Some records and other tidbits about the 2011 Wenatchee AppleSox, who finished the regular season with a record of 39-15:
‧ Sox OF Payden Cawley Lamb wrested the West Coast League batting title away from Gonzaga teammate Alex Stanford on the last day of the regular season. Cawley Lamb went 3-for-5 Wednesday to finish at .350. Stanford finished at .340.
‧ Cawley Lamb’s three hits also tied him for the WCL’s all-time record in that category, as his 64 knocks equaled the total put up by Waterville native Drew Heid’s amount for Bend in 2008.
‧ The AppleSox’ offense was a truly historic group, setting WCL records for team batting average, hits, runs, total bases, doubles, RBI, sacrifice flies, hit batsmen and on-base percentage.
‧ Adam Nelubowich’s eight homers fell short of the single-season mark set by Moses Lake’s Chris Casazza in 2009. Nelubowich seemed destined to break the mark after blasting his eighth on July 17, but didn’t hit one after that.
‧ University of Portland teammates Owen Jones (wins, innings pitched) and Keeler Brynteson (appearances), were a record-breaking duo for the Sox’ pitching staff.
Source: wccbl.com
WALLA WALLA — The Walla Walla Sweets prevented the AppleSox from reaching their goal of 40 victories, topping Wenatchee 3-2 in the regular-season finale for both teams.
The AppleSox are now left to hope they’ll be able to exact some revenge on the Sweets in the postseason.
With the exception of a six-run inning on Monday, Wenatchee’s offense muddled through a largely meaningless three games at Borleske Stadium, and now must count on the bats revving up again when the stakes are raised.
Wenatchee and Walla Walla will tangle in the West Coast League’s East Division playoffs from Friday-Sunday, but had to play out the regular-season string.
“It was awkward, and I’m really glad that it’s over,” Wenatchee manager Ed Knaggs of the series, in which the Sox used a combined 15 pitchers in the hopes of lining the staff up for Friday.
“We were hoping to come out and finish strong, but we struggled the last two nights.”
The Sox left a small army on the bases in an extra-inning loss Tuesday before being stifled by Walla Walla southpaw Tyler Billen, who had pitched a total of 19 1/3 innings this summer entering the game.
Billen scattered seven hits over 7 2/3 innings before the Sox finally pushed across a pair in the top of the eighth.
“I thought he was pretty average,” Knaggs said of Billen. “We should have scored more runs.”
Walla Walla scored single runs in the first and second off Ben Ruff, who got his first start of the summer after 18 relief appearances.
The Sweets tacked on a third run in the fifth off Mike Murray, the third of five Sox hurlers to take the mound.
In the eighth, WCL batting champ Payden Cawley Lamb singled for his third hit of the game and advanced to second on a two-out single by Adam Nelubowich.
Ryan Barnes doubled to right to drive in both runs and bring the Sox to within a run.
Wenatchee had first and second with two outs after Brock Gates walked, but reliever Jimmy Litchfield got Conner George to foul out to end the inning.
Walla Walla center fielder Andrew Mendenhall went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI.
“We’re not taking good swings with two strikes,” Cawley Lamb said. “We need to come out and play better baseball on Friday.”
Note: Breland Almadova has played his last game for the Wenatchee AppleSox this summer. The outfielder will be returning to Hawaii today for what Knaggs termed “personal reasons”. Classes at the University of Hawaii don’t begin until Aug. 20, and George, Almadova’s teammate at Hawaii, will remain with the team throughout the playoffs. Almadova hit .328 in 42 games in Wenatchee, and put together a 20-game hit streak early in the season. He did not start Wednesday’s game, but entered as a pinch-runner in the top of the ninth.
Brian Adamowsky: 664-7157
adamowsky@wenatcheeworld.com
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