The Bellingham Bells defeated the Wenatchee AppleSox 5-0 on Thursday night at Joe Martin Field, completing the series sweep.
Though their hitting was stellar throughout the series, it was their pitching that took the spotlight. Against an AppleSox team that ranks among the best hitting teams in the WCL, the Bells limited them to a single run through all three games.
The Bells went up early after third baseman Elijah Hainline was hit on the first pitch of the game, then continued to steal second and reach third on a throwing error by the Sox catcher. Late addition to the lineup Josh Trujillo hit an RBI single down the middle to score Hainline and give the Bells a 0-1 lead in the first inning.
In a key seventh inning, the Bells loaded the bases with no outs thanks to a pair of singles by Daniel Gernon and Gavin Schulz after Ty Saunders was hit by a pitch. Hainline hit a hard single to left to drive in Saunders and Gernon, then later in the inning Jace Phelan reached first on an error to score Hainline and Cole Hage, pushing the lead to five.
Bells starter Christopher Foster pitched four strong innings of three-hit ball to hold the Sox scoreless, before Ryan Beitel relieved him in the fifth. Beitel, who struggled in his last start against the NorthPaws, threw four more scoreless innings to maintain the Bells’ lead. Beitel (2-1) was credited with the win.
Xander Orejudas was a bright spot for the AppleSox, hitting a pair of doubles in the loss. Ryan Mullan (0-1) took the loss for the Sox.
With the victory, the Bells improve to 7-5, while the loss drops the Sox down to 5-7. After sweeping their first series, the Bells will head to Wenatchee for another three-game outing against the Sox this weekend.