Opening Game Victory
- Updated: July 3, 2019
WENATCHEE, WA. – The Kelowna Falcons used a three-run 6th inning and terrific pitching from Jonathan Clark and Ian Turner to earn a 5-3 victory over the Wenatchee AppleSox on Tuesday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Field.
Ezra Samperi collected two hits while three Wenatchee errors were a helping hand for the Falcons to end their three-game losing stretch and pick up a win in the first of their three-game set against the AppleSox in Wenatchee.
The home side were first on the scoreboard on a windy, rainy night in Wenatchee, scoring twice in the 2nd inning as an RBI groundout put the AppleSox opened the scoring before a rundown between first and second allowed a runner to score from third and give Wenatchee a 2-0 advantage after two innings.
Jonathan Clark settled into a nice groove after that, finishing his starting effort by going 5 innings allowing just the two runs in tough conditions to pitch with the ball wet from an extending amount of rain.
Kelowna chipped away at the lead in the 5th frame by collected their first run of the game courtesy of a wild pitch. With the watery conditions, AppleSox starter Scott Wyatt uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Ben Smith to score from third and get the game within a run at 2-1.
Kelowna took their first, and only, lead in the 6th inning on a bit of sloppy defence by the AppleSox and some clutch hitting. Two straight singles set the table for the bases to be loaded before Richi Sede to grind a ball through the right side for his first RBI of the season and tie the game up at 2-2 before Smith cashed in a run with a sacrifice fly to center field as the visitors jumped ahead by a 3-2 tally.
A big play in the game came with what should have been a routine pop out to end the inning as Mason Hoover popped a ball back to the mound that was bobbled by relieved Seth Kuykendall and a hussling Sede scored from second base to push the Falcons lead to 4-2.
Wenatchee came back with a run in the home half of the frame, as Cole McKenzie got on after being hit by a pitch and proceeded to steal second base, advancing to third on a error off the throw to the bag and came in to plate on a wild pitch to cut the Falcons advantage to 4-3.
Ian Turner allowed that run and that was about it in his outing, spanning 3.1 innings of solid relief, including 7 strikeouts and got out of a huge jam with a runner at third and two outs in the 7th inning to preserve the lead.
The Falcons added to their advantage in the top of the 9th inning on the third Wenatchee error of the ballgame as a throw from shortstop found its way to the Falcons dugout as Cole Cummings came in to plate and extend the lead to 5-3.
Gabe Smith took over on the mound from Turner with an out in the 9th inning, inducing a game-ending 5-4-3 double play on his only pitch and helping Kelowna to a 5-3 victory over the AppleSox.
The Falcons (7-16) will look for the series win as they take on the AppleSox (9-14) in the middle game of the three-game series on Wednesday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Field. First pitch is set for 7:05 PM with the game being broadcasted live on mixlr.com/kelowna_falcons with the Voice of the Falcons, Trevor Miller.
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