AppleSox Face Corvallis Tonight
July 9, 2021 - West Coast League (WCL)
Wenatchee AppleSox News Release
The Wenatchee AppleSox welcome the Corvallis Knights to Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium tonight through Sunday for the first time since 2017. The Knights have already clinched a playoff berth and Wenatchee has revenge on its mind after being swept in three games against Corvallis a couple weeks ago.
The biggest key for the AppleSox will be preventing big innings. The Knights scored four-or-more runs in an inning in all three of the games. It's not as if Corvallis bludgeoned Wenatchee, it just cashed in on mistakes. Looking at total statistics from the three games, the Knights did outscore the AppleSox 25-16, but only committed two fewer errors and stranded two fewer men on the basepaths.
The AppleSox threatened in the first inning in all three games, putting seven men on the bases in the three games combined. Wenatchee only scored in the first inning in the first game on June 25 on a sacrifice fly by Luc Stuka. That would be the AppleSox' only lead of the series. They put runners at second and third in the first inning on June 26 but stranded both and then loaded up the bases with one out in the opening frame on June 27 but could not scratch across any runs.
Aside from scoring the men they put on the basepaths, the AppleSox will also aim to control the basepaths better. They allowed 15 stolen bases, including nine on June 27 with eight coming in the Knights' four-run fourth inning. The exclamation point came when Riley Way scored on a straight steal of home for the final run of the inning. That monumental day on the basepaths moved Corvallis past Wenatchee for first in the WCL in stolen bases.
Way and Nate Nankill led the Knight's offensively against the AppleSox. In addition to stealing two bases on June 27, Way also went 6-for-15 (.400) in the series with 5 RBI and three other stolen bases. Nankill recorded back-to-back three-hit games to open the series before finishing 1-for-3 with two walks in the series finale.
Travis Bazzana only played one game in the series between the AppleSox and the Knights, but the Corvallis infielder is an early candidate for WCL MVP. The incoming freshman at Oregon State leads the WCL with a .378 batting average as of July 5. He went 3-for-5 with three singles and an RBI on June 26 against the AppleSox.
Michael O'Hara collected a hit in all three games in Corvallis for the AppleSox, including going 3-for-4 on June 27 with a bases-clearing triple in the ninth inning and then scored to make it a one-run game. O'Hara was injured on June 30 after making a tremendous catch against the Portland Pickles but was hoping to be back in time for the AppleSox series with Corvallis.
Dakota Duffalo also had a strong weekend at Goss Stadium. He went 6-for-11 (.545), drew a walk and was hit by a pitch in the road series. His 2-for-4 performance in the series finale marked the final game of his personal-high six-game hitting streak. As of July 5, he leads the AppleSox with a .323 batting average.
The AppleSox enter this weekend series with an all-time record of 44-55 versus their longtime rivals. That includes a 29-25 mark all-time at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium, a record that they hope to improve this weekend.
West Coast League Stories from July 9, 2021
- AppleSox Face Corvallis Tonight - Wenatchee AppleSox
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
