AppleSox surge continues with 14-7 rout of Falcons, extend division lead

WENATCHEE -- The Wenatchee AppleSox continued their dominant run in the West Coast League, sweeping the Kelowna Falcons with a 14-7 victory on Wednesday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Max Hartman, the league's leading run scorer, delivered a pivotal performance, launching his first home run of the summer and driving in four runs. His two-out, two-run blast in the second inning put the AppleSox ahead for good.

The AppleSox offense was relentless, amassing a season-high 19 hits. Roberto Gonzalez and Elijah Pelayo led the charge with four hits each. Gonzalez contributed three RBIs and two runs scored, while Pelayo crossed the plate four times and drove in one run.

Despite falling behind twice early in the game, Wenatchee's bats remained hot, scoring in each of the first six innings. The team's most impressive offensive display came in the sixth, when they plated three runs with two outs on four consecutive singles.

Garrett Ahern (1-0) earned the win with his longest outing of the season, allowing four runs over five innings while striking out five.

The victory extends Wenatchee's winning streak to four games and marks their third sweep of the summer. At 17-7, they now lead the North Division by one-and-a-half games over Edmonton and two-and-a-half games over Bellingham.

The AppleSox will look to clinch the first half title this weekend as they face Bellingham in a crucial series. Wenatchee's magic number to eliminate the Bells stands at one, with two wins guaranteeing them the first-half crown outright.