Elks Drop Season Opening Series to Wenatchee

The Bend Elks fell in its first series of the season against the Wenatchee AppleSox at Vince Genna Stadium. (Blake Niemann)

Bend, OR. - Despite hot starts in their first two games of the 2023 season, the Bend Elks fell in the season-opening series to the Wenatchee AppleSox following a 4-3 final in game two.

The Elks jumped out to three-run leads in the first inning in games one and two but could not build off those early advantages leading to Bend's first series loss to the Wenatchee since 2019.

On opening day, the Elks scored three runs in the first inning but proceeded to go scoreless through the rest of the game up until the ninth inning when Justin Tsukada sparked life with a double and came around to score on an RBI groundout by Steven Meier. Yet the Elks' rally cry would fall short, resulting in a 6-3 loss to open the season.

Wenatchee produced a five-run rally in the third inning, taking advantage of three free passes and a wild pitch by Dylan MacCallum (0-1). The AppleSox would add a support run in the top of the ninth on an RBI single by Easton Amundson to hold off the Elks.

The following night had a similar tale: Bend once again would score three runs in the opening frame on a sac fly from Avery Ortiz, a one-run single from Ethan Thomas, and an AppleSox throwing error.

Wenatchee responded throughout the middle innings with an RBI single by Ty Kennedy in the third and two runs in the fourth, ultimately overtaking the Elks in the seventh on an RBI single from Austin Bunn, securing the 4-3 win in game 2.

Bend continued to fight and put runners in scoring position, yet two inning-ending double-plays delivered a tough blow as the Elks hung up zero's on the scoreboard the rest of the way.

The Elks square off against Wenatchee in the series finale Sunday at 5:05 p.m. at Vince Genna Stadium.