By Joseph Traub
For the Peninsula Daily News
PORT ANGELES — A six-run first inning by the AppleSox was too much for the Port Angeles Lefties to overcome as they fell to Wenatchee 9–5 on Wednesday evening at Civic Field for their fourth-straight loss.
The AppleSox singled Dwayne Angebrandt to death in the first inning, as their first five hits of the game were one-baggers. Kody Darcy capped the frame with a two-run homer to left-center as Wenatchee led 6–0 before the Lefties came to bat.
Port Angeles (6-8 West Coast League) scored all four of its runs in the third inning. Ethan Groff blasted a no-doubt, two-run home run to left field. A run later scored on a wild pitch, then Connor Denning doubled in Evan Hurn to make it 6–4.
That is as close as the Lefties would get, as the AppleSox pitching staff combined to shut out the Port Angeles batters over the final six frames. Wenatchee tacked on three more runs. Ryan Altenberger was the biggest contributor, finishing the game 4 for 4 with all of his hits being singles.
Thirty-one of the 54 total outs in the game were strikeouts. The Lefties pitching staff fanned a season-high 15 Wenatchee batters. Starter Dwayne Angebrandt struck out seven in four innings, but he took the loss.
Port Angeles played Thursday night after press deadline to finish the series with the AppleSox. The Lefties go east to Walla Walla for a short three-game road trip against the Sweets, then return home to Civic Field for an eight-game homestand beginning Tuesday against Yakima.
The games can be seen on Facebook live via the Lefties’ Facebook page.
Wenatchee 9, Port Angeles 5
Sox 6 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 — 9 12 2
Lefties 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 — 5 4 2
WP: Saum LP: Angebrandt
Pitching
Sox — Reinertsen 3IP, 2H, 4ER, 4BB, 7K; Saum 3IP, H, 0ER, 3BB, 4K; Gomez 2IP, H, 0ER, 3K; Sommer 1IP, 0H, 2K.
Lefties — Angebrandt 4IP, 7H, 6ER, BB, 7K; Fitch 2IP, 2H, ER, BB, 2K; A. Chavez 1IP, 2H, 2ER; Buchanan 1IP, 0H, 2K; Scalzo 1IP, H, 3K.
Hitting
Sox — Altenberger 4-4, 2R; Darcy 2-3, 2R, 3RBI, BB; McPhillips 2-5, 2R; McKenzie 2-5, R.
Lefties — Groff 2-5, R, 2RBI; Denning 1-1, RBI, BB; Rosenberg 1-2, BB.
