Summer Collegiate

Kamloops NorthPaws Losing Streaks End in Nanaimo

Published

2 years ago

July 10, 2024

Dugout Wire Service

Photo Credit – Allen Douglas Photography

KAMLOOPS — The Kamloops NorthPaws traveled to Nanaimo and finally bumped the prolonged slump putting to bed a 14 game losing streak in the middle contest of the three game set. Despite the much needed win, their first on the road this season, the ‘Paws dropped the series to the NightOwls 2-1.

Kamloops returns to Dearborn Ford Field at Norbrock Stadium for a three game weekend set versus the Walla Walla Sweets. Saturday (6:35 first pitch) will be a pre-Canada Day celebration as the squad will be in Kelowna on July 1. The Sunday contest is Save on Foods Family Day at the Park (2:05 first pitch).

GAME 1

Jaden Bitter got the start for Kamloops in game one on the Island, as the NorthPaws would fall 8-1 to the Nanaimo NightOwls, stretching their losing streak to 14 games.

Bitter, 4.2 IP, 4ER, 1BB, 3K, was out-dueled by Adison Mattix who pitched an exceptional game, 6IP, 0R, 3H, 11K.

The NightOwls struck first in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back with Riley Paulino, Wylie Waters, Aaron Marsh, Mitchell Middlemiss, and Drew Rutter all picking up a pair of base-hits in the win.

Kamloops finally broke the shutout bid in the 9th when Tyler Glowacki singled home Matthew Olivares for the Paws lone run of the contest.

GAME 2

The streak was finally busted in game two of the three game set as the Paws would defeat the NightOwls 8-5 on Wednesday night.

TRU WolfPack pitcher Kolby Lukinchuk recorded the win, 5.0IP, 6H, 3ER, 4K. The three runs given up by Lukinchuk came on one swing of the bat as Nevin Noonan hit a 3RBI homer in the sixth inning.

Kamloops scored the first six runs of the ballgame, beginning with three in the first inning, courtesy of Tyler Glowacki, RBI sac-fly, TJ Watcher RBI single, and Joey Rico RBI single. Caden Pearlman was lifted after 0.1 of an inning, taking the loss for Nanaimo.

The Paws added two more in the second as Jacob French hit his first homer of the season, bringing home Anthony Setticasi. Jacob Schlesselman scored on a passed ball in the sixth to make it 6-0 Kamloops.

The NightOwls would cut the lead to three in the 8th, with runs scoring on a single and a balk.

Manato Tateno earned the save pitching 1.1 innings of no-hit ball.

GAME 3

A two run homer welcomed Chase Taylor to the mound in the rubber-match of the series as the NightOwls jumped out to an early 2-0 lead thanks to Wylie Waters.

Taylor would settle down from there pitching 5.0IP, 3ER, 3BB, 1K. The third run against Taylor came in the fourth when a throw from catcher Jerry Nix wasn’t handled at second base, allowing Deshon Thomas to score from third.

The Paws would load the bases in the 2nd, and have a pair of runners on in the third but Aidan Russell managed to escape the jams in both innings to maintain the Nanaimo lead.

A pair of Kamloops locals would follow Taylor on the bump, with Manny Recchi and Nolan Austin combining for 3 innings of scoreless ball.

Kamloops would tie things up in the ninth, as Jacob Schlesselman would double home Joey Rico and Jerry Nix to make it 3-2 NightOwls. With Schlesselman on second base representing the tying run and nobody out in the inning, Jaden Bitter would be asked to bunt but was unable to get it down and struck out. Up next Madden Ocko would walk, putting the potential go-ahead run on base in the ninth. Michael Weber would bring home Schlesselman with a single to left, but Ocko would be gunned at the plate, sending the game to the bottom of the 9th all square at 3-3.

The comeback effort would be for not, as the NightOwls would walk it off in the bottom half on an Aaron Marsh RBI single.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Friday, June 28 vs Walla Walla, first pitch 6:35
Saturday, June 29 vs Walla Walla, first pitch 6:35 (Pre-Canada Day Celebration)
Sunday, June 30 vs Walla Walla, first pitch 2:05 (Save on Foods Family Day)
Monday, July 1 @ Kelowna, first pitch 6:35
Tuesday, July 2 vs Kelowna, first pitch 6:35
Wednesday, July 3 @ Kelowna, first pitch 6:35
Thursday, July 4 – Off-day

FOR MEDIA REQUESTS
Jenna Forter
General Manager
Kamloops NorthPaws
250-200-1415
www.northpawsbaseball.ca

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Cats Shake Down Northpaws for 13 Runs to Tie Series

Published

21 hours ago

July 11, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

Victoria, B.C. – Victoria bounced back hard to stomp the Kamloops Northpaws 13-3 tonight, knotting the series up at 1-1.

The HarbourCats were off to the races early in this one! Victoria hitters patiently drew three walks in the top of the second, and singles from Riley Kwak (Bossier Parish) and Jacob Silva (UTSA) drove in three runs for the Cats. A quick start, and a much-needed buffer for a visiting team looking to rebound from last night’s loss.

BOX SCORE

Kamloops swung back in the home half of the third with an RBI single, but the HarbourCats brought the hammer back down immediately. Riley Kwak made it to third on a double-steal, creating an opportunity to dash home on a groundout before Logan Shepherd (Mercer) bashed a homer to widen the lead.

Logan Shepherd’s homer in the fourth put the Cats well in front. (Photo by JPM Photography)

The visiting team’s onslaught would proceed throughout the middle innings. Riley Kwak and Logan Shepherd continued their dazzling individual performances with an RBI single each in the fifth frame, and Kwak came back for a monstrous three-run homer in the sixth. A trio of consecutive three-run innings gave the Cats a robust 11-run lead to work with after the first two thirds of the game.

The Northpaws strung some singles together to score twice in the bottom of the sixth, only to suffer through a long seventh frame where Logan Shepherd scored on a wild pitch. The scoring quieted down after that thirteenth run, and the HarbourCats sauntered off the diamond with a 13-3 win in game two of the series.

Riley Kwak (left) had a gem of a game tonight. The Abbotsford, B.C. product went 4/5 with five RBI and four runs scored. (Photo by JPM Photography)

As for the pitching side of things, returning arm Shea Lake (West Texas A&M) tossed a strong three-inning start in which he allowed one run on two hits. Trent Schlim (Concordia-Nebraska) toed the slab for two smooth scoreless innings and handed the ball off to Tate Collins (Arkansas State). Collins allowed two runs on four hits over the span of innings six, seven, and eight. Carter Germain (Allen CC) made his HarbourCats debut in the bottom of the ninth, nailing down a relatively easy inning to close out the win.

WCL STANDINGS

With the series now tied, the HarbourCats and Northpaws will battle for the win in the rubber match tomorrow afternoon.

Single game tickets for all HarbourCats games are now on sale at http://harbourcats.com/tickets. Season tickets, 12-pack and 32-pack game vouchers may also be bought online or by stopping by the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street.

GET YOUR ALL-STAR TICKETS BEFORE THEY ARE GONE! Tickets for the 2026 WCL All-Star Home Run Derby (featuring former Blue Jay Kevin Pillar) and the West Coast League All Star Game on July 14-15 are selling fast. Get yours today! Each event is now on sale separately, or grab the package deal for both and save a few bucks at http://harbourcats.com/tickets! Or call the office at 778-265-0327 to order by phone.

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – HarbourCats Stifled by Northpaws in 4-2 Loss

Published

1 day ago

July 11, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

Kamloops, B.C. – The series opener didn’t go how the HarbourCats hoped, with the Kamloops Northpaws taking a 4-2 win over the visiting Cats.

The Northpaws got a jolt to their offence early on, rocking a solo homer in the second inning to take the upper hand. Kamloops continued their production in the next frame, capitalizing on two consecutive walks from HarbourCats starting pitcher Landon Marchetti (San Jose State). A couple of stolen bases and a double, and a wild pitch later, and the visiting Cats suddenly find themselves in a four-run deficit.

BOX SCORE

Victoria made up some ground in the second half of the ballgame when infielder Riley Kwak (Bossier Parish) legged out a leadoff triple. A single from the reliable Bryan Bradshaw (UCSD) brought home Kwak for the HarbourCats’ first run.

Rohne Klein (San Jose State) made a rare start at third base tonight and picked up an RBI. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Merchetti’s night was done after the opening third of the game, over which he allowed four runs on three hits and struck out five Kamloops batters. Daniel Tovar (Northern Kentucky) appeared from the bullpen and delivered the best outing you could really ask for from a reliever. His four innings featured just two hits, no walks, and a grand total of zero runs scored.

The HarbourCats mustered another run in the top of the eighth, a sacrifice fly by Rohne Klein (San Jose State). An important step, but still a ways to go if the visiting squad were to catch up. Leif Friedrich (Concordia-Nebraska) sliced through an efficient frame in the bottom of the eight inning, retiring the side on just eight pitches, but Victoria were held off by the Northpaws in a 4-2 loss.

WCL STANDINGS

The HarbourCats will look to rebound and tie the series in Kamloops tomorrow night, before coming back to Victoria for the long-awaited Showpass 2026 West Coast League All-Star Festival presented by Canadian Club!

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Elks Salvage a Win in Extra-Innnings Grind

Published

2 days ago

July 10, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

Victoria, B.C. – The HarbourCats fought to the bitter end in a ten-inning showdown that ended in a 7-6 Bend Elks victory tonight.

The first run of the game belonged to the visitors this time. A couple of walks in the first inning came back to bite Quincey Brown (UCSD) when they were moved over and cashed in by a two-out single. 2-0 Elks in the early going, putting the Cats on their back foot. Victoria retaliated in their first turn at the plate, bringing home David Krahn (UBC) on a Logan Shepherd (Mercer) fly ball to cut the lead in half.

BOX SCORE

The HarbourCats surged back to reclaim the lead in the second inning, taking advantage of some heads-up baserunning, a single from Bryan Bradshaw (UCSD), and a handful of wild pitches. Two frames down, and it’s suddenly 3-2 for the home team.

Quincey Brown was relieved after two innings where he wasn’t at his sharpest. The Seattle-born righty tightened it up in the second inning, but his command wavered in the first, leading to two runs allowed. Davis Lee (Calgary) took his place in the third and quickly turned two strikeouts before his control began to slip and the free passes became an issue. All of a sudden, what looked like a quick one-two-three turned into a three-run inning to give Bend a 5-3 lead.

Tacoma reliever Carson Ackermann was summoned from the bullpen to close out a long top half of the third and did just that, securing a quick out to change sides and give Victoria another chance on offence. Ackermann wasn’t quite so efficient in his second inning of work, loading the bases and letting up another run for the Elks before getting out of it.

Matt Westley was one of two HarbourCats to register a hit on Thursday night, bashing a homer in the fourth inning. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Bryan Bradshaw has displayed some great aggressive baserunning since arriving in Victoria, and this game was no different. The UCSD outfielder got on base with a leadoff single in the bottom of the fourth, and proceeded to steal two bases before coming home on a wild pitch. WCL All-Star Matt Westley (George Mason) further cut into the lead later in the inning, pulverizing his fourth homer of the summer to pull the Cats back within one.

The HarbourCats clawed their way back to a tie ballgame in the bottom of the fifth with a sacrifice fly from returning catcher Dillon Lopez (St. Mary’s) bringing the score to an even 6-6. Victoria threatened with more runners in scoring position in the bottom of the fifth but were unable to take advantage, leaving them stranded on second and third.

Taylor Franklin (George Fox) entered the game in Ackermann’s wake in the top of the seventh and had no trouble at all, striking out the side on 12 pitches to preserve that tie.

The deadlock lasted all the way into extra innings, when a wild pitch by Anson Stuckly (Texas A&M Corpus Christi) allowed an Elk to cross the plate and take the lead in the top of the tenth. Despite a bases loaded opportunity, the Cats were unable to climb back, and fell in the third game of the series by a score of 7-6.

WCL STANDINGS

The Cats are back on the road this weekend in Kamloops, and will return next week for the Showpass 2026 West Coast League All-Star Festival presented by Canadian Club!

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