clinch the North Division second half title. The AppleSox have matched the 2012 team for the second-most victories in a single summer in regular-season play in their 23-year history.

Boyd allowed the first two runners of the ninth inning to reach base but stranded both in scoring position with three consecutive outs. His four innings and five strikeouts were both single-game highs in his nine appearances. Boyd allowed one run on a bases-loaded single with one out in the sixth inning in his first frame out of the pen but recorded the next two outs after that to strand three men.

Mason Persons delivered a two-out RBI single in the top of the second before Kelowna evened the game up in the bottom of the inning on three straight hits. Sebastian David hit a sacrifice fly and Jayden Holloway added an RBI single in the third to give the AppleSox the lead again and for good.

Wenatchee will attempt to win its 13th series of the summer on Saturday night as it faces Kelowna at 6:35. Pregame coverage on the AppleSox Radio Network begins at 6:10 p.m. presented by Kenady Real Estate Group. Fans can listen at 93.9 FM in Wenatchee or online at kcsyfm.com.

AppleSox Begin Regular Season-Ending Series Tonight

The Wenatchee AppleSox face the Kelowna Falcons tonight in the first game of a three-game set at 6:35 at Elks Stadium.

This is Wenatchee’s final series of the regular season before opening up the 2023 West Coast League Playoffs on Tuesday night. Where Game 1 of the North Division Series will be played depends on how the AppleSox fare this weekend. If the AppleSox can hang onto the second seed, then they will have home-field advantage in the best-of-three North Division Series against the team with the best overall record in the division that did not win the first or second half. Game 1 will be played at the site of the team with the lower record before the higher seed hosts Game 2 and, if necessary, Game 3.

The AppleSox are coming off salvaging a three-game series against the Bellingham Bells with a 3-2 win. MJ Sweeney hit a go-ahead home run in the top of the fifth and Jadon Williamson did not allow a run over the final 5.2 innings. Wenatchee improved to 36-15 overall and 17-7 in the second half. Their magic number to win the second half is down to three.

This is the first time that the AppleSox have faced the Falcons since taking two-of-three games against them June 16-18. Kelowna took the first game thanks to two home runs and survived a Wenatchee ninth-inning rally. The AppleSox blew a five-run lead in the top of the eighth on June 17 by allowing six runs but scored five times in the bottom of the frame to earn the win. Wenatchee took the rubber match with an 8-0 win, their first of four shutout victories.

Trei Hough makes his second start of the summer and his fourth appearance for the AppleSox. He is 1-0 with a 3.11 ERA, eight strikeouts, three walks and 11 hits over 8.2 innings. Hough started last Friday and allowed three runs on eight hits, one walk and four strikeouts. He has started 19-of-21 games in the past two years at the University of Jamestown in the spring.

Cory Lawson makes his third start and fourth appearance overall for Kelowna. He gave up four runs on seven hits, three walks and four strikeouts over five innings. Lawson is 1-1 with a 6.30 ERA, six strikeouts, eight walks and 15 hits over five innings.

Fans can tune in to the action tonight and all season long on KCSY Sunny FM. Pregame coverage presented by Kenady Real Estate Group begins at 6:10 p.m. You can listen online worldwide at kcsyfm.com, the TuneIn radio app or on one of the following translators.

• 93.9 FM in Wenatchee

• 95.3 FM in the Lake Chelan Valley

• 97.7 FM in Omak, Riverside, Tonasket and Oroville

• 98.1 FM in East Wenatchee, Rock Island and Quincy

• 101.3 FM in Brewster and Pateros

• 106.3 FM in the Methow Valley

All West Coast League games are video broadcast on wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv.

AppleSox Salvage Series With Bells

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

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

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

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

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

AppleSox Wrap Up Season Series Against Bells Tonight

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox attempt to salvage their mid-week series against the Bellingham Bells tonight at 6:35 at Joe Martin Field.

Wenatchee dropped the series-opener, 12-1, on Tuesday night before falling, 3-2, last night. This is only the AppleSox’ fourth series loss of the summer but their second to the Bells.

Wenatchee entered the series leading the WCL in runs scored but have only tallied three runs in the first two games. The AppleSox have scored six runs in their last six games at Joe Martin Field dating back to the start of the 2022 season. The Bells have won each of those games and 12 of the last 13 head-to-head meetings. Bellingham also has the top ERA in the WCL at 2.89.

The AppleSox are still in first place in the second half North Division standings but are only a half-a-game ahead of the Victoria HarbourCats and two games ahead of the Kelowna Falcons. A Wenatchee loss and a Victoria win tonight would flip flop the two teams. If the AppleSox can hang into the second seed, then they will have home-field advantage in the best-of-three North Division Series against the team with the best overall record in the division that did not win the first or second half. Game 1 will be played at the site of the team the lower record before the higher seed hosts Game 2 and, if necessary, Game 3.

Wenatchee will need to slow down outfielder Dean West to salvage the series against Bellingham. The incoming freshman at UCLA is batting .234 through 27 games but is hitting .417 (5-for-12) with six walks and seven runs in four games against the AppleSox. He has not stolen any bases in this series but swiped four bags last week at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium and leads the Bells with 15 stolen bases.

Wenatchee sends newcomer Wyatt Queen to the mound for his first start of the summer. The incoming freshman at Everett Community College is making his AppleSox debut after graduating from Lake Stevens High School this spring. Queen posted a 0.74 ERA with 52 strikeouts, five walks and 23 hits over 37.2 innings as a senior. He is the 14th different AppleSox pitcher to make a start this summer.

The Bells send Hunter Long to the mound to try and earn the series sweep. The incoming freshman at Michigan State has 0.67 ERA, 18 strikeouts, six walks and seven hits over 13.1 innings. Long fired four scoreless innings with five strikeouts, two walks and one hit last Thursday against the AppleSox. Bellingham starters have combined to allow seven runs over 18.2 innings in five games against the AppleSox.

Fans can tune in to the action tonight and all season long on KCSY Sunny FM. Pregame coverage presented by Kenady Real Estate Group begins at 6:10 p.m. You can listen online worldwide at kcsyfm.com, the TuneIn radio app or on one of the following translators.

• 93.9 FM in Wenatchee

• 95.3 FM in the Lake Chelan Valley

• 97.7 FM in Omak, Riverside, Tonasket and Oroville

• 98.1 FM in East Wenatchee, Rock Island and Quincy

• 101.3 FM in Brewster and Pateros

• 106.3 FM in the Methow Valley

All West Coast League games are video broadcast on wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv.

Late Home Run Sinks AppleSox Against Bells

The Wenatchee AppleSox dropped the second game of their three-game series against the Bellingham Bells, 3-2, on Wednesday night at Joe Martin Field.

The Bells turned a 2-1 deficit in the bottom of the sixth into a lead on a two-run home run by Daryl Ruiz. They have taken each of the last four games and all but one of five against the AppleSox in the season series.

Frankie Carney recorded two hits for his 16th multi-hit game to extend his hitting streak to 12 games. He singled in a run in the third to tie the game up before adding a single in the sixth. Izzy Lopez also recorded two hits and scored the other run in the fifth on a steal of third and a throwing error.

Samuel Round tossed five innings to mark that length for a fourth consecutive start. He only allowed two runs on two hits, three walks and four strikeouts.

Wenatchee is a half-a-game ahead of Victoria for first place in the second half after the HarbourCats defeated Nanaimo, 9-5, on Wednesday. Kelowna moved two games behind of the AppleSox after the Falcons topped Kamloops, 10-0.

The AppleSox look to salvage the three-game series on Thursday night at 6:35 against the Bells.

AppleSox Continue Series At Bellingham Tonight

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox continue their six-game road trip by facing the Bellingham Bells in the second game of a three-game set at 6:35 p.m. at Joe Martin Field.

The AppleSox are looking to get back in the win column after the Bells earned a 12-1 win last night. It was Wenatchee’s largest margin of defeat and they were nearly shut out for the first time this summer before scoring in the ninth inning. AppleSox pitching struggled with walks, issuing a season-high 11 free passes.

Wenatchee’s loss puts them a game-and-a-half ahead of Victoria and three games ahead of Kelowna for the top spot in the North Division in the second half. If the AppleSox win the second half, then they will host Game 2 against the North Division Series against the HarbourCats or the Falcons a week from today and Game 3, if necessary, on Aug. 10. If Wenatchee does not win the second half, then it will host Game of the best-of-three series next Tuesday. Victoria defeated Nanaimo, 8-6, last night while Kelowna defeated Kamloops, 5-4.

The Bells continued their recent dominance over the AppleSox with last night’s win. Bellingham has won 11 of its last 12 games against Wenatchee dating back to July 15, 2021. The AppleSox have not won a series at Joe Martin Field since 2016 and are 4-13 at the home of the Bells since then. Wenatchee has lost each of its last six games at Bellingham and is 32-34 there all time.

The AppleSox send Samuel Round to the mound to try and even up the series. He struck out a season-high 10 hitters over five innings last Thursday and earned a no-decision against the Bells. Round allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits and three walks in his third consecutive start of at least five innings. The incoming freshman at Gonzagawill try to help the AppleSox avoid losing just their fourth series of the summer and their first to the same opponent twice. Round is 2-0 with a 3.68 ERA, 26 strikeouts, 10 walks and 19 hits over 22 innings in six games (four starts).

The Bells will counter with Isaac Yeager, who surrendered four runs over 3.2 innings last Wednesday. The righty from Washington struck out three, walked five and allowed two hits but picked up a no-decision as Bellingham rallied to eventually win. 7-5. Yeager is 0-1 with a 3.50 ERA, 13 strikeouts, 14 walks and 13 hits over 18 innings in seven games (four starts).

Fans can tune in to the action tonight and all season long on KCSY Sunny FM. Pregame coverage presented by Kenady Real Estate Group begins at 6:10 p.m. You can listen online worldwide at kcsyfm.com, the TuneIn radio app or on one of the following translators.

• 93.9 FM in Wenatchee

• 95.3 FM in the Lake Chelan Valley

• 97.7 FM in Omak, Riverside, Tonasket and Oroville

• 98.1 FM in East Wenatchee, Rock Island and Quincy

• 101.3 FM in Brewster and Pateros

• 106.3 FM in the Methow Valley

All West Coast League games are video broadcast on wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv.

Carney Extends Hitting Streak But AppleSox Fall To Bells

The Wenatchee AppleSox dropped the first game of their six-game road trip, 12-1, to the Bellingham Bells on Tuesday night at Joe Martin Field.

Reigning West Coast League Player Of The Week Frankie Carney singled to lead off the game but was stranded at third. His hit extended his hitting streak to 11 games, the third longest by an AppleSox hitter this summer.

The Bells pounced with runs in six of their eight innings at the plate to claim their third win in four meetings against the AppleSox. Bellingham nearly shut out Wenatchee for the first time this summer before the AppleSox added a run in the ninth on a leadoff hit by pitch, defensive indifference and then consecutive groundouts.

Wenatchee (35-14, 16-6 second half) remains in first place in the second half. They are a game-and-a-half ahead of the Victoria HarbourCats, who are a game-and-a-half out of first. The Kelowna Falcons are three games back and will host the AppleSox this weekend to wrap up the regular season.

The AppleSox look to even up the mid-week series on Wednesday night when they face the Bells again at 6:35. Pregame coverage presented by Kenady Real Estate Group begins at 6:10 and can be heard on 93.9 FM or at kcsyfm.com.

AppleSox Embark On Final Road Trip Of Regular Season

GAME NOTES

After clinching a playoff spot this past weekend the Wenatchee AppleSox will wrap up the regular season with a six-game road trip, beginning tonight against the Bellingham Bells at 6:35 at Joe Martin Field.

The AppleSox are coming off a three-game sweep of the Edmonton Riverhawks to eliminate them from the playoffs. Wenatchee's eighth sweep of the summer set a new single-season record for the 23-year-old franchise. They also finished the summer at 21-6 at home in regular season play against West Coast League opponents, another new record set by this summer's team.

Now, Wenatchee looks to lock in its playoff positioning. If the season ended today, then the AppleSox would hold home-field advantage in the first round of the North Division Series. Bellingham has already secured the top seed by winning the first half but Wenatchee will hold home-field advantage for the entire postseason if it finishes the summer with both top spot in the North Division in the second half and the top overall record in the WCL.

With six games remaining in the regular season the AppleSox' magic number is down to four to win the North in the second half. They will travel to Kelowna after this series and look to remain above third-place Victoria, who sits 2.5 games back of Wenatchee. The Falcons sit in fourth place in the standings and are four games out of first place. The AppleSox took two-of-three games against them June 16-18 at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. Kelowna takes on Kamloops (11-35, 4-15 second half) this week before hosting the AppleSox to wrap up the regular season. Meanwhile, Victoria travels to Edmonton (15-33, 8-13 second half) after hosting Nanaimo (24-24, 10-11 second half).

The Bells came to the Apple Capital last week and took the final two games of the series with the AppleSox after dropping the first game of the series. Wenatchee won 5-1 a week ago to earn its 12th consecutive win at home, a new franchise record, but the Bells began a stretch of five consecutive victories last Wednesday. Bellingham swept Port Angeles over the weekend and is now two wins away from matching its season-best seven-game win streak from June 21-27.

For the second week in a row an AppleSox player earned WCL Player Of The Week after Frankie Carney took home the honor. He hit .370 (10-for-27) with three multi-hit games, seven runs and three stolen bases. Carney became the third AppleSox player to earn the WCL Player Of The Week honor in 2023, joining Easton Amundson (June 12-18) and Carson Ohland (July 17-23).

Felix Schlede makes his fourth start of the summer for Wenatchee. The right-hander at Central Arizona has no record, a 1.92 ERA, 12 strikeouts, six walks and six hits over 9.1 innings in three games. He gave up one run on five hits, two walks and five strikeouts over 3.2 innings last Tuesday against the Bells. This will be his ninth game on the mound for the AppleSox in the last two summers but his first appearance on the road.

Bellingham will also send the same starter as last Tuesday to the bump with Daniel Paret getting the ball. The lefty from Stetson is 2-3 with a 4.15 ERA, 40 strikeouts, 17 walks and 19 hits over 21.2 innings in seven games (all starts). He suffered the loss by surrendering two runs on six hits, two walks and one strikeout last week.

Fans can tune in to the action tonight and all season long on KCSY Sunny FM. Pregame coverage presented by Kenady Real Estate Group begins at 6:10 p.m. You can listen online worldwide at kcsyfm.com, the TuneIn radio app or on one of the following translators.

• 93.9 FM in Wenatchee

• 95.3 FM in the Lake Chelan Valley

• 97.7 FM in Omak, Riverside, Tonasket and Oroville

• 98.1 FM in East Wenatchee, Rock Island and Quincy

• 101.3 FM in Brewster and Pateros

• 106.3 FM in the Methow Valley

All West Coast League games are video broadcast on wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv.

Carney Earns WCL Player Of The Week

AppleSox infielder Frankie Carney has been named the West Coast League Player Of The Week of July 24-30

The infielder at UC Irvine hit .370 (10-for-27) with three multi-hit games, seven runs and three stolen bases. Carney helped the AppleSox record a 4-2 week and clinch a spot in the playoffs.

The redshirt freshman at UC Irvine holds the second-best batting average in the WCL (.364) while leading the league in runs (41) and is tied for sixth in walks (32). Carney carried a 10-game hitting streak in Tuesday night’s game at Bellingham. The San Diego native is the fourth different AppleSox hitter record a double-digit hitting streak this summer and is batting .459 (17-for-37) over it.

This is the third time that an AppleSox player has been awarded Player Of The Week and the second consecutive week that they have won one. Easton Amundson was previously awarded the honor June 12-18. He batted .291 (7-for-24) with a double, two triples, three home runs and 10 RBI. Carson Ohland just earned the honor for July 17-23 by leading the AppleSox to a perfect 6-0 week with a .421 (8-for-19) average, double, two home runs, nine runs, 6 RBI and two stolen bases.

Carney and the AppleSox wrap up the regular season with a six-game road trip this week. It begins Tuesday night for the first game of a three-game set against the Bellingham Bells before wrapping up the regular with three games against the Kelowna Falcons. All six games can be watched on the WCL streaming page or listened to kcsyfm.com.

AppleSox Break Single Season Records For Home Wins, Sweeps

The Wenatchee AppleSox defeated the Edmonton Riverhawks, 8-5, in their final home game of the 2023 regular season on Sunday afternoon at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

MJ Sweeney broke a 4-4 tie in the bottom of the seventh with a 2-RBI single. He added an RBI on a groundout in the third while Carson Ohland also drove in three runs in the win.

The AppleSox are 2.5 games ahead of the Victoria HarbourCats for first place in the North Division in the second half after they lost to the Kelowna Falcons, 10-0, on Sunday afternoon. Wenatchee also has the top overall record in the entire West Coast League at 35-13, a game above the 34-14 Corvallis Knights.

Edmonton took a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the second inning when Jayden Halloway singled in the AppleSox’ first run a batter after Nick Putnam troubled to right field with one out. They tied the game on a sacrifice fly by Ohland in the third before Sweeney reached on a fielder’s choice. Frankie Carney broke from third for home on a ground ball to the left side and beat the throw home to give the AppleSox the lead.

Austin Ohland provided insurance in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI single but the Riverhawks chipped away with a run in the fifth and another in the sixth to tie the game up before Sweeney’s 2-RBI single in the seventh with runners at second and third and the infield drawn in. Carson Ohland delivered a two-out bases-loaded 2-RBI single in the eighth to pad the lead.

The Riverhawks scored an unearned run in the ninth but could not tie the game up. Wenatchee won five-of-six games in the season series with Edmonton and have seven-of-eight meetings in the two-season head-to-head history.

Wenatchee finishes 21-6 at home for the best regular season mark at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium in their 23-year history. The 2023 season home record surpasses a 20-6 mark in 2013 and a 20-7 record in 2012. The AppleSox also earned their eighth sweep of the 2023 season, moving out of a tie with the 2011 season for the most in a single summer.

Monday is an off day and then the AppleSox play their final six games of the regular season on the road, beginning on Tuesday night against Bellingham. The Bells took two-of-three games against Wenatchee this past Wednesday and Thursday to give the AppleSox one of their three series losses this season. Those two losses were also the only two games that Wenatchee dropped of their final 12 home games.

The 2023 WCL Playoffs begin on Aug. 8. The AppleSox will host Game 2 on Aug. 9 and, if necessary, Game 3 on Aug. 10, if they finish the regular season atop the North Division in the second half. If Wenatchee does not win the North, then it will host Game 1 on Aug. 8. If the season ended today then the AppleSox would have home-field advantage against the HarbourCats.

AppleSox Defeat Riverhawks, Clinch Postseason Berth

For the 15th time in their 23-season franchise history the Wenatchee AppleSox have clinched playoff berth. The AppleSox defeated the Edmonton RiverHawks, 10-1, on Saturday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Wenatchee (34-13, 15-5 second half) guarantees that it will have a top three overall record in the North Division and now will look to win the second half in order to lock up home-field advantage in the first round and potentially for longer in the postseason. The AppleSox currently have the best overall record in the entire West Coast League.

Ryan Martinez (3-2) went seven strong innings in his final start of the summer to earn the victory and give the AppleSox their 12th series victory. The right-hander from Pacific struck out four and only allowed one unearned run on four hits and one walk in his sixth start of at least five innings.

Trent Liolios, Mason Persons and Jayden Halloway all drove in two runs apiece as the AppleSox struck in six consecutive innings. Frankie Carney finished 3-for-5 to extend his hitting streak to nine games. The redshirt freshman at UC Irvine has the fourth-best batting average in the WCL with a .364 mark.

The AppleSox go for the series sweep in their final home game of the regular season Sunday at 1:05 p.m. Arrive early to get baseball cards of Carney, Izzy Lopez and Braiden Boyd. Tickets are available at AppleSox.com/2023-schedule