AppleSox shut out Pippins, Darlington earns 100th career win

WENATCHEE — Alec Johnson delivered a dominant start and the Wenatchee AppleSox backed him with 10 runs to defeat the Yakima Valley Pippins, 10-0, on Saturday night, evening the opening series of the season at one game apiece.

Johnson threw five shutout innings, allowing only two hits and striking out six. Wenatchee’s pitching staff did not issue a single walk in the game. Carson Boesel earned a hold with three scoreless innings in relief, striking out two and surrendering just one hit. Trevor Young closed out the ninth, giving up one hit to complete the combined four-hitter.

The win marked a milestone for AppleSox manager Mitch Darlington, who earned his 100th career victory with the team. He becomes just the second manager in franchise history to reach the mark.

Wenatchee (1-1) opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning when Brady Bean doubled and scored on a Jack McWilliams RBI single. Nate Gray Jr. later walked with the bases loaded to push the lead to 2-0.

In the second inning, Payton Smith singled and scored on another Bean double, this one into the left-center gap. A throwing error on a ground ball by Jake Sanko allowed Bean to score, extending the lead to 4-0.

The AppleSox continued to add on with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Gunnar Penzkover singled with two outs in the fifth and scored on a Jack Barker RBI single. In the sixth, Noah Fields doubled, Colby Holmdahl singled, and an error allowed Fields to score.

Wenatchee broke the game open with a three-run seventh inning, sparked by four consecutive hits. Barker led off with a single, followed by a Sanko double. Fields then singled home two runs and later scored on a failed pickoff attempt, giving the AppleSox a 9-0 lead.

Fields capped his night with a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning to make it 10-0. He finished 2-for-4 with three RBI. Holmdahl went 3-for-5, and Bean went 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI.

The AppleSox will seek their first series win of the season in the finale on Sunday at 5:35 p.m. at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. Gesa Credit Union is sponsoring “Cuffs and Axes” at noon, honoring local heroes before the final game against Yakima Valley. Fans with a ticket to the evening game will receive admission to the earlier event.