Connect with us

Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – HarbourCats Sweep Wenatchee! Advance to North Division Final

Published

on

Victoria to host the Bellingham Bells in North Division Final at Wilson’s Group Stadium, Saturday night at 6:35pm

Story and Photos by Christian J. Stewart

August 10, 2023

Victoria, BC – A sixth inning triple from Marco Pirruccello, double from Hudson Shupe and two-run homer from Tripp Clark, were the HarbourCats first three hits of the game Wednesday night, leading to a 3-0 HarbourCats lead that they then rode to an eventual 4-2 win over the Wenatchee AppleSox in West Coast League playoff action at Wilson’s Group Stadium in Victoria.

FULL BOX SCORE

The win gives the HarbourCats a two-game sweep over the AppleSox in the best of three Divisional Series and now pits them against the Bellingham Bells  – who also swept their series over Kelowna – in the ONE-GAME knockout North Division Final that will be held at Wilson’s Group Stadium at 6:35 pm on Saturday evening.

The winner of that game will advance to Monday’s WCL Championship game, also a one-game win or die affair, that still potentially could be played here in Victoria.

For that to happen, the HarbourCats obviously must win, but then hope that either Portland (who swept their two game Divisional Series over Ridgefield) or Cowlitz (who play a deciding game three against Corvallis in the Divisional series) emerge as the South Division Champions. If Corvallis should emerge, then the HarbourCats would travel south for that game Monday.

Tickets for Saturday’s North Division Final are now on sale and going fast. They can be purchased on-line HERE!

Note:  Fans who have pre-purchased tickets for this game prior to teams and dates being decided, ad season ticket holders who were e-mailed their tickets vis mobile,  should use HOME PLAYOFF GAME #2 for their ticket.

Tickets are also on sale for the potential West Coast League Championship game on Monday evening. These can also be purchased via Select Your Tickets HERE.   If the HarbourCats should not advance, or if this game ends up being played in Corvallis, fans will have their accounts credited accordingly.

Tickets are also on sale in advance at the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street. The office will be open all day Friday from 10AM to 5:30 PM, as well as Saturday 10AM to 5PM for this purpose. Tickets will also be on sale at the gate Saturday starting at 5:30 PM.

On Wednesday night, things were looking down for the HarbourCats as Wenatchee starter Andrew Monson held Victoria hitless through the first five innings of the game.  He did start to tire a bit in the fifth and the decision was made to pull him and go to reliever Evan Canfield, who was greeted out of the pen by a lead-off triple from Pirruccello. Shupe then followed with an RBI-Double and after a circus catch off the bat of Tyler Davis by AppleSox left fielder Frankie Carney, Clark deposited a 1-0 pitch over the left-field fence to put the ‘Cats up 3-0.

Meanwhile, the AppleSox were also having early trouble scoring as starter Davis Franklin was almost as good as Monson, holding the Sox to just three hits through the first five innings of play.  Jake Finkelstein came on in relief in the sixth and was brilliant, throwing a three-up, three-down inning and then doing the same in the top of the seventh.

Davis Franklin delivers a pitch Wednesday night.

The ‘Cats would add an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh thanks to an RBI single from Piruccello and that would be all the scoring until the AppleSox mounted a bit of the rally in the top of the ninth against HarbourCats reliever Skyler Manelski.  That did not last long, as Brett Harvey came out of the pen to record the final two outs and get the save.

This will mark the first time the HarbourCats are advancing to a ONE GAME North Division Final.  They have been in the best-of-three North Division finals three times previous to this, losing to Bellingham in 2016, defeating Kelowna in 2017 and defeating Wenatchee in 2019.  In their only other playoff appearance, Victoria lost to Bellingham last season in the Divisional Playoffs.

 

 

 

 

Source

Continue Reading
Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Summer Collegiate

Clutch Owls edged in extras in Edmonton

Published

on

EDMONTON, Alta. — The comeback kids came up a bit short.

Two runs by the Edmonton Riverhawks in the bottom of the 10th inning broke the hearts of the Nanaimo NightOwls on Thursday night at Remax Field, with a stellar crowd of 6,132 looking on for an eventual 8-7 win for the home club.

The NightOwls scored two runs in the ninth to take a lead and had the Riverhawks down to their last strike in the bottom of that inning.

The Owls then went ahead 7-6 in the top of the 10th, and nearly held on — Edmonton found a clutch two-out hit to right field to provide the winning run.

The NightOwls, who outhit the Riverhawks 10-9, scored four times in the fifth inning, the key hit being a two-run double from outfielder Owen Wessel (Hawaii Pacific). Wessel was one of four NightOwls to record two hits — Ryder Florence, Raoul Fabian Jr. and Trevor Goldenetz being the others.

Vinny Bruno and Jaedeyn Edwards put up impressive relief appearances, Bruno throwing 1.2 innings with just one hit and no runs, and Edwards going three innings after Bruno exited, with one hit, two strikeouts, and no runs. Jayden Gabrillo threw well in his 1.2 innings recorded, striking out two.

The NightOwls fly back from Edmonton on Friday morning.

There are just three more regular season home games for the NightOwls in 2025, a weekend series against Kamloops that starts Friday (August 1-2-3), with the Friday and Saturday games at 6:35pm and the Sunday capper at 1pm. The NightOwls complete their fourth WCL regular season with a road series in Bellingham, August 4-5-6.

Those home games are the only chance to use remaining vouchers purchased at Save On Foods, or as part of 10packs.

Source

Continue Reading

Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Cats complete sweep with dominant win

Published

on

Jack Johnson’s three hit night raised his batting average to .303 on the season (Photo: Justin P. Morash)

July 31, 2025

For immediate release

VICTORIA, B.C. – The Victoria HarbourCats took care of business this week, completing the sweep of the Kamloops NorthPaws with a resounding 18-3 win Thursday night.

Austin Lindsey (Hill College) has been a constant out of the bullpen this season, making 11 appearances, but was tasked with the start tonight. The first three batters he faced all reached, but he escaped the bases-loaded jam, limiting the damage to just one run.

Jai Berezowski (Golden Tide) levelled it up for the Cats at 1-1 in the second inning on a sacrifice fly.

Lindsay was rolling after the shaky start, retiring six in a row before a bang-bang play at first was called safe to extend the third inning. A stolen base put the runner in scoring position for Matthew MacDonald, who restored the visitors’ one-run advantage, making it 2-1 with a single. The Lufkin, Texas native completed three innings, giving up two runs on five hits, while striking out five and walking none.

BOX SCORE

The HarbourCats bats started to come alive in the third inning when Logan Shepherd (Mercer U) tied the game at two with an RBI double to the gap. He then came home on a Kamana Nahaku (Hawaii) RBI single to give the Cats their first lead of the evening. Nahaku scored on a wild pitch later in the frame to double the lead, making it 4-2.

Kamana Nahaku has 16 RBIs in nine games this season (Photo: Justin P. Morash)

In the fourth inning, Jack Johnson (Tulane U) crushed a two-run home run over the left field fence to extend his team’s advantage to 6-2, his fourth of the campaign.

The NorthPaws made it 6-3 through a Jared Hall double in the top of the fifth inning, but the home team then exploded for eight runs in the bottom half. Jake Butler (George Mason) continued to torment Kamloops pitching, driving in a pair with a double to the gap to make it 8-3. Dominic Archila (Texas Tech) recorded an RBI for the second straight night with a single before Shepherd and Nahaku both drew bases-loaded walks to bring home two more runs. Garrett Brooks (St. Mary’s) plated a pair with a single up the middle before Butler recorded his second hit of the inning, this time an RBI single to cap off the huge inning.

WCL STANDINGS

Declan Brown (Ottawa U) came off the bench for Victoria and hit his first home run as a cat, a solo shot in the seventh, extending the lead to 15-3. Tanner Beltowski’s (Westmont College) second hit of the game was a two-run double down the left field line, pushing the lead to 17-3.

Butler hit another RBI double in the eighth inning for his fifth RBI of the game and seventh of the series.

Dustin Davidson (Freed Hardeman), Tristin Thomas (West Texas A&M), and Ethan McNish-Heider (Niagara) all pitched in relief to close out the 18-3 win.

Garrett Brooks recorded a season high of four hits and also scored four times (Photo: Justin P. Morash)

With this sweep, the HarbourCats stay top of the North Division second-half standings with a 16-5 record. The Edmonton Riverhawks are still just one game back after they completed a sweep of the Nanaimo NightOwls with a walk-off win tonight.

The HarbourCats travel down to Port Angeles tomorrow for the final road series of the season. Friday and Saturday are 6:35 PM first pitches while Sunday is a 1:35 PM afternoon start. Watch the games HERE.

VOUCHER REMINDER: The Victoria HarbourCats only have three remaining home dates this season. A doubleheader on Monday, August 4, that starts at 4:05 PM, and evening games Tuesday, August 5, and Wednesday, August 6. Don’t forget to redeem your vouchers. You can do so at harbourcats.com/tickets, and if you have any questions or need help exchanging your vouchers, call the HarbourCats office at (778) 265 0327.

10 Game Flex Passes and Single Game Tickets are on sale for all home games and “Showcase” events through the HarbourCats’ one-and-only ticketing partner SHOWPASS at harbourcats.com/tickets.

Tickets and merchandise can also be purchased in person at the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street or by calling 778-265-0327.

For more updates, be sure to follow @HarbourCats on all social channels (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram).

Source

Continue Reading

Summer Collegiate

Road warrior NightOwls battle hard in loss in Alberta

Published

on

EDMONTON, Alta. — The Nanaimo NightOwls have been anything but a pushover this season, refusing to make things easy on the opposition.

Five late runs by the host Edmonton Riverhawks turned a 1-0 lead by the NightOwls, that lasted for six innings, into a 5-1 victory by the Albertans on Tuesday night at Remax Field, a game played in front of a legitimate crowd count of 7,108. Edmonton is the unquestioned attendance leader in the WCL.

Outfielder Spencer Sullivan’s sacrifice fly in the first inning, scoring Trevor Goldenetz, actually looked like it might hold up as all the scoring needed — until the bottom of the sixth inning.

Dawson Schultz was masterful in his starting pitching role for the NightOwls (20-26 overall, 8-11 in second half), throwing four innings with just one hit allowed — he walked none, and used his defence with no strikeouts recorded.

Reliever Cole Carmichael was effective in two innings, surrendering one run, but had the NightOwls in position to still find a way to win. The Riverhawks scored once each in the sixth and seventh innings, and broke open a 2-1 game with three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Third baseman Ryder Florence was 2-4, and Goldenetz stole his fifth base of the season for Nanaimo.

The NightOwls stay in Edmonton for two more games in the Alberta capital, evening games on Wednesday and Thursday before heading home on Friday morning.

There are just three more regular season home games for the NightOwls in 2025, a weekend series against Kamloops that starts Friday (August 1-2-3), with the Friday and Saturday games at 6:35pm and the Sunday capper at 1pm. The NightOwls complete their fourth WCL regular season with a road series in Bellingham, August 4-5-6.

Those home games are the only chance to use remaining vouchers purchased at Save On Foods, or as part of 10packs.

Source

Continue Reading

Trending