AppleSox claim second straight title

Wenatchee AppleSox manager Ed Knaggs said his baseball team doesn’t usually produce at the plate.

But in Game 2 of the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League championship series on Thursday night, the AppleSox totaled 18 hits, claiming their second straight title, in what Knaggs called an “odd night” in the 7-2 victory over the Spokane RiverHawks at Avista Stadium.

Knaggs said the Game 1 AppleSox victory Tuesday in Wenatchee was a big one and feels fortunate to have had two games against the regular-season champions. The RiverHawks needed a Game 2 victory to stay alive in the series.

“I wouldn’t want to go three with them,” Knaggs said.

Wenatchee started Matt Fields, a Gonzaga University product, who threw seven scoreless innings, yielding seven hits and one run in the eighth to Spokane.

A pitching change would lead to an RBI single, giving the RiverHawks their final run.

Spokane started league-leading Cory Powell, who sported a 1.31 earned run average before Thursday night, but he gave up four runs and nine hits in 3 1/3 innings.

RiverHawks manager Steve Hertz said the pitcher had four days of rest and felt like he was ready to go.

“This was the only outing he had where he wasn’t fantastic,” Hertz said. “That’s pretty good for 10 starts.”

Hertz didn’t blame his pitching staff for Wenatchee’s victory, but rather credited the AppleSox’s offense.

“More than anything you have to tip your cap to Wenatchee’s hitters, they did a really great job,” he said. “They hit a ton of balls right in the teeth.”

Wenatchee’s hitting and pitching, mixed with the RiverHawks’ three errors, gave the visiting team the victory.

“We were fortunate to swing the bats,” Knaggs said. “We’re a team that scratches like heck for runs.”

Hertz said his team didn’t play as well as it had been all season, but he gave the credit to Wenatchee.

“I feel bad for them, but I feel great for (the RiverHawks) because they all improved this summer and they had a great experience,” Hertz said.

Wenatchee leadoff hitter Brent Wyatt opened the game with a bunt single down the first-base line on the first pitch from Powell. Hawkins Gebbers walked and the two base runners stole second and third simultaneously. With one out, two runners were in scoring position, but Powell got out of the inning with two strikeouts.

Wenatchee scored its first three runs in the third, followed by scoring two runs in both the fourth and the fifth inning.

Spokane scored its first run with a sacrifice fly from Darin Holcomb in the eighth, followed by the RBI single from Brent Mertens.

“I’m gonna miss these guys,” Hertz said. “It was truly a blast.”