WENATCHEE, Wash. – Reese Vassar (Arizona Christian) delivered a clutch three-run triple in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift the Wenatchee AppleSox to a come-from-behind 8-7 victory over the Corvallis Knights in the West Coast League Championship Game, Thursday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Field.

It was the sixth WCL title for Wenatchee, and its first since 2012. The victory marked the third time (2009, 2012) the AppleSox defeated the Knights in the championship tilt.

In a back-and-forth affair, Corvallis jumped out to a 3-0 lead on a two-run single by Dakota Chun (Portland) in the top of the first and a run-scoring single from Maverek Russell (UCLA) in the second.

In the bottom of the second, Wenatchee loaded the bases with no outs and got on the board when Paxton Bigby (South Alabama) drove in a run with an infield single. After a fielder’s choice plated another run, Vassar tied the game with an RBI-single. Two batters later, Noah Field (UT Arlington) knocked in a run with a single to give the AppleSox a 4-3 lead.

Wenatchee extended its lead to 5-3 in the third on a sacrifice fly by Ryder Young (Gonzaga). Corvallis scratched out a run in the fourth, then grabbed a 7-5 lead with a three-run fifth. With two runners aboard, Ryan Severns (UC Santa Barbara) drilled an RBI-single, and an error on the play allowed the go-ahead run to score. Kellen Segel (Oregon commit) capped the rally with an RBI-single.

In the eighth, Young singled with one out and Bigby walked with two away. Segel, who led the Knights this season with six saves, switched from left field to the mound, and hit Kanoa Morisaki (Hawaii commit) with a pitch to load the bases. Vassar then laced a 0-1 pitch into deep right-center field for the game-winning hit.

Easton Brooks (Utah Tech) worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning to finish 4 1/3 innings of shutout relief to earn the victory.

About the West Coast League
The West Coast League is North America’s premier summer collegiate baseball league, now in its 21st season. Sixteen teams span the region from Oregon to Alberta, giving top amateur athletes a grand stage for competition, development, and connection with the communities they represent, in the finest summer baseball weather on the continent. In each of the last three seasons, a WCL alumnus has been selected in the top five of the MLB Draft, and 10 players have come off the board in the first 10 picks over the last decade.