The Wenatchee AppleSox, who have all to play for in the North Division playoff race, defeated the Victoria HarbourCats 6-2 in a West Coast League baseball game Tuesday night in Washington state.
The AppleSox (27-22) won for the fourth straight game and maintained the co-lead with the Walla Walla Sweets atop the division tables, 2.5 games ahead of the third-place Bellingham Bells.
The top two teams in the division make the playoffs.
The fourth-place HarbourCats (20-29) have been eliminated from the post-season dance.
That didn鈥檛 stop newcomer pitcher Gunnar Swanson from Everett Community College from proving to be a bit of a gunner in his HarbourCats debut, giving up six hits and three runs over seven innings to keep Victoria in a tight 3-2 game.
鈥淚 thought [Swanson] did a great job,鈥� said HarbourCats manager Dennis Rogers.
鈥淏ut it was another late-game loss,鈥� Rogers said about the agonizing way his club has lost deep into games on this seven-game road trip.
The contest exploded out of reach when the AppleSox touched HarbourCats reliever Will Ballowe from the University of Washington Huskies for three runs, including a two-run homer by Eric Hutting, in the eighth inning as Victoria lost its fourth consecutive game.
鈥淲e鈥檙e short talent compared to everyone else right now for various reasons [injuries, attrition] with a limited pitching staff and limited options with position players,鈥� Rogers said. 鈥淏ut we will continue to play the game of baseball the proper way right to the end.鈥�
Jordan Ellis was among the most productive of the HarbourCats at the plate with a hit and two RBIs, while Alex DeGoti and Washington Nationals draft pick Brandon Smith sprayed two hits each.
Victoria closes out the season tonight in Wenatchee, Thursday in Bellingham in a rain-day makeup against the Bells and then in the final three-date homestand Friday though Sunday against Bellingham at Royal Athletic Park.
