AppleSox clinch North Division despite loss to Elks

BEND, Ore.  - Cam Hoiland's season-best performance on the mound wasn't enough to propel the Wenatchee AppleSox to victory on Tuesday night, as they fell 4-1 to the Bend Elks at Vince Genna Stadium.

Hoiland (1-2) pitched a commendable seven innings, striking out three batters, but ultimately conceded three runs in his second consecutive loss. The Elks capitalized early, with five of their nine hits coming in the first two innings. A crucial two-out, two-RBI single in the bottom of the second inning proved to be the decisive blow.

Max Hartman provided a bright spot for the AppleSox offense, notching his 17th multi-hit game of the season and driving in Wenatchee's lone run with a single in the fifth inning.

Bend added to their lead with a sacrifice fly in the fifth and a wild pitch that allowed a run to score with the bases loaded in the ninth, securing their 4-1 victory.

Despite the loss, there was a silver lining for Wenatchee (34-18, 16-9 second half). The AppleSox clinched the North Division second half title with two games remaining in the regular season, as both Victoria and Bellingham suffered defeats in their penultimate games. This marks the first time since the implementation of the two-half playoff format in 2016 that Wenatchee has captured both the first and second half titles.

The AppleSox will look to bounce back in their remaining games as they prepare for the upcoming playoffs, having secured their position as the team to beat in the North Division.