AppleSox Win 2024 North Division First Half Title

The Wenatchee AppleSox have punched their ticket to the 2024 West Coast League Playoffs and locked up home field advantage in the first round. The AppleSox are the 2024 WCL North Division First Half Champions thanks to an 18-9 record. This is the 16th playoff berth in franchise history and the fourth in the last five seasons.

The 2024 season marks the first time since the WCL adopted the two-half playoff format system in 2016 that the AppleSox have recorded the best record in the North Division in the opening 27 games. Wenatchee rallied to score 11 runs over the final two innings on Sunday to defeat the Bellingham Bells and eliminate them from winning the division in the first half. Wenatchee had to wait for the result of Edmonton's game on Monday before officially claiming the title. The AppleSox and the Riverhawks both finished with 18-9 records in the first half but Wenatchee (+37) held a better run differential than the Riverhawks (+35).

Wenatchee has now ensured that it will host Game 2 and, if necessary, Game 3 of the North Division Series. The postseason begins Aug. 10 and the AppleSox would host the next two days against a to-be-determined opponent. By claiming the first half Wenatchee ensures that it begins the postseason as the top seed and will face the fourth-seeded team and second wild card in the best-of-three Division Series.

Playoff ticket information will become available at a later date with information available at applesox.com. Stay tuned to AppleSox social media pages for more info on the postseason.

Wild Comeback Puts Wenatchee On Precipice Of First-Half Title

The Wenatchee AppleSox clawed back from a 5-0 deficit after seven innings to defeat the Bellingham Bells, 11-8, on Sunday afternoon at Joe Martin Field.

Wenatchee (18-9) eliminated Bellingham (17-10) from winning the first half and will await the result of Monday’s Port Angeles vs. Edmonton game. If the Riverhawks lose then the AppleSox will win the North Division first half title and earn home-field advantage in the first round of the West Coast League Playoffs. If the Riverhawks win, then the AppleSox will still win the North Division first half title so long as Edmonton does not win by a margin of at least 16 runs.

The AppleSox were shut out in each of the first two games of the weekend set against the Bells and had not scored a run in 27 straight innings prior to the top of the eighth on Sunday. Wenatchee scored five times in the eighth and sixth times in the ninth to salvage the series.

Bellingham scored the lone run of the first six-and-a-half innings in the bottom of the second and carried that lead into the bottom of the seventh. It scored four runs after the seventh-inning stretch to take what seemed like a commanding 5-0 lead against the AppleSox.

Wenatchee finally broke through in the eighth thanks to the first five hitters reaching base. Elijah Pelayo was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the eighth to drive in the AppleSox’ first run of the weekend. Roberto Gonzalez doubled to left-center to drive in two on a ball that was misread and put the AppleSox within two runs. James Castagnola singled in a run two batters later before Evan Cloyd reached on a fielder’s choice with the bases loaded and two outs to tie the game.

Wenatchee took its first lead of the weekend in the ninth when Jonathan Fitz doubled and Pelayo singled to put runners at first and third with one out. Gonzalez put down a bunt first-base side that was flipped home but was not in time to get Fitz and the AppleSox led, 6-5. Max Hartman laced a double down the right-field line to drive in Pelayo and back-to-back walks to Hunter Friedberg and Castagnola gave Wenatchee back-to-back insurance runs. Cannon Peery was hit by a pitch with the bases-loaded to drive in the fourth run of the inning before Antonio Gianni hit an opposite-field 2-RBI single to make it 11-5, AppleSox.

The Bells put the tying run at the plate twice in the bottom of the ninth despite the six-run AppleSox’ lead. Each of Bellingham’s first five hitters reached base safely and three runs scored but Carson Boesel came on and got the final two outs with back-to-back strikeouts to earn his first save of the summer.

Wenatchee awaits the result of Monday’s game to determine who will win the first half. The AppleSox return to action on Tuesday night at home against the Victoria HarbourCats at 6:35 at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. Tickets are available now at applesox.com/schedule

Vassar Twirls Gem, Sox Bats Quieted Again

Quincy Vassar only allowed one run in eight innings but the Wentchee AppleSox fell to the Bellingham Bells, 1-0, on Saturday night at Joe Martin Field.

It marked the second straight game that Wenatchee (17-9) was shut out and the third time in the last seven games. Bellingham (17-9) moved into a tie for first place in the North Division with one game remaining for both teams in the first half.

The Bells scored the game’s only run thanks to a pair of back-to-back one-out singles in the bottom of the eighth. A high chopper over the mound toward second baseman Antonio Gianni resulted in an out at first base but also brought in the lone tally of the night.

The AppleSox’ best chance to score came in the second when Evan Cloyd led off with a double. Luca Boscarino singled to right field two batters later and Cloyd was waved home from third but thrown out on a perfect relay home. Wenatchee out-hit Bellingham, 6-3, and Vassar only walked two hitters while also striking out four.

The Brewster native tossed the AppleSox’ first complete game since June 24, 2022 at Edmonton when Ryan Mullan also went eight innings in a 2-1 loss. It was the longest outing of the 24 games that he has pitched in over the last four years in the West Coast League. His 105 strikeouts are second-most in AppleSox history and he is six away from becoming the franchise’s all-time leader.

The North Division first half playoff berth is still up for grabs heading into the final game of the first half on Sunday. Wenatchee must win and get either an Edmonton loss or for the Riverhawks to at least finish with a worse run differential than the AppleSox. Wenatchee’s run differential sits at +34 while Edmonton’s is . The Riverhawks have two games remaining in the first half against Port Angeles on Sunday and Monday. If Bellingham wins Sunday, then it wins the first half playoff berth. First pitch is at 1:35.

Sox Play Penultimate Game Of First Half Today

First Pitch: 6:35 p.m.
Park: Joe Martin Field
Watch: wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv
Listen: kcsyfm.com


GAME NOTES

Wenatchee Probable Pitcher: Quincy Vassar makes his second career start against Bellingham and first one against them since June 15, 2022... The southpaw gave up four runs on six hits, two walks and five strikeouts over five innings and suffered the loss... He is 1-2 with a 3.72 ERA in four games, all starts this season... Vassar has struck out 14, walked six and allowed 23 hits over 19.1 innings... He allowed five runs (one earned) on seven hits, one walk and two strikeouts over four innings vs. Walla Walla last Saturday...

Bellingham Probable Pitcher: Caleb Cassie makes his second start of the summer against the AppleSox after previously giving up two runs in four innings at Wenatchee on June 12... He suffered the loss despite only giving up three hits, issuing three walks and striking out six batters... Cassie is 0-2 with a 6.00 ERA in three games (two starts)... He struck out the side in a scoreless ninth inning 11 days ago against Kamloops in his most recent outing...

Last Night: Each of the Bells’ first four hitters of the bottom of the 11th inning reached base and Bellingham walked off Wenatchee with a 1-0 win... Both recorded five hits apiece with two of the Bells’ hits coming in the ninth... Wenatchee’s best threats came in the first and sixth innings as the first two hitters of the game reached base to open the game and they loaded up the bases with one out in the sixth...

Clinching Scenarios: Wenatchee and Bellingham wrap up the first half of the season tomorrow and Edmonton wraps up the first half on Monday at Port Angeles... The AppleSox are one game ahead of the Bells and a game-and-a-half ahead of the Riverhawks for first place... Wenatchee can clinch the North Division first half playoff berth and home-field advantage in the North Division Series with A) Two victories, B) One victory and one Edmonton loss, C) One victory and three Edmonton wins and a better run differential than the Riverhawks...

Blank Sheet: Last night marked the second time this summer that the AppleSox were shut out... In its last six games Wenatchee has scored 41 runs but also been shut out twice... The AppleSox have only been shut out four times in 133 games over the last three seasons but three of those instances have been at Bellingham...

Red Hot Hartman: Max Hartman recorded three hits last night to reach base safely three times in a game for the ninth time this summer... He reached on a drag bunt single to lead off the 11th but was stranded at third base... Hartman recorded his ninth multi-hit game and third three-hit game... He is batting .434 over his last five games with four multi-hit games in that span...

Strikeout Leaderboard: Evan Canfield tossed at least five innings for the fourth time in as many starts this summer... He struck out five and has an even 100 punchouts in his AppleSox career, good for third-most in franchise history... Canfield is one back of Quincy Vassar for second place in franchise history and 11 away from becoming the new AppleSox’ career leader in strikeouts... Hunter Boyd (2017-18) is the franchise leader with 110 strikeouts... Canfield’s 31 strikeouts this summer are already two away from passing his total with Wenatchee in 2022 and five back of last year’s figure... He is tied for the second-most strikeouts in the WCL this summer...

Bells Beat AppleSox In Eleven Innings

The Bellingham Bells opened up the weekend with a walkoff 1-0 win in 11 innings over the Wenatchee AppleSox on Friday night at Joe Martin Field.

Four straight Bellingham hitters reached to open the bottom of the 11th as Logan Degroot hit an opposite-field single to drive in the only run.

Max Hartman recorded three hits for each base safely three times in a game for the ninth time this summer. He reached on a drag bunt single to lead off the 11th but was stranded at third base. Hartman recorded his ninth multi-hit game and third three-hit game. He is batting .434 over his last five games with four multi-hit games in that span.

Stephen Hammergren (2-1) only surrendered one hit in four innings of relief but that hit became the only run to score. He got out of a two-out bases-loaded jam in the 10th but departed after allowing the leadoff man to reach in the 11th.

Evan Canfield tossed at least five innings for the fourth time in as many starts this summer. He struck out five and has an even 100 punchouts in his AppleSox career, good for third-most in franchise history. His 31 strikeouts this summer are already two away from passing his total with Wenatchee in 2022 and five back of last year’s figure.

He sits one strikeout back of Saturday night’s starter, Quincy Vassar. He gets the ball hoping to get the AppleSox back even this weekend. Wenatchee is a game ahead of Bellingham and a game-and-a-half back of idle Edmonton, who hosts Port Angeles Saturday night. An AppleSox’ win and a Riverhawks’ loss would clinch the North Division first half title for Wenatchee. If the AppleSox lose Saturday, then they must win on Sunday afternoon to earn the first half title.

AppleSox Wrap Up First Half This Weekend

First Pitch: 6:35 p.m.
Park: Joe Martin Field
Watch: wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv
Listen: kcsyfm.com


GAME NOTES

Wenatchee Probable Pitcher: Evan Canfield looks to continue his impressive start to the summer with his fourth start tonight... He has a 0.90 ERA, good for third-best in the WCL among qualified pitchers and his 26 strikeouts are tied for fifth-most... The incoming junior at Lewis-Clark State has fired at least five inning in all three starts and has logged 20 innings over four appearances... His 95 strikeouts over the last three summers are third-most in AppleSox history...

Bellingham Probable Pitcher: Tyler Van Dyke makes his third appearance and second start tonight... He has not allowed any runs in two appearances, including firing four scoreless innings at Victoria last Friday... The incoming senior at Stetson will be the first right-handed starting pitcher that the AppleSox have faced since Sunday and only the third in the last 10 games...

Last Game: Max Hartman drove in four runs and the AppleSox swept the Kelowna Falcons on Wednesday night at home... Wenatchee had its first off day yesterday since June 10 after completing a stretch of 16 straight games... At the end of this weekend the AppleSox will have played 29 games over the first 31 days of the season...

Clinching Scenarios: Wenatchee and Bellingham wrap up the first half of the season on Sunday and Edmonton wraps up the first half on Monday at Port Angeles... The AppleSox enter the weekend two games ahead of the Bells and the Riverhawks for first place... Wenatchee can clinch the North Division first half playoff berth and home-field advantage in the North Division Series with A) Two victories, B) One victory and one Edmonton loss, C) One victory and three Edmonton wins and a better run differential than the Riverhawks...

The Bells: Defeated Edmonton, 6-1, last night to take two-of-three games in that road series... Must sweep Wenatchee this weekend to win the North Division first half title... Are 9-3 since last facing the AppleSox June 11-13 in Wenatchee... Have the third-best ERA in the WCL and have finished in the top four in the WCL in ERA in each of the previous 14 seasons...

Last Time vs. Bellingham: The AppleSox took two-of-three games against the Bells June 11-13 at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium... Bellingham won the first night, 6-1, before a 2-0 AppleSox’ shutout victory the next night and then a 8-7 10-inning Wenatchee win to wrap up the series...

Dominance Against The North: Wednesday’s win was the AppleSox’ eighth consecutive against a North Division opponent... Wenatchee is 15-3 against the North Division and is in the middle of a stretch of 15 consecutive games against teams in their division...

First Inning Fireworks: The AppleSox scored in the first inning for the fifth time in the last six games Wednesday night... Wenatchee is outscoring opponents 15-4 in the opening frame in that span... This comes after being outscored 11-0 in the open in frame in last week’s three-game road trip to Yakima Valley...

Bats Stay Hot, Sox Sweep Falcons

Max Hartman hit his first home run of the summer and the Wenatchee AppleSox defeated the Kelowna Falcons, 14-7, on Wednesday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Hartman drove in four runs, including blasting a two-out, two-run shot in the bottom of the second to put the AppleSox in the lead for good. He scored twice and leads the West Coast League with 25 runs.

Roberto Gonzalez and Elijah Pelayo recorded four hits apiece as Wenatchee (17-7) recorded a season-high 19 hits. Gonzalez drove in three runs while scoring twice while Pelayo plated one run and scored four times.

Wenatchee picked up its fourth straight win and third sweep of the summer to move a game-and-a-half ahead of Edmonton and 2.5 games ahead of Bellingham for first in the North Division. The Bells defeated the Riverhawks, 8-4, Wednesday night.

The AppleSox scored in each of the first six innings but had to claw back from two different early deficits. Kelowna opened the game up with two runs in the top of the first and Wenatchee tallied two of its own in its first opportunity at the plate. James Castagnola plated the first run after three straight singles and then Cannon Peery singled in the tying run.

The Falcons retook the lead on a single and a double to open the second inning before Hartman helped the AppleSox grab the lead permanently. Gonzalez drove in the tying run with a sacrifice fly just before Hartman’s two-run shot.

From there the AppleSox poured it on by scoring nine runs over the next four frames. Their most impressive frame came in the sixth when they scored three runs all with two outs and four straight hitters reached on two-out singles.

Garrett Ahern (1-0) earned the victory by recording his longest outing of the season. He surrendered three runs in the first two innings but only gave up one over his final three frames. He struck out five, walked one and allowed six hits.

Wenatchee gets its second off day of the season on Thursday before wrapping up the first half at Bellingham this weekend. The AppleSox’ magic number to eliminate the Bells from winning the first half is one since they would be unable to reach 18 wins. Two AppleSox wins this weekend would clinch the first half outright because although the Riverhawks can still reach 19 victories, they would not hold the tiebreaker as they have six losses in division play and the AppleSox only have three.

AppleSox Wrap Up Homestand With WINatchee Wednesday

First Pitch: 6:35 p.m.
Park: Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium
Tickets: applesox.com/schedule
Watch: wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv
Listen: kcsyfm.com


GAME NOTES

Wenatchee Probable Pitcher: Garrett Ahern makes his third start of the summer and second at home as the AppleSox look for their third sweep of the summer. Ahern has a 1.08 ERA with eight strikeouts, six hits and two walks over 8.1 innings. The incoming sophomore at Grand Canyon fired four scoreless innings in his summer debut vs. Bellingham June 12 before giving up one run in 4.1 innings last Wednesday at Yakima Valley.

Kelowna Probable Pitcher: JJ Luna has not allowed any runs ahead of his fifth appearance of the season. He has struck out four, allowed 10 hits and walked four over his first 11 innings of the summer. The sophomore at West Texas A&M fired four scoreless innings last time out on Friday at Port Angeles.

Last Night: Jonathan Fitz broke a 4-4 tie in the bottom of the sixth with a 2-RBI single and the AppleSox won, 7-5. Braiden Boyd struck out four over 4.1 innings in relief to earn his first win of the summer. Cannon Peery drove in three runs to extend his hitting streak to eight games.

Dominance Against The North: Last night’s win was the AppleSox’ seventh consecutive against a North Division opponent. Wenatchee picked up its sixth series victory in eight attempts this summer but its first since a three-game sweep at Kamloops June 14-16. The AppleSox are 2-4 against South Division teams but also a half game ahead of Edmonton for first place in the North with four games left in the first half.

First Inning Fireworks: The AppleSox scored in the first inning for the fourth time in the last five games last night. Wenatchee is outscoring opponents 13-2 in the opening frame in that span. This comes after being outscored 11-0 in the open in frame in last week’s three-game road trip to Yakima Valley.

Peery Back With A Force: Cannon Peery plated runs in each of first two plate appearances last night to drive in each of the AppleSox’ first three runs of the game. Peery had missed the previous four games while in Omaha to cheer on his brother, Brock, and Texas A&M in the College World Series. The incoming sophomore at Grand Canyon doubled in a pair in the first inning before tying the game with an RBI single in the third. He extended his hitting streak to eight games last night and is batting .468 (15-for-32) with 12 RBI over it.

Around The Division: Edmonton handed Bellingham its third loss in its last four games with a 2-1 win last night. The Riverhawks have won five straight games and are a half game behind the AppleSox for first place in the North Division, but Wenatchee has a game at hand. The Bells are 2.5 games out of first but host the AppleSox this weekend to wrap up the first half. Edmonton concludes the first half Monday against Port Angeles.

Home Field Advantage: This is the fifth consecutive series between the AppleSox and the Falcons in which the home team has won at least two-of-three games. The last time Wenatchee or Kelowna won a road head-to-head series against each other was July 16-18, 2019, when the AppleSox swept the Falcons at Elks Stadium.

AppleSox Take Series vs. Falcons

The Wenatchee AppleSox earned their third straight win with a 7-5 victory over the Kelowna Falcons on Wednesday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Jonathan Fitz broke a 4-4 tie with a 2-RBI single in the sixth for his first of two hits. Cannon Peery led all AppleSox players with 3 RBI in his first game back after departing last Friday to watch his older brother Brock and Texas A&M in the College World Series.

Braiden Boyd (1-2) earned the victory by entering in the fourth and not departing until the eighth. The Chelan native only surrendered one run and struck out four in 4.1 innings. He and Fitz teamed up to record a “strike ‘em out, throw ‘em out” double to retire the side in the fifth.

Kade Benavidez collected a pair of hits and picked up his second save of the summer by getting the final five outs.

Peery gave Wenatchee (16-7) the lead in the bottom of the first after Kelowna (7-13) scored the game’s first run on a bases-loaded hit by pitch. He doubled in a pair to put the AppleSox in the lead right after James Castagnola tied the game with an RBI single.

The Falcons hung three runs in the board in the second on a leadoff triple and a sacrifice fly before a two-out, two-run homer to go up 4-3. That lead held until bottom of the third when Peery singled in Hartman, who scored for a second time to move into first in the WCL with 23 runs.

That tie held until Fitz’s go-ahead RBI knock in the sixth. Aidan Dougherty extended his hitting streak to six games and plated an insurance run with an RBI single in the seventh after Roberto Gonzalez and Hartman put down consecutive bunt singles prior to him.

That run came in handy when the Falcons cut into the deficit with a run in the eight but Benavidez stranded the tying run at the plate.

The AppleSox wrap up the series with the Falcons Wednesday night at 6:35 against Kelowna as Garrett Ahern makes his first start of the summer. It’s another WINatchee Wednesday as fans can win prizes from local businesses just by attending the game. It’s also Jersey Night and fans are encouraged to wear their favorite college or professional team jersey to the game. Tickets are available at applesox.com/schedule

AppleSox Look To Take Series On $2 Off Tuesday

First Pitch: 6:35 p.m.
Park: Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium
Tickets: applesox.com/schedule
Watch: wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv
Listen: kcsyfm.com


GAME NOTES

Wenatchee Probable Pitcher: Hunter Gibson makes his first start in his third summer with the AppleSox. The right-hander from Northern Colorado is 1-1 with a 3.72 ERA in 13 games (four starts) over the previous two seasons. He was dominant last summer, firing at least 5.1 innings in all three starts and only allowing two runs. Gibson struck out six over six scoreless innings against the Falcons last year on June 18.

Kelowna Probable Pitcher: Southpaw Gus McKay looks to continue his dominant work after only allowing two earned runs in 17 innings through his first four outings. He has struck out 13, walked six and allowed nine hits while starting in three-of-his-four games. McKay tossed six shutout innings against Edmonton last Wednesday to earn his first win of the summer.

Last Night: The AppleSox earned their sixth consecutive win against a North Division team with an 11-3 victory against Kelowna. Wenatchee raced out to a 7-0 lead after three innings and scored in all but three innings. The AppleSox moved a game ahead of the idle Edmonton Riverhawks for first place with five games remaining in the first half.

Strong Start: The AppleSox have been potent in the first inning over the last four games after it proved to their downfall last week. Wenatchee was outscored 11-0 in the first inning of a three-game series against Yakima Valley but has since scored 10 runs while giving up one in the opening frame over the last four games. Overall, Wenatchee is being outscored 18-17 in the first inning.

Big Fly Benavidez: Kade Benavidez drove in five runs last night, three of which came on a home run in the bottom of the eighth. Benavidez has driven in five runs in both of the games this season in which he homered, with the other coming on June 2 vs. Port Angeles. He leads the WCL with 21 RBI, 22 walks and is tied for first eight hit by pitches. Benavidez is hitting .324 with 15 RBI in 10 games at home.

Castagnola Next In Line: Infielder James Castagnola becomes the third infielder from UC Irvine in as many seasons to join the AppleSox and he has quite a set of players to follow up. Joichiro Oyama won WCL co-MVP in 2022 prior to his junior year at UC Irvine after breaking WCL records for runs (54) and stolen bases (42) while also hitting .339 and appearing in all 54 games. Oyama is the franchise single-season leader in plate appearances (276), runs, stolen bases and walks (42) while also tying for the single-season record for triples (6). Frankie Carney redshirted with the Anteaters in 2023 and then went on to earn First Team All-WCL honors with the AppleSox by hitting .356 in 42 games, for the second-best batting average in the WCL. It also tied with UC Irvine alum Keston Hiura for the third-best ever by an AppleSox hitter to play at least 40 regular-season games.

Tidy Baseball: Last night was the AppleSox’ first game without an error since last Thursday. Wenatchee improved to 5-1 when it does not commit a miscue but is second in the WCL with 34 errors.

AppleSox Move Back Into Sole Possession of First Place

Kade Benavidez drove in five runs and the Wenatchee AppleSox defeated the Kelowna Falcons, 11-3, on Monday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Wenatchee (15-7) raced out to a 7-0 lead thanks to scoring in each of the first three innings and runs in five-of-eight innings at the plate. The AppleSox moved a half game ahead of the idle Edmonton Riverhawks for first place in the North Division with six games remaining in the first half.

Benavidez launched a three-run homer in the eighth for his second long ball of the summer after plating a pair of runs in the first two innings. He recorded his second 5 RBI night of the summer and moved into first place in the West Coast League with 21 RBI.

Cam Hoiland picked up where he left off from a season ago by firing four scoreless innings in his first start of the summer. He allowed one earned run in 15 innings in 2023 with the AppleSox and struck our four while not issuing any walks.

Five of the AppleSox’ first six hitters reached base in the bottom of the first on one hit. Antonio Gianni plated a pair on a double after Benavidez, a batter before, brought in the first run with a bases-loaded hit by pitch. Luca Boscarino grounded out after Gianni to plate Benavidez from third for the final run of the frame.

Aidan Dougherty and Benavidez hit sacrifice flies in the second inning to add to the lead before Roberto Gonzalez put down a suicide-squeeze bunt in the third to make it 7-0.

All nine Kelowna base hits came with two outs and three straight in the top of the seventh put them on the board before back-to-back RBI singles in the eighth brought the deficit to five runs.

Benavidez got all three runs back in the bottom of the eighth on a three-run shot that traveled 366 feet and marked the AppleSox’ first since last Tuesday at Yakima Valley. Wenatchee’s eight home runs are second-most in the WCL to Kelowna (nine).

The AppleSox have now won six consecutive series against North Division opponents and now look to earn their sixth consecutive series victory against a division foe when they face the Falcons again on Tuesday night at 6:35. It’s a $2 Off Tuesday with tickets and select concession items $2 off. Purchase tickets now at applesox.com/schedule

AppleSox Host Falcons For Nurse's Night

First Pitch: 6:35 p.m.
Park: Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium
Tickets: applesox.com/schedule
Watch: wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv
Listen: kcsyfm.com


GAME NOTES

Wenatchee Probable Pitcher: Cam Hoiland makes his first start of the summer in his second season with the AppleSox… He recorded a 0.60 ERA over 15 innings in three games (two starts) last year... Hoiland struck out 13, allowed nine hits and walked eight... This spring at Cal Poly he also only pitched in three games but recorded a 2.45 ERA over 3.2 innings... Hoiland made his summer 2024 debut at the plate last night by drawing four walks...

Kelowna Probable Pitcher: Kyle Scritzky allowed five runs over two appearances this summer for the Falcons... He allowed three of the four hitters that he faced to score on May 31 vs. Nanaimo and then allowed both hitters he faced to score on June 12 at Edmonton... Scritzky did not pitch this past spring at San Jose State...

Last Night: The AppleSox erupted for seven runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to defeat the Walla Walla Sweets, 9-5... Wenatchee snapped a season-worst three-game losing streak and matched its output from the second inning on June 2 for its most runs in an inning this season...

Tied At The Top: The AppleSox and the Edmonton Riverhawks are tied for first place in the North Division after both teams won yesterday... Edmonton won its fourth straight and dealt Kamloops its 13th consecutive loss yesterday... The Riverhawks next host the Bellingham Bells, who are a game out of first place after dropping two-of-three at Victoria this weekend... Wenatchee wraps up the first half at Bellingham this weekend...

The Falcons: Defeated Port Angeles, 7-4, last night to take two-of-three games on the road... Have won four of their last six games... Are 5.5 games out of first place...

Hartman Breaks Through: Max Hartman helped the AppleSox come back from a 4-2 deficit with a bases-clearing RBI triple in the seventh... His second night of the night not only gave the AppleSox the lead for good but was also his seventh multi-hit game of the season... Hartman became the first player in AppleSox history (since game-by-game stats could be tracked in 2010) to open the season with five consecutive multi-hit games... His 21 runs are second-most in the WCL and his nine stolen bases are tied for seventh-most...

Take A Walk: The AppleSox lead the WCL with 123 walks drawn... Wenatchee drew 11 yesterday, two off matching their season-high from June 6... Kade Benavidez leads the WCL with 22 walks and has drawn 16 in his last 12 games...

Split Series: The AppleSox and the Falcons have split the season series against each other in each of the last two seasons... The home team has won each of the four three-game series... Kelowna helped prevent Wenatchee from winning the second half last summer by taking two-of-three games at Elks Stadium to wrap up the regular season...

Sox Strike For Seven In Seventh, Beat Sweets

Max Hartman hit a go-ahead 3-RBI triple in the seventh to help the Wenatchee AppleSox defeat the Walla Walla Sweets, 9-5, on Sunday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Trailing 4-2 after giving up two runs in the top of the seventh, Wenatchee (14-7) responded with a huge bottom of the seventh. The AppleSox sent 12 men to the plate and scored seven runs. Hartman plated the first three on a line drive down the right field to put the AppleSox in the lead for good.

Roberto Gonzalez batted leadoff for the first time in his third game of the summer and reached base safely four times with three hits and a walk.

Wenatchee drew 11 walks, two off matching its season high from June 6. Cam Hoiland led everyone with four free passes while three others also recorded multi-walk nights.

The AppleSox got on the board early with a two-run first inning thanks to an RBI single by Kade Benavidez before Luca Boscarino singled and an error allowed Hoiland to score from second. That lead held until the Sweets scored singular runs in the fifth and sixth before taking the lead with a two spot in the seventh.

Hartman’s big swing after the seventh-inning stretch opened the flood gates, He scored a batter later when Aidan Dougherty reached on an error. Boscarino plated Dougherty two batters later on an RBI single and then Antonio Gianni doubled in a pair to cap the scoring.

Ryan Martinez threw five innings in the first start of his second summer with the AppleSox. He allowed one unearned run on six hits, no walks and three strikeouts but picked up a no decision.

The AppleSox remain tied for first place with the Edmonton Riverhawks, who earned their fourth straight win on Sunday. Six games remain in the first half and the AppleSox host the Kelowna Falcons on Monday night at 6:35. It’s Nurse’s Night and all nurses can show their badge at the game for discounted tickets and concessions. Regular tickets can be purchased at applesox.com/schedule

AppleSox Face Sweets For Bark In The Park Night

First Pitch: 5:35 p.m.
Park: Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium
Tickets: applesox.com/schedule
Watch: wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv
Listen: kcsyfm.com

GAME NOTES

Wenatchee Probable Pitcher: Ryan Martinez makes his 2024 debut after earning All-WCL Honorable Mention honors last summer... The right-hander in the transfer portal from Pacific went 3-2 with a 3.63 ERA in eight games (all starts) for the AppleSox… Martinez struck out 27, allowed 46 hits and walked seven over 39.2 innings... He tossed five-or-more innings six times and tossed the second-most innings of any AppleSox pitcher…

Walla Walla Probable Pitcher: Rex Solle looks to five Walla Walla its first sweep of the summer after the Sweets won their first series of the summer last night... The incoming freshman at UCLA is making his summer debut after recording a 2.08 ERA in 14 games as a senior at Redwood High School in California this spring... Solle struck out 87 hitters and walked 27 over 57.1 innings...

Last Night: The AppleSox suffered their first shutout loss of the summer... It was the first time that they had been shut out since June 16, 2022... Wenatchee had shut out six teams since then... last night was the third time in three seasons under Mitch Darlington that the AppleSox were shut out...

Tied At The Top: The combination of the AppleSox’ loss last night with Bellingham and Edmonton’s victories over Victoria and Kamloops, respectively, makes for a three-way tie atop the North Division... An AppleSox loss today combined with a win by the Bells and/or the Riverhawks would mark the first time this summer that Wenatchee was not in sole possession of or tied for first place... Wenatchee wraps up the first half a week from today at Bellingham...

Struggles At The Plate: The AppleSox went into this series leading the WCL in runs scored while holding the second-best batting average... Not including the four-run, three-hit first inning on Friday, Wenatchee has hit .125 this weekend against Walla Walla.... The AppleSox did draw six walks last night but all of them came while they were down by at least nine runs...

Dougherty Thriving At Home: Aidan Dougherty collected another hit last night to improve his batting average at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium to .556... Dougherty has recorded at least one hit in all six home games that he has played and has a 1.243 OPS in games in Wenatchee...

Six Straight vs. The South: This is the AppleSox’ second consecutive series against a South Division team... Wenatchee’s next series against a non-North Division opponent won’t come until July 19-21 vs. Yakima Valley and the AppleSox won’t travel to a South Division team until wrapping up the regular season at Bend Aug. 6-8...

Last Time vs. Walla Walla: The AppleSox have not faced the Sweets since wrapping up the 2022 regular season against each other Aug. 5-7... Evan Canfield tossed five scoreless innings the first night to help the AppleSox clinch a postseason berth and Joichiro Oyama stole four bags over the weekend to break the WCL single-season stolen base record...

Sweets Shut Out AppleSox

The Walla Walla Sweets took the weekend series with a 13-0 win over the Wenatchee AppleSox on Saturday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

The AppleSox were shut out for the first time since June 16, 2022. Wenatchee (13-7) had shut out six teams since then. It also marked only the third time in three seasons under Mitch Darlington that the AppleSox were shut out.

Walla Walla (7-12) cashed in on six AppleSox errors. Three of them came in a three-run third. They also recorded multi-run innings in the fifth (five runs) and eighth (four runs) innings.

The AppleSox look to salvage the series on Sunday when they host the Sweets at 5:35 p.m. It’s Bark In The Park Night presented by Earthwise Pet Shop and fans are welcome to bring their dogs to the game. Tickets are available at applesox.com/schedule

AppleSox Host Sweets For Scout Night

First Pitch: 6:35 p.m.
Park: Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium
Tickets: applesox.com/schedule
Watch: wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv
Listen: kcsyfm.com

GAME NOTES

Wenatchee Probable Pitcher: Quincy Vassar enters his fourth start of the summer one strikeout away from 100 in his AppleSox career... He is coming off allowing two runs in six innings last Saturday at Kamloops to earn the win... Vassar struck out a season-high five, allowed six hits and walked two NorthPaws... The Brewster southpaw has a 4.41 ERA with 99 strikeouts, 65 hits and 45 walks over 63.1 innings in 21 games (19 starts) the last three summers in Wenatchee..., The Brewster southpaw has a 4.41 ERA with 99 strikeouts, 65 hits and 45 walks over 63.1 innings in 21 games (19 starts) the last three summers in Wenatchee...

Walla Walla Probable Pitcher Probable Pitcher: Liam Hohenstein toes the rubber for a third time this season and carries a 3.44 ERA over 15.2 innings into tonight‘s game... The right-hander has struck out 14, allowed 11 hits and walked five so far... He gave up two runs on six hits in 4.2 innings at Yakima Valley last Sunday while also striking out six and walking one...

Last Night: The AppleSox fell led 4-0 after the first but could not hold the lead... Wenatchee tied the game up in the bottom of the sixth after losing the lead in the top of the frame but Walla Walla restored the lead for good on a wild pitch in the top of the seventh...

Around The Division: Wenatchee is one game ahead of Bellingham and Edmonton with eight games remaining in the first half... The Bells’ six-game winning streak came to an end with a 6-5 loss at Victoria last night... The Riverhawks handed Kamloops its 11th consecutive loss with a 4-2 win at Norbrock Stadium...

Hit Streaks: Luca Boscarino extended his hitting streaks to eight games last night with a first-inning RBI single... Boscarino is batting .367 (11-for-30) over it with 6 RBI... This eight-game hitting streak is the longest by an AppleSox hitter this season...

Flipping The Script In The First: After allowing 11 runs in the first inning over three games earlier this week the AppleSox struck for four runs in the opening frame last night... Wenatchee had not scored in the first inning since last Saturday at Kamloops...

Six Straight vs. The South: This is the AppleSox’ second consecutive series against a South Division team... Wenatchee’s next series against a non-North Division opponent won’t come until July 19-21 vs. Yakima Valley and the AppleSox won’t travel to a South Division team until wrapping up the regular season at Bend Aug. 6-8...

Last Time vs. Walla Walla: The AppleSox have not faced the Sweets since wrapping up the 2022 regular season against each other Aug. 5-7... Evan Canfield tossed five scoreless innings the first night to help the AppleSox clinch a postseason berth and Joichiro Oyama stole four bags over the weekend to break the WCL single-season stolen base record...

AppleSox Can’t Hold Early Lead vs. Sweets

The Wenatchee AppleSox scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning but fell to the Walla Walla Sweets, 8-5, on Friday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Wenatchee raced out to an early lead thanks to each of its first six hitters reaching base but suffered just its second loss at home in league play.

Reigning WCL Pitcher Of The Week Evan Canfield surrendered two runs (one earned) over five innings. He struck out four to move five away from hitting 100 in his AppleSox career.

Each of the AppleSox’ first six hitters to bat in the bottom of the first reached base and the first four all scored. Kade Benavidez and Luca Boscarino recorded RBI singles while a fielder’s choice with the bases loaded and a double steal played the other two runs.

Walla Walla chipped away with two runs in the fourth before taking the lead in the sixth with a three-spot. Six straight hitters reached with two outs on three walks and three hits.

The AppleSox responded with a run in the bottom of the sixth thanks to a two-out RBI single by Elijah Pelayo for his second RBI of the night. That tie didn’t last until the seventh-inning stretch when a wild pitch plated the go-ahead run. The Sweets then tacked on two insurance runs in the top of the ninth.

Brewster native Quincy Vassar gets the ball Saturday night sitting just one strikeout away from his 100th with the AppleSox. Saturday’s game is sponsored by Weinstein Beverage and is also Scout Night. Tickets can be purchased at applesox.com/schedule.

AppleSox Open Up Six-Game Homestand vs. Sweets

First Pitch: 6:35 p.m.
Park: Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium
Tickets: applesox.com/schedule
Watch: wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv
Listen: kcsyfm.com

GAME NOTES

Wenatchee Probable Pitcher: Reigning WCL Pitcher Of The Week Evan Canfield toes the rubber for his fourth appearance and third game of the summer... He tossed eight dominant innings last Friday at Kamloops, striking out eight, one off matching his season-high... Canfield finished at 90 pitches in the longest outing of his career and threw 10-or-fewer pitches in five different innings thanks in part to two different double plays... The Bothell native is second in the league with 22 strikeouts and is one-of-five pitchers in the WCL to appear in at least three games and have an ERA under 1.00...

Walla Walla Probable Pitcher Probable Pitcher: Heitaro Hayashi is 0-2 with a 4.00 ERA ahead of his fourth game and start of the summer... He has not pitched more than four innings in any of his starts and is coming off allowing three runs on three hits, two walks and two strikeouts over three innings last Saturday at Yakima Valley...

Last Night: The AppleSox fell behind 6-0 after the first inning and fell at Yakima Valley, 7-6... The loss represented the first series loss for Wenatchee in six played...

Around The Division: Wenatchee is one game ahead of red-hot Bellingham and two head of Edmonton... The Bells won their sixth straight game last night with a 5-1 win against Kamloops and the Riverhawks salvaged a three-game set at Kelowna with a 7-6 win in 10 innings.

Hit Streaks: Luca Boscarino and Cannon Peery extended their hitting streaks to seven games last night at Yakima Valley... Boscarino is batting . (9-for-23) over it with 5 RBI... Peery is hitting .500 (11-for-22) with 9 RBI in his last seven games...

First-Inning Drama: Wenatchee surrendered five runs in the first inning against Yakima Valley on Tuesday and then six more in the opening frame last night... The AppleSox are now being outscored 17-7 in the first inning...

The Century Mark: Evan Canfield and Quincy Vassar enter this weekend nearing 100 strikeouts in their AppleSox career... Vassar is one away from hitting triple digits while Canfield is nine away...

Sixth Straight vs. The South: Tonight marks the AppleSox’ second consecutive series against a South Division team... Wenatchee’s next series against a non-North Division opponent won’t come until July 19-21 vs. Yakima Valley and the AppleSox won’t travel to a South Division team until wrapping up the regular season at Bend Aug. 6-8...

Last Time vs. Walla Walla: The AppleSox have not faced the Sweets since wrapping up the 2022 regular season against each other Aug. 5-7... Evan Canfield tossed five scoreless innings the first night to help the AppleSox clinch a postseason berth and Joichiro Oyama stole four bags over the weekend to break the WCL single-season stolen base record...

Early Hole Plagues AppleSox Thursday

The Yakima Valley Pippins scored six runs in the bottom of the first inning and defeated the Wenatchee AppleSox, 7-6, on Thursday night at Yakima County Stadium.

Wenatchee (13-5) rallied back from the early hole to come as close as putting the tying run on base in each of the final two innings. Cannon Peery and Luca Boscarino both recorded base hits to extend their respective hitting streaks to seven games.

The AppleSox immediately responded after the lengthy first by scoring two runs in the top of the second inning. Peery and Boscarino recorded backto-back singles and Boscarino got caught in a rundown between first and second that allowed for Peery to score but the Pippins were unable to complete the tag oBoscarino as he advanced into scoring position. He later scored on a two-out RBI single by Elijah Pelayo.

Wenatchee continued to rally, plating two runs in the fifth inning on an RBI double by Aidan Dougherty and an RBI single by Max Hartman to cut the deficit to two. Donovann Jackson entered with runners and first and second and recorded the next nine outs consecutively.

The AppleSox brought the game back within reach in the bottom of the eighth inning after surrendering an insurance run in the seventh. Hunter Friedberg reached on a bases-loaded two-out infield single to score Kade Benavidez from third. Peery hustled home all the way from second to make it a one-run game.

The AppleSox could not bring home the tying run from second but put the tying run on base again in the ninth when Dougherty reached on a one-out error. He was caught stealing shortly after and Wenatchee suffered its first series loss of the season.

Wenatchee is a game ahead of Bellingham and Edmonton for first place in the North Division with nine games remaining in the first half. The AppleSox return home to open up a six-game homestand against the Walla Walla Sweets. Friday is Superhero Night, Saturday’s game is presented by Weinstein Beverage and is also Scout Night while Sunday is Bark In The Park Night presented by Earthwise Pet Shop. Tickets are available at applesox.com/schedule

AppleSox, Pippins Clash In Rubber Match

First Pitch: 7:05 p.m.
Park: Yakima County Stadium
Watch: wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv
Listen: kcsyfm.com

GAME NOTES

Wenatchee Probable Pitcher: Braiden Boyd makes his first start in WCL action in his AppleSox career… The southpaw is 0-1 with a 5.58 ERA, five strikeouts, seven walks and 12 hits over 9.2 innings in four games… The last time that Boyd started was Aug. 1, 2022, when he surrendered one run on two hits and struck out three in two innings against the Cascade Collegiate League Showcase team at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium...

Yakima Valley Probable Pitcher: Max Goldberg makes his third start and fifth appearance tonight for the Pippins... He is 1-0 with a 5.40 ERA, 10 strikeouts, three walks and 16 hits over 11.2 innings... He earned the win five days ago against Walla Walla with two runs on six hits and two strikeouts over five innings...

Last Night: The AppleSox scored three runs in two different innings to force a rubber match tonight... Wenatchee opened the scoring with a three-run top of the fifth and then added three runs of insurance in the seventh...

Around The Division: Wenatchee remained two games ahead of Bellingam for first place after the Bells defeated the Kamloops NorthPaws, 3-2... Edmonton again loss to the Kelowna Falcons, 12-3, to fall to three games out of first place... Victoria took its series against Nanaimo with a 4-2 win and is four games back...

Bosco Hit Streak: Luca Boscarino extended his hitting streak to six games with a 2-for-3, RBI effort last night... He is batting .391 (9-for-23) over it with 5 RBI thanks to an RBI single in the fifth... He also drew a walk and was hit by a pitch... Last night was Boscarino’s third consecutive multi-hit game and sixth of the summer...

Road-Heavy Start: Tonight’s game is the AppleSox’ 12th road game of the year... They have only played six home games in WCL play but hold the second-best record in the entire league... Wenatchee’s 8-3 road record is second-best in the WCL... The AppleSox, Corvallis Knights and Victoria HarbourCats are the only teams to have played 11-or-more road games so far...

Locking It Down Late: Yesterday’s win was the AppleSox’ eight in as many instances when leading after five innings... Wenatchee is also also unbeaten at 10-0 when leading from the sixth inning on...

Pitcher Of The Week: Evan Canfield is the latest recipient of the West Coast League’s Pitcher Of The Week honor after tossing eight dominant innings on June 14 at Kamloops... He struck out eight, one off matching his season-high, while also recording the longest outing of his career... Canfield finished at 90 pitches and threw 10-or-fewer pitches in five different innings thanks in part to two different double plays... The Bothell native leads the league with 22 strikeouts and is one-of-seven pitchers in the WCL to appear in at least three games and have an ERA under 1.00... He is scheduled to make his third start on Friday against Walla Walla at home...