Pippins Offense Comes Alive and Leads Team to Wild 10-9 Eleventh Inning Win over AppleSox

After blowing a six run lead late in the game, the Pippins took eleven innings to defeat the Wenatchee AppleSox on Tuesday.

Cullen Kafka got the start for the Pippins and would go three hitless innings, striking out five along the way. In the fourth, the Pippins went to Mason Wells and the AppleSox got on the board. Connor McCord hit a one out single and Jacob Prater followed with a double. With one out and runners at second and third, Cory Meyer drove in McCord with a sacrifice fly.

The Pippins would rally in the top of the fifth. Bryce Wooldridge and Jake Moberg lead off the inning with back to back singles and Elijah Greene dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move them up to second and third. Nick DiCarlo followed with a double to left, scoring both runs and ending the Pippins 19 inning scoreless streak.

Wenatchee came right back in the bottom of the fifth, with Mason Morenco knocking in JT Schwarz to knot the score at two.

In the sixth, the Pippins would pull back ahead. After a walk and a single, Victor Cerny dropped down a bunt to move the runners up, but it was bunted right back to the mound. Grady Miller fielded the ball and threw to third, but Tyler Hollow slid in just ahead of the throw. Wooldridge followed with a run scoring single and two batters later, Greene drew a bases loaded walk to drive in another run.

The Pippins continued to build their lead in the seventh. Cole Pofek lead off the inning with a walk and scored on Hollow’s double to left. After a walk and a strikeout, Wooldridge delivered again with a run scoring single and Moberg also checked in with an RBI single. After the seventh, the Pippins had an 8-2 lead.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, everything fell apart. Tanner Inouye was pitching in his third inning of relief and gave up a leadoff base hit to McCord. After a flyout, Inouye walked back to back batters to load the bases. He then struck out JT Schwarz for the second out. Then the wheels came off. The AppleSox rattled off four straight singles, scoring six runs in the process, knocking out Inouye and tying the game at 8. Lucas Juarez was able to get the final out of the inning, stranding a runner in scoring position.

After a scoreless ninth, the Pippins headed into the tenth inning for the first time this season. Greene drew a one out walk and two batters later with two outs, Kyle Dean hit a rocket off of Prater’s glove at third and into left field, scoring Greene all the way from first.

The AppleSox answered right back in the bottom half of the inning, hitting back to back one out singles off of Juarez. Cole Fossat would relieve Juarez and recorded the second out. One out away from a win, Johnny Sage kept the game alive for Wenatchee with an RBI single. Fossat later picked off Sage at first to send the game to the eleventh.

In the eleventh, the Pippins offense had one more rally left. Fossat hit a one out triple and ater a strikeout of Cerny, Wooldridge hit a hotshot groundball to second that Kody Darcy couldn’t handle, giving the Pippins a 10-9 lead.

In the bottom half, Fossat stranded the tying and winning runs on base and sealed a 10-9 eleven inning win for the Pippins. With the win, the Pippins end their four game losing streak and their seven game road losing streak.

The series finale is on Wednesday. First pitch at 7:05.

By Kevin Vallene

July 4, 2018