Dougherty claims batting title as AppleSox rout Elks

BEND, Ore.  — Aidan Dougherty secured the West Coast League batting title as the Wenatchee AppleSox defeated the Bend Elks 10-4 on Thursday night, capping off a dominant offensive season for the team.

Dougherty, an incoming junior at the University of Connecticut, finished with a .380 average, joining an elite group of only three AppleSox players to ever win the league's batting crown. His performance included a 10-game hitting streak to end the season.

The AppleSox (35-19, 17-10 second half) jumped to an early 8-0 lead, chasing Bend's starting pitcher Parker Grant before he could record an out in the second inning. Wenatchee's offensive prowess was evident throughout the season, leading the WCL in both runs scored (380) and team batting average (.283).

Karsten Sweum pitched four scoreless innings in his third start of the summer, while Aaron Platner (1-0) earned the win in his AppleSox debut, shutting out the Elks in the fifth and sixth innings.

Max Hartman tied for the league lead with 51 runs scored, continuing a three-year streak of AppleSox players topping or sharing the league's runs scored category. Hartman's performance included reaching base five times in six plate appearances in Thursday's game.

The victory solidified Wenatchee's position as the best team in the North Division for both halves of the season, a first for the franchise since the adoption of the two-half playoff format in 2016.

The AppleSox will now face the Victoria HarbourCats in the North Division Series, with Game 2 scheduled for Sunday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium in Wenatchee.