AppleSox win North Division Championship

WENATCHEE — The Wenatchee AppleSox secured their first division championship in over a decade with a nail-biting 1-0 victory over the Bellingham Bells on Wednesday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Evan Canfield delivered a masterful performance on the mound, throwing seven shutout innings to lead the AppleSox to their third consecutive elimination game win. The victory clinched the North Division title, a feat the team hadn't accomplished since 2013.

Canfield, who had pitched in relief just four days earlier, showed remarkable resilience. He retired the side in order from the second through the fifth innings and skillfully navigated out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh. His final line included four strikeouts and only one walk in what proved to be his last outing of the summer.

The game's lone run came in the third inning when Max Hartman drove in a run with an opposite-field double. This followed a crafty bunt single by Cam Hoiland that caught the Bells' defense off guard.

Hoiland's impact wasn't limited to offense. The outfielder made a game-changing defensive play in the fifth inning, robbing Colton Bowser of a potential game-tying home run with a spectacular leaping catch at the left field fence.

Micah Bujacich closed out the game, pitching a perfect eighth inning before working out of trouble in the ninth. He sealed the championship with a strikeout, leaving two Bellingham runners stranded.

The AppleSox's postseason journey continues as they advance to face the Portland Pickles on Friday night at 6:35 p.m. at Walker Stadium in Portland. Wenatchee will be vying for their seventh league championship and sixth West Coast League title.