AppleSox slow down Pirates

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake couldn’t find an answer for Wenatchee Wednesday night as the AppleSox cruised to a 5-1 victory over the Pirates.

The Pirates fell to 4-30 overall following the loss to Wenatchee and the AppleSox took the first two games of their three-game series with the victory.

Moses Lake starting pitcher Zane Bator threw five innings of solid baseball, allowing three runs on five hits.

Although Bator was solid in the home outing, the Pirates offense couldn’t provide much run support for the right-handed pitcher.

Bator kept the Wenatchee offense guessing throughout the first three innings, allowing just two hits in the process.

While Bator controlled the tempo of Wednesday night’s game through the first three innings, the AppleSox managed to get to the Moses Lake native in the top of the fourth.

Wenatchee scored a run in the fourth and two more in the fifth to take a 3-0 lead before Bator left the ball game.

Moses Lake struggled in the bottom of the fifth inning before the lights at Larson Playfield went dark with two strikes and two outs in the bottom of the fifth.

After a 30-minute delay, the lights came on and play resumed. DC Legg singled on the first pitch after the blackout, but was picked off to end the inning and the threat for the Pirates.

Moses Lake relief pitcher Brandon Rohde came on in the top of the sixth before allowing one run as Wenatchee took a 4-0 lead on the road.

The Pirates struggled offensively Wednesday night before Moses Lake broke up Wenatchee’s bid for a shut out in the bottom of the sixth.

Center fielder Richie Allen reached on an error to lead off the inning and eventually stole second before first baseman Justin Cooper found the hole between second and first.

Cooper drove the ball into right field as Allen rounded third on the play and slid head first across the plate for Moses Lake’s only run of the contest.

While Moses Lake broke up the shutout in the sixth, the Pirates couldn’t climb back into the contest as Wenatchee took game two of the series 5-1.

The Pirates return to the diamond tonight when they host AppleSox at 7:35 p.m. in the final game of their three-game series.

Moses Lake begins a three-game series Friday night at Spokane.