WCL championship: Pickles to host AppleSox on Friday in winner-take-all finale

The West Coast League baseball season comes down to one game and it will be at Walker Stadium.

The Portland Pickles knocked off seven-time defending champion Corvallis Knights 4-1 on Wednesday night at Goss Stadium in the South Division championship game to advance to Friday’s WCL winner-take-all finale against the Wenatchee AppleSox.

First pitch at Walker Stadium is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Berm seating is available for $14 and a few bleacher seats can be had for $18.

Portland, coached by Clark College’s Mark Magdaleno, won the second-half title and was second overall — one game behind Corvallis — with an overall record of 40-14 this summer. The Pickles went 9-1 to finish the regular season and swept Bend in the divisional series before facing Corvallis.

Wenatchee finished three games in front of Bellingham in the overall North Division standings with a 35-19 record. The AppleSox beat Bellingham 1-0 for the North title on Wednesday after coming back from a game down to top Victoria 2-1 in the divisional series.

The current Pickles roster includes some Southwest Washington players including catcher Riley McCarthy (Univ. of Portland/Mountain View HS), pitcher Zach Hauser (Grand Canyon/Battle Ground HS), and outfielder Josh Schleichardt (Clark CC).