Reneau strong again, but Pirates fall at Wenatchee

AppleSox 2 Pirates 1

WENATCHEE — Starting pitcher Dale Reneau has been one of the brightest spots for an already luminous Moses Lake Pirates team this summer.

Reneau, likely on his way to an all-league selection, did his part in game two of the Pirates' series in Wenatchee Tuesday night. But his offense didn't keep up their end of the bargain, and a seventh-inning mistake from Reneau helped the AppleSox pull out a 2-1 victory at Paul Thomas Field.

Reneau came into the game with a 5-1 record, 1.26 earned-run average and a league-leading 58 strikeouts. He threw very well again Tuesday, allowing nine hits through eight innings, but Wenatchee's Tony Jones touched him for a solo home run in the seventh that proved to be the game-winning run.

Moses Lake (26-12) was baffled by Wenatchee starter Nick Bratney, who allowed four hits and one walk in seven innings to earn his second win of the season. Bratney and reliever Elliott Cribby combined to strike out six Pirates, and that was enough to derail Reneau, who threw 109 pitches.

Neither side managed a serious threat through five innings. But that changed in the top of the sixth when Moses Lake mustered a two-out rally.

Zach Kim, who came into the game with a .338 batting average and went 2 for 3, drew the only walk of the night against Bratney with two outs in the sixth. A wild pitch advanced Kim to second, and Steve Tinoco slapped a 2-2 pitch into left field for a 1-0 lead.

It didn't take long for the AppleSox (20-17) to respond. In the bottom of the sixth, Dillon Baird and Vinnie Catricala each singled with one out. Drew Heid roped a double inside the third-base bag, allowing Baird to score the equalizer.

Then came Reneau's one true mistake of the night. Jones jumped on a 2-0 pitch to lead off the seventh, lofting a high fly that just cleared the fence in right.

Cribby, making a rare relief appearance for Wenatchee, made the lead stand up by retiring six of the last seven hitters.

Moses Lake managed just five hits — two from Kim and two from Zach Hedges.

Zach Mandelblatt and Heid each went 2 for 3 for the Sox, with Catricala finishing 2 for 4.

Wenatchee's victory evened the three-game series, one night after the Pirates picked up a 7-3 win at Larson Field. The rubber match is tonight in Moses Lake, with Wenatchee's Wayde Kitchens (2-2, 3.71) opposing Moses Lake's Tyler Rogers (3-1, 1.85). Game time is 7:30 p.m.

Pirates 7, AppleSox 3

Moses Lake got some early help from a porous Sox defense to get the victory Monday night.

The Pirates plated four runs in the first off Wenatchee starter Kyle Foster. The visitors committed two errors in the frame, with Marcus Tackett and Kevin Coddington delivering RBI singles.

Moses Lake upped its lead to 5-1 in the third as Mike Capbarat launched a solo homer off Foster, his second of the season.

Wenatchee scored two runs in the fourth off starter Ben Guidos, but the Pirates earned the final margin of victory with two in the sixth. Tackett had another RBI single and Kim raced home on a wild pitch.

The Pirates totaled 14 hits off four Sox pitchers. Tackett was 3 for 5 with two RBIs. Kim, Tinoco, Michael Ratigan and Jesse Ayala all had two hits apiece for Moses Lake.

Guidos evened his record at 2-2, going seven innings. He surrendered one earned run on seven hits and three walks while striking out seven. Ben Graham pitched two scoreless innings of relief.