Knights strike late to defeat AppleSox

by Joel Norman Wenatchee AppleSox
| June 15, 2018 1:00 AM

CORVALLIS, Ore. — The Corvallis Knights (4-4) scored two runs in the eighth inning to break a tie and take the series finale 5-3 against the Wenatchee AppleSox (3-5).

The AppleSox out-hit the Knights, 9-7, and had a chance to take the lead in the eighth, but could not bring the go-ahead across.

Joey Magro continued his hot stretch at the plate by going 3-for-4 at the plate for the second straight game. The second baseman from Biola finished a home run away from hitting for the cycle.

Using a vastly different batting order from any of the season’s previous 10 games, the AppleSox got on the board in the first. Magro led off with a double to right-center field and came around to score after back-to-back groundouts.

The Knights responded in the bottom of the second with two runs on a couple hits and a sacrifice fly to take a 2-1 lead.

After neither team scored in the third, the AppleSox tied the game in the fourth on three consecutive singles. John Sage and Connor McCord started the inning off with consecutive singles, then Cory Meyer played Sage with a one-out single.

In the fifth, the AppleSox took the lead on a Mason Marenco RBI single after Magro tripled with two outs. The lead lasted until the bottom of the sixth when Knights used a leadoff triple and a one-out single to even the game back up.

The AppleSox had an opportunity to take the lead in the top of the eighth. After Sage and Meyer reached base on walks and with two outs, Sage reached third on a wild pitch. With runners at the corners, Meyer took off for second and Sage took a healthy lead from third. Instead of the throw coming to second, it went to third and Sage was picked off to end the inning.

The Knights scored two runs in the bottom half of the same inning after a walk, a single and a triple to score both. The AppleSox were retired in order in the ninth to conclude the game.

Now, the AppleSox return home for their first homestand of the season that will come against West Coast League opponents. It begins on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. with the first of three against the Kelowna Falcons.