WALLA WALLA — The Walla Walla Sweets gave the Wenatchee AppleSox chance after chance to break open Tuesday night’s game at Borleske Stadium.
The Sox wouldn’t take any of them.
Wenatchee left 14 runners on base, 11 of those in scoring position, wasting a sterling performance by seven AppleSox pitchers in a 2-1 loss in 10 innings.
The AppleSox had runners in scoring position in nine of their 10 times at bat, but simply could not buy a clutch hit.
“We just stunk tonight,” Wenatchee manager Ed Knaggs told KPQ-AM after the game. “I thought our pitchers were awesome, but the way we left all those guys at third...we were just horrible.”
The Sweets posted a two-out rally off Keeler Brynteson, Wenatchee’s seventh pitcher of the game as Knaggs tried to get the staff some work before the playoffs begin Friday.
Andrew Mendenhall doubled down the right field line and for the second time in the game, Wenatchee elected to walk Zach Wentz intentionally to set up the double play with Chance Kopacz at the plate.
After fanning the first time, Kopacz made the AppleSox pay in the 10th, lining a 3-2 pitch from Brynteson into left field that drove in Mendenhall with the winning run.
There were at least three questionable calls that went against the AppleSox in this game, including one that directly preceded Walla Walla’s first run in the fourth inning, but Wenatchee didn’t help itself.
“The calls weren’t the game. There are going to be bad hops and bad calls,” Knaggs said. “The game was us not getting it done with runners on third. If we take care of business throughout the game those things wouldn’t have happened.”
The Sox and Sweets are in a bizarre situation, having to play three largely meaningless games to wrap up the regular season before opening the WCL East Division playoff series on Friday.
Alex Phillips, slated to start Game 1 on Friday, pitched the first inning of Tuesday’s contest and retired all three batters he faced before a parade of relievers took the mound for the Sox.
“It was especially frustrating given how well we pitched,” Knaggs said. “The offense just didn’t help out.”
“It’s uncharacteristic of us to not score guys when we get them to third,” said Wenatchee outfielder Payden Cawley Lamb, who went 3-for-4 and got left on third three times.
Wenatchee scored its lone run in the first inning on an RBI single by Pat Valaika that drove home Cawley Lamb, but Brock Gates’ groundout with runners on second and third prevented the Sox from getting more.
Notes: Wenatchee third baseman Adam Nelubowich started on Tuesday after leaving Monday night’s game due to nausea sustained after a batting practice collision. He went 2-for-5...The WCL West Division race will go down to the final day of the regular season. The Cowlitz Black Bears beat division champ Corvallis 7-3 in 10 innings Tuesday, leaving them a half-game behind second-place Bend. If Cowlitz beats the Knights today, the Bears and Elks will tie for second place, giving Cowlitz the playoff berth via tiebreaker. It’s a tough deal for Bend, which finished its regular season on Sunday.
Brian Adamowsky: 664-7157
adamowsky@wenatcheeworld.com
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