AppleSox Pull Away Late to End Pippins 9 Game Winning Streak

The Pippins offense struggled to score and the AppleSox pulled away late, snapping the Pippins nine game winning streak.

It was the Pippins who got on the board first off of starter Sam Wong. After two quick outs, Tyler Lasch kept the inning alive with a walk. After a Kyle Dean single moved Lasch to third, Cole Pofek hit a groundball deep in the hole at shortstop and was able to beat out the throw for an RBI infield single. That would be the last time that a Pippin would cross home plate in the game.

After getting out of a first and third jam in the first inning, Pippins starter Hunter French cruised as he retired seven straight batters by the end of the third inning.

In the fourth, the AppleSox got to French. Johnny Sage lead off with a double but French retired the next two batters. With Sage still at second, French fell behind 2-0 to JT Schwartz and threw him a pitch over the plate. Schwartz didn’t miss it and doubled to drive in Sage. Michael Spellacy followed with an RBI single to give the AppleSox a 2-1 lead.

French set down the side in order in the fifth but two familiar faces got to him again in the sixth. Schwartz hit another RBI double and Spellacy drove in another run with a single to extend the lead to 4-1. French would finish off the sixth before the Pippins went to the bullpen.

On offense after the first, the big hit eluded the Pippins as they put runners on base in every inning against Wong but couldn’t score. Having not pitched in over a month for the AppleSox, Wong was removed after five strong innings.

The Pippins had a couple more opportunities to get back into the game, but hit into double plays in both the sixth and seventh innings.

In the eighth, the AppleSox began to pull away. Leading off, Evan Williams rocketed the first pitch he saw from Jack Gonzales off the scoreboard in left for a solo home run. It was his first homer of the season.

The AppleSox grabbed three more runs in the ninth with Conor McCord and Schwartz checking in with RBI’s. Schwartz finished the day going 3-5 with two doubles, a triple and four RBI.

The combination of Dawson Day and McCord out of the bullpen shut down the Pippins the rest of the way. McCord stranded runners at first and second in the ninth to end the Pippins chances to extend their streak. With the loss, the nine game winning streak was snapped.

The Pippins still have a chance to win the series in the finale against the AppleSox on Monday. First pitch at 6:35.

By Kevin Vallene

July 23, 2018