Wenatchee Patient On Offense, Come Away With 13-6 Win
Joel Norman Wenatchee AppleSox
The Wenatchee AppleSox drew a season-high 15 walks to defeat the Victoria HarbourCats, 13-6, on Saturday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.
Wenatchee (6-2) loaded up the bases in each of the first four innings and scored 10 times. The AppleSox scored at least two runs in each of the first five innings, including tallying four runs in the second inning. The first six hitters in the AppleSox order came to bat in each of the first four innings.
Brandham Ponce led the way by driving in four runs and going 3-for-4. He is batting .833 (5-for-6) with three walks, three runs and two sacrifice flies in his last two games after collecting one hit in his first three games of the summer. Ponce hit a sacrifice fly in the first inning with the bases loaded and then walked with the bases full in the second inning. He batted with AppleSox runners at each base again in the fourth inning and delivered a two-out two-run double.
Reeve Boyd reached four times and scored three times. Frankie Carney also scored three runs, marking the second consecutive day that he achieved the feat. Marty Kaplan made his summer debut by reaching base with three walks and an RBI single in the second in his first four plate appearances. Aiden Van Rensum delivered a two-out RBI single in the third with the bases loaded to give him 5 RBI with two outs this summer.
Ryan Martinez (1-0) started and tossed six innings to mark the seventh consecutive game that an AppleSox starting pitcher tossed at least five innings. He gave up five runs (four earned) on four hits, walked two and struck out two. Michael Cunneely earned the save by striking out four over the final three innings. The only blemish against him was a solo home run to lead off the eighth inning.
The AppleSox look for their second sweep of the season when they host the HarbourCats again at 1:05 p.m. on Sunday. Cam Hoiland makes his second start of the year after only allowing one run and striking out three in six strong innings last Sunday.
Sunday is the first Family Fun Day of the season. Arrive early and you’ll receive baseball cards of Ponce, Evan Canfield and Jack DeDonato. Stick around after the game for a live music performance by the Wenatchee High School Mariachi Band and kids can run the bases.