Summer Collegiate

Sixth inning does in NorthPaws against Falcons

Published

10 months ago

August 2, 2023

Dugout Wire Service

Author: Larry Read

KAMLOOPS, BC—The Kelowna Falcons scored five times in the sixth inning and held onto beat the hometown Kamloops NorthPaws 5-4 in West Coast League baseball action Tuesday (Aug 1) at Dearborn Ford Field at Norbrock Stadium.

Over 13 hundred fans were on hand for Stingray Radio night and saw their Paws team outhit Kelowna 9-3 in the contest. Kelowna has now evened up the regular season series at two a piece. The Falcons are now 13-9 in the second half of the season while Kamloops fell to 4-14.

The Paws took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth when Drew Giannini (Tracy, CA) stroked a RBI single scoring Robin Villeneuve (Gatineau, QC) who led off the inning with a single. Giannini was 1-4 with an RBI on the night. Villeneuve wound up 2-4.

Kelowna got to NorthPaw starter Maclain Roberts (Auckland, NZ) in the sixth when Jonas Salk (Fairfax, CA) scored on a wild pitch by Roberts. Salk had doubled to kick off the inning. Roberts was lifted after pitching five and a third innings. He left with two men aboard in favor of Matthew McDonald.

McDonald—a Kamloops product—was making his NorthPaw debut after playing Academy ball in Calgary Alberta. With him on the mound, the Falcons scored their other four runs. Three of them charged to Roberts who was tagged with the loss. He falls to 2-7 for the summer.

Kamloops cut the deficit to 5-3 in their half of the inning. Gage Mestas (Durango, CO) led it off with a single. He was followed by Cooper Neville (Glendale, AZ) who singled as well. Both scored on an error charged to Kelowna centerfielder Trey Duffield (Houston TX). Mestas was 3-5 with a run scored.

The NorthPaws threatened in the bottom of the ninth. They had the bases loaded but could only push one run across as Matthew Ward (Mississauga, ON) singled and scored on a sacrifice fly to right field by Anthony Manuel (Antioch, CA). Ward was 2-3 with that scored run.

Offensively for Kelowna: Salk was 1-4 with a run scored and a run batted in. Griffin Palfey (West Vancouver, BC) started on the mound for the Falcons before switching to designated hitter. He was 1-3 at the dish with a run scored.. Pitching wise, he threw five innings of one run ball. He gave up five hits, struck out three and walked two. He was the winning pitcher moving to 1-2.

Thrasher Steed (Orange Beach, AL) came onto pitch the ninth inning for his fifth save of the year. He gave up a run, struck out two and walked two along with one hit as he made his 16th appearance of the summer.

The Falcons and NorthPaws will head to Kelowna now for games two and three of this series. They go tomorrow (Aug 2) and Thursday (Aug 3) at Elks Stadium.

The Paws will close out the 2023 West Coast League regular season in Kamloops (August 4-6). Their opponents will be the Nanaimo Night Owls.

All West Coast League games are available via their website: https://wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv/

Tuesday, August 1, 2023:

Link to Scoresheet: http://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=598695

HEAD COACH KEITH FRANCIS ON THE FIVE RUN SIXTH INNING:

“We didn’t throw strikes. That was the name of the game. Four walks and they all scored. We are very short on pitching. I had to throw the guys tonight. I didn’t have any choice because we still have games to go and some of my starters have left (for university). We have to match up a little better. But that is no excuse. We still have to throw strikes.”

NORTHPAWS CENTERFIELDER GAGE MESTAS:

“It was a hard-fought game. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get the job done. We fought to the end of it. This has been the underlying theme. Its unfortunate but we have spent the summer playing ball and making memories.”

NEXT UP FOR THE NORTHPAWS:

The NorthPaws and Falcons will duke it out in a pair of games at Elks Stadium in Kelowna tomorrow and Thursday.

They then will conclude the regular season at Dearborn Ford field at Norbrock Stadium against Nanaimo. The August 5th contest against the Night Owls will be Fan Appreciation night followed the final game of the regular campaign which has been deemed “Family Day”.

If you can’t make the home games, they are all webcast on https://wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv/ . Some home games will also be shown on Shaw TV in Kamloops (Cable 10 or 105 with Blue Curve).

TAILGATE PARTY:

The Molson’s Tailgate Party runs before every NorthPaws home game. It runs Tuesday through Saturday 5-630 PM. The Party runs Sundays noon-1 PM. Hotdogs and a Pilsner are sold for $ 12.00 plus tax.

Source

Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – HabourCats load up on pitching in preparation for 2024 season

Published

9 hours ago

May 13, 2024

Dugout Wire Service

Preston Kelly in CCAA action for the Cal State-San Marcos Cougars (Photo: Greg Siller, Cal State-San Marcos)

May 13, 2024

For immediate release

VICTORIA, B.C. — Local pitcher Jacob Thompson joins the HarbourCats for the 2024 season, along with four other college arms.

The HarbourCats are excited to announce the addition of five pitchers to their 2024 pitching staff, all joining the club for the first time.

Announced today:

RHP Jacob Thompson, Minot State University, 6-0/180, North Saanich, BC
RHP Preston Kelly, Cal State-San Marcos, 5-10/190, Eastvale, CA
RHP Jason Krakoski, Cal State-Fullerton, 6-3/180, Livermore, CA
LHP Payton Hawkinson, Cal State-Fullerton, 6-7/230, Turlock, CA
LHP Brandon Bertsch, University of Texas, 6-0/170, Dallas, TX

Thompson, a graduate of Lambrick Park Secondary, is a freshman at Minot State University. He has appeared in nine games for the Beavers in 2024, primarily as a reliever, and has given up one or less earned runs in seven of those appearances.

Kelly has posted a 3.96 ERA over 38.2 innings for Cal State-San Marcos during the 2024 season. The California native started the season on a tear as he did not allow an earned run until his 10th appearance. He has struck out 33 batters while limiting the walks to just eight over the course of the season so far. In 2023, Kelly finished with nine saves which was the second most in school history.

Krakoski is the first of two pitchers joining Victoria from Cal State-Fullerton. He has struck out 20 batters over 21.2 innings in 2024 and has limited the long ball by only giving up one home run all season. In high school, he captained his team to the NCS playoff semi-finals in back-to-back years. The freshman comes from a family of athletes as both his grandfather and uncle played professional football – his grandfather played for the Oakland Raiders from 1963-1966 and his uncle was a linebacker in the NFL for Washington in 1986.

Hawkinson (pictured right), another California native, is a big lefty standing at 6-7/230. The freshman has pitched in seven games this year for the Titans and has given up one or less earned runs in six of those appearances. In his junior year of high school he earned first-team all-conference and conference pitcher-of-the-year awards as he led his team to conference championship.

Bertsch is a freshman right-hander from Dallas. He starred in high school becoming just the second player in school history with more than 100 strikeouts in a season. He will add a lot of swing and miss potential to an already formidable HarbourCats pitching staff.

The HarbourCats are looking forward to seeing these young arms in action against West Coast League batters.

The HarbourCats open on the road May 31 in Kamloops, the start of back-to-back series in Kamloops and Kelowna, before returning for the June 7 home opener against Wenatchee. The HarbourCats will be on the road this summer in Kamloops, Kelowna, Edmonton, Wenatchee, Ridgefield, Port Angeles, Bellingham, and six games in Nanaimo against the Island-rival NightOwls at Serauxmen Stadium. Teams visiting Victoria this year are Wenatchee, Nanaimo, Bellingham, Port Angeles, Kelowna, Edmonton (two series), Kamloops and Corvallis, along with non-league games against the Redmond Dudes, Dub Sea Fish Sticks, the SIBL All-Stars, and Victoria Mavericks All-Stars.

The regular season runs until August 7, with WCL playoffs running from August 10 to August 16.

Single game tickets are now available for the HarbourCats 2024 season including the home opener on Friday, June 7, 2024 at 6:35pm against the Kamloops NorthPaws. These can be purchased online through our one and only ticketing partner, Select Your Tickets, at www.harbourcats.com/tickets or at the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street.

Season tickets and 10-game flex packs are also now on sale via the HarbourCats office or by calling 778-265-0327.

Source

Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Fresno State bats and two returning pitchers part of next six signed by HarbourCats

Published

1 week ago

May 4, 2024

Dugout Wire Service

2023 pitcher Flynn Ridley will return to the HarbourCats for 2024, along with 2023 teammate Brett Harvey and four other new players announced today (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

May 4, 2024

For immediate release

VICTORIA, B.C. — On a strong pitching staff, Flynn Ridley and Brett Harvey were standouts for the 2023 Victoria HarbourCats.

The HarbourCats are excited to announce the return of the two right-handers, along with excitement at adding two quality hitters from a school that has long provided great players, Fresno State.

Ridley and Harvey, along with Sky Collins and Cam Schneider from Fresno State, highlight a new signing group that includes a huge right-hander from TCU in Carson Cormier, and a star catcher from Texas A&M in Kyle Micklus, a lefty hitter with power.

Announced today:

RHP Flynn Ridley, Ottawa (AZ), 6-4/200, Burnaby, BC
RHP Brett Harvey, Puget Sound, 6-2/190, Auburn, WA
C Kyle Micklus, West Texas A&M, 5-9/190, Waller, TX
OF Sky Collins, Fresno State, 6-1/180, Fresno, CA
IF/OF Cam Schneider, Fresno State, 6-3/190, Fresno, CA
RHP Carson Cormier, TCU, 6-5/225, Westford, MA

Harvey (pictured right) posted a combined 1.90 ERA over 15 regular season and playoff games for the ‘Cats in 2023, giving up 20 hits in 23.2 innings. Ridley started four games among his nine appearances and was 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA, striking out 28 in 24 innings. Take away his last start, and he was 1-0 with a 1.35 ERA, limiting opposing hitters to a .132 average.

Micklus, an energy guy behind the dish, is hitting .421 with six homers for West Texas A&M, after starring at Lassen College in California. He’s also stolen 11 bases, adding 15 doubles and two triples, and will give the catching staff an older presence.

Collins and Schneider are both from Fresno, and bring size to the lineup. Schneider is hitting .273 as a freshman this season, while Collins joined the Bulldogs off a strong two years at Fresno City College, winning a gold glove and being named second team all-conference.

Cormier is big, 6-5 and 225. From just outside of Boston, the freshman has won numerous academic and leadership awards and was on the Dodgers scout team before landing at TCU as a top prospect who will get valuable innings in the summer with the HarbourCats.

The regular season runs until August 7, with WCL playoffs running from August 10 to August 16.

Season tickets and 10-game flex packs are also now on sale via the HarbourCats office or by calling 778-265-0327.