Hoiland’s Nine K’s Help Wenatchee Sweep Victoria
By Joel Norman Wenatchee AppleSox
Cam Hoiland struck out nine hitters over six innings and the Wenatchee AppleSox defeated the Victoria HarbourCats, 3-1, on Sunday afternoon at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.
Hoiland (2-0) set a high-mark for AppleSox starters in strikeouts and got the win a the final game of an AppleSox’ series sweep for the second straight Sunday. His effort was the eighth consecutive game that an AppleSox starter tossed at least five innings. AppleSox starters tossed more than five innings 16 times in 54 games last year.
Jacob Dahlstrom preserved the win with a five-out save. He entered in the eighth inning with one run across and the tying run standing at third base but recorded a strikeout before forcing a popout to end the inning. Dahlstrom retired the HarbourCats in order in the ninth with two more strikeouts in the ninth for his first save of the summer.
Hoiland earned the win thanks to stranding multiple runners on the bases to end three different innings. His best escape came when he loaded up the bases with three consecutive singles to begin the second inning but recovered to strike out the next three hitters in order. Hoiland punched out two more to open up a 1-2-3 second inning to record five consecutive hitters strikeouts.
After scoring a combined 22 runs in the previous two games runs were not as easy for the AppleSox in the series finale but they never trailed. Reeve Boyd was hit by a pitch to lead off the fourth, when to third in an Easton Amundson single and scored on a wild pitch. Brandham Ponce hit a two-out double in the sixth and scored on a Marty Kaplan single and then Ponce hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning for his sixth RBI of the series.
Wenatchee (7-2) moved into second place in the North Division behind the 8-1 Bellingham Bells. The AppleSox handed the HarbourCats their first three losses of the summer and now travels to face the Springfield Drifters on Tuesday night at the Hamlin Sports Complex. Springfield took two-of-three games earlier this week against Wenatchee in the AppleSox’ first home series of the 2023 season.
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