WENATCHEE — Hunter Boyd (1-1, ERA 5.55) of Moses Lake pitched into the fourth inning of Monday night’s West Coast League game against Kelowna, striking out three of the first four batters faced in the rubber game of the Wenatchee AppleSox (4-7) first home series of the season against the Falcons.

The big right-hander scattered seven hits, while striking out five and walking two in the AppleSox’s 9-6 loss to the Falcons (5-7) at Paul Thomas Sr. Field. Western Oregon product Conner McCord’s three-run RBI double in the bottom of the ninth made it a three-run difference but Falcons reliever Cal Hehnke got Cory Meyer to pop up for the final out to secure the series.

“I need to work on my command. The breaking stuff was alright, I just couldn’t locate the fastball,” said Boyd, who had a no decision. “I was lacking a fastball and delivering the ball down the middle and they hit the ball pretty good.”

The AppleSox added eight players in the past three days, so it’s a team still trying to find itself. But they are relying on the leadership of Boyd, who pitched for Yakima Valley three years ago when the Yaks won the NWAC Tournament, is in his second season with the AppleSox.

“We’re still getting used to playing each other, it was the same way the first couple of weeks last year,” Boyd said. “We’ll get better as time goes on. Part of the team is how you bond together ands you can’t do that on the first day.”

“(Boyd) has really busted his butt in the weight room this year so he can move better. He’s more agile, stronger and has increased his mobility,” AppleSox pitching coach Riley Drongesen said. “He’s one of our top two starters this year, for sure. I would call him an emotional leader because he’s all over the place energy-wise and just lifts everyone up.

“He has a really good idea of what he likes to do out there on the mound, so first time through he’s really going to establish that fastball. The second time through, that’s when he starts dropping in that slider on a fastball count and that’s when hitters get off-balance when he’s able to throw off-speed pitches in fastball counts for strikes. He really throws that fastball late in the count situations and it’s been working well for him.”

AppleSox manager Kyle Krustangel brought Boyd with him from Yakima Valley where the two won an NWAC championship. His right-hander has developed quite a bit since being recruited out of Moses Lake.

“I’ve had Hunter since his freshman year, two years (at Yakima Valley), one summer and now this summer. His growth and maturity has definitely gotten better,” Krustangel said. “He’s got multiple pitches, throws his breaking ball for a strike almost every outing and that’s why you see him being so successful.”