Moses Lake falls to Wenatchee
Derrick Pacheco/Columbia Basin Herald<br> Moses Lake Pirates first baseman Justin Copper (24) awaits a throw from starting pitcher John Robinson as Wenatchee AppleSox left fielder Josh Takayoshi (9) dives back to first base.
MOSES LAKE — Pirates second baseman Nathan Bobrowski scored Moses Lake’s first run of the season and left fielder Seth Anderson drove in a pair of RBIs Friday night but it wasn’t enough pick off the Wenatchee AppleSox at Larson Playfield.
The AppleSox scored six runs off of Moses Lake starting pitcher John Robinson and Wenatchee held the Pirates to just four hits on their way to a 10-3 victory in the West Coast League opener.
Wenatchee scored a run in the top of the first inning and added three more in the second to take an early 4-0 lead over the Pirates. The AppleSox added a pair in the third to jump on Moses Lake 6-0 before the Pirates were able to get started offensively in the third.
Bobrowski drew a lead-off walk to start the inning and advanced to second on a wild pitch from Wenatchee starting pitcher Tyler Knigge.
After Bobrowski advanced to second, Moses Lake catcher Brent Trask drew a walk before Moses Lake center fielder Richie Allen singled to load the bases for the Pirates.
With the bases loaded and nobody out, designated hitter Curran Redal singled to drive in Bobrowski from third.
Anderson followed Redal’s single with one of his own, driving in Allen and Trask and the Pirates cut the Wenatchee advantage to 6-3 with no outs.
Redal and Anderson each advanced a base following another Wenatchee wild pitch, but AppleSox reliever Patrick Smith settled down. Patrick Smith forced shortstop Chris Casazza and first baseman Justin Cooper to fly out to shallow left field, denying the Pirates an opportunity to score on a sacrifice fly.
Moses Lake pitcher Tony Smith relieved Robinson in the top of the fourth and Wenatchee scored a run off Smith to take a 7-3 lead.
The Pirates were unable to score in the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings and Tony Smith capitalized on a Moses Lake double play in the fifth to keep the AppleSox off of the scoreboard for the first time Friday night.
Wenatchee was able to get to Tony Smith in the top of the sixth, scoring three runs to take a 10-3 lead.
Lightening began flashing in the distance midway through Friday’s contest and the umpire crew informed both managers if another strike occurred, the game would be suspended until the lightening stopped.
Cooper led off the sixth for the Pirates and struck out swinging before another strike off in the distance forced the umpires to call for a 30-minute delay.
Over the next 30 minutes, the strikes continued and — according to West Coast League rules — the game was called with one out in the sixth inning with the Pirates falling 10-3.
The AppleSox and the Pirates were scheduled to meet again Saturday evening, however inclement weather forced a cancellation and the teams will make up Saturday’s rain-out as part of a doubleheader Wednesday.
Moses Lake and Wenatchee will meet Wednesday afternoon at 5:05 for the first game of a doubleheader. Both games of Wednesday’s doubleheader will be seven-inning contests.