Good morning to all sports enthusiasts, fellow islanders, and Victorian brethren. Salute to everybody that clicked the post today & took the time to rock with Back Page Athletics. After many months of contemplation, I have finally decided to launch an official Sports Blog, and thus here we are. Why, Kay? Well, to be proper,…
Good morning to all sports enthusiasts, fellow islanders, and Victorian brethren. Salute to everybody that clicked the post today & took the time to rock with Back Page Athletics.
After many months of contemplation, I have finally decided to launch an official Sports Blog, and thus here we are.
Why, Kay?
Well, to be proper, I’ve dedicated the last 12 months of my creative life to loyally covering my hometown Western Hockey League team, the Victoria Royals. In doing so, I’ve gained a loyal base of readers, met many incredible people, and also fallen in love with the Victoria Harbourcats of the West Coast (Baseball) League.
Despite my feverish passion for writing, community, & sport, my blog, The Royals Report, was less a blog and more so just me posting Notes to my Twitter account.
Did it serve its purpose? 100%
Did it help build my confidence & sharpen my pen? Undeniably.
Was it a brand to build upon & stand behind? Maybe not.
So, with that expressed, this post is us officially taking a massive step forward in the world of local & independent sports journalism.
So, what exactly can you expect from Back Page Athletics?
At this point, on Day One, BPA will serve as the home base for a two-headed Blog-monster.
Scary? Not so much.
Two-Headed Monster —
I could not be any more stoked to launch my first Season covering the beloved Victoria Harbourcats. Not only is this top-tier local organization a complete Wagon of success that regularly produces Big League Talent, but this is also the 10th Anniversary Season for this incredible organization. How could this summer be even more hype? This off-season, the WCL officially became a developmental league for Major League Baseball, thus propelling the credibility of this club to heights never seen before. So, what can you expect from BPA? Weekly Think-Tank articles, Players & Coach interviews, In-Game content, Franchise lore & historical moments, and intensive Alumni coverage all year round.
I fully intend on taking The Royals Report to a whole new level moving forward into the 2023/24 campaign. Despite not posting as much content as I would’ve hoped for last season due to family & health limitations, I’m eager to completely blow the doors off & ramp up my coverage tenfold. Despite the lingering sting from another season without playoff hockey on the Island, I am more pumped for the ‘23/24 schedule than I probably should, and that’s called being an enthusiast. Let’s go, Royals. New reports will be coming soon.
Without taking up too much of your Easter weekend, I wanted to end this inaugural essay by stating the following.
With the creation of Back Page Athletics, I’m passionately looking forward to the future of my reporting full of fire & inspiration in the hopes of helping to bring the already impressive Island sports media to the next level.
With that said, expect an inaugural The Cats Report article or two dropping next week and many more to follow. It’s going to be a scene, y’all.
In conclusion, I’d like to thank you all in advance for reading & following BPA. I honestly can’t wait to write for & cheer with you all, while also having the opportunity to get to know all of you during this upcoming year & beyond. Let’s take this Sporting community to the next level.
The Lefties responded quickly, dropping a perfectly placed line drive into left field to bring in the tying run in the bottom of the first. Port Angeles threatened with more runners in scoring position, but an unassisted double play by David Krahn kept the game even at one.
Cats outfielder Max Bernal (Fresno Pacific) knocked a double into the gap in the next inning to push Dryden Fuoco (Hill College) up to third base. David Krahn came in clutch once again in his second trip to the plate, driving in Fuoco to snatch the lead back for Victoria. The second-inning offence wouldn’t end there for the Cats, as Matt Westley (George Mason) and Brady Hewitt (Fresno State) both singled to widen the lead to 5-1 by the end of the frame.
Matt Westley was 2/4 this afternoon with a double and 3 RBI. (Photo by JPM Photography)
Victoria didn’t let up after gaining the lead, putting some ducks on the pond in the top of the third inning for, you guessed it, David Krahn. The Langley, B.C. product pulverized his second homer of the game to further extend the lead to 8-1. The hits just kept coming in the third frame, and suddenly Victoria was up 12-1.
A bruised Lefties lineup managed to throw a counter-punch in the bottom of the third, uncorking two leadoff home runs to dead centre. A valiant effort, but the home side had a lot of work to do if they were to erase a 12-3 deficit.
The Cats kept their foot on the gas, loading the bases in the top of the fifth and bringing home a pair of runs on hits by Matt Westley and Brady Hewitt. Austin Lindsey (Hill College) came in to pitch for the bottom of the fifth, relieving Jeremiah Arnett (Rice) who allowed three runs on four hits over four innings.
Spencer Kratt (San Jose State) took over on the heels of two spotless no-hit innings from Lindsey, before Anson Stuckly (Texas A&M Corpus Christi) closed it out in the ninth with two strikeouts.
Port Angeles managed to scrape together a comeback attempt in the later innings, but Victoria’s mountainous lead stayed intact for a 15-5 win.
With the road trip complete, the Cats will come back to Victoria to take on the Nanaimo NightOwls at 6:30 pm on Tuesday night.
Single game tickets for all HarbourCats games and the 2026 West Coast League All-Star Game and Home Run Derby 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.
Port Angeles, WA – The Port Angeles Lefties eked out a win in an extra innings nail-biter, walking it off for an 8-7 victory,
It didn’t take long for the HarbourCats to follow up on last night’s win. Jacob Silva (UTSA) stepped into the box and crushed an RBI double to take an early lead in the top of the first.
The Lefties responded in a big way in the bottom of the second, taking advantage of hard contact and a HarbourCats error to set the stage for a three-run homer. This ended a short start for Bryson Toner (Hawaii), giving way to Daniel Tovar (Northern Kentucky) to finish the second inning down 5-1.
Lightning struck twice in the fourth inning for the HarbourCats. Brady Hewitt (Fresno State) crushed his team-leading third homer of the year, followed up by Renton, Washington’s Rohne Klein (San Jose State) sending one well over the fence as well. With two home runs in just one inning, the Cats were suddenly right back in this game.
Brady Hewitt let one fly tonight for his third homer of the season. (Photo by JPM Photography)
Momentum continued for the Cats in their next trip to the plate. David Krahn (UBC) found a gap and hustled his way to a leadoff double before returning home on a Matt Westley (George Mason) base hit later in the inning. Kade Davis (UTSA) would eventually be the man to take back the lead for Victoria, as he came through with a 2-RBI double down the right field line to push the score to 6-5 in favour of the HarbourCats.
The home team was determined not to let this outburst slide, solving Daniel Tovar for the first time and tying the game at six. Tovar exited the game after a strong outing on the bump, going 3.1 innings with two hits, one run, and three strikeouts.
Jack Clark (CSU San Marcos) was rock-solid in a four-inning relief appearance in which he gave up only one hit. The score remained deadlocked all the way until extra innings, when Rohne Klein earned a sacrifice fly to take a narrow 7-6 lead in the top of the tenth frame. The Lefties struck back once again in the bottom of the inning, laying a bunt down to move the runners over and walking it off to force a rubber match on Sunday.
The third and final match of the series takes place on Sunday afternoon at 1:30 pm, after which the Cats will return to Victoria to face the Nanaimo NightOwls at 6:30 pm on Tuesday night.
Single game tickets for all HarbourCats games and the 2026 West Coast League All-Star Game and Home Run Derby 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.
Victoria threw strikes and claimed a decisive win to begin the series.
Port Angeles, WA – The HarbourCats opened up the road series in Port Angeles on Friday night, taking a 5-1 win on the back of some excellent pitching performances.
The first outburst of the ballgame belonged to the HarbourCats this evening, doing some serious damage in the third inning. The first of three runs came on an infield single by Tristan Buehring (Whitman) to drive in Dryden Fuoco (Hill College), followed by a 2-RBI double hammered by Logan Shepherd (Mercer).
Right-hander Erik Rico (Fresno State) was back on the bump to start the game for the Cats in his fourth appearance of a sensational season thus far. It was business as usual in this outing for the Fresno State flamethrower, piling up a tidy eight strikeouts over the course of four innings and still refusing to give up a run all season.
Victoria added to their lead in the top of the fifth. Designated hitter Logan Shepherd earned a walk, stole a bag, and blazed his way around third to score on a two-bagger down the line from third baseman Matt Westley (George Mason).
Another arm was required for the Cats in the wake of Rico, and from the bullpen emerged Easton Reimers (North Dakota State). The Missoula, Montana native gave up a two-out solo blast in his first inning of work, but Victoria answered with another run the very next frame. Rohne Klein (San Jose State) showed off some heads-up baserunning and ended up coming around to score on a groundout in the top of the sixth to push the score to 5-1.
Reimers buckled down for the bottom of inning number six, setting down the side in order with a pair of strikeouts and finding his groove to pitch through two innings without giving up another run. Houston Tomlinson (Arkansas State) filled in for the eighth before giving way to Hudson Lance (Coastal Carolina), who closed out the win for Victoria in the series opener.
The Cats will play two more contests against the Lefties this weekend and then return home to take on the Nanaimo NightOwls at 6:30 pm on Tuesday evening.
Single game tickets for all HarbourCats games and the 2026 West Coast League All-Star Game and Home Run Derby 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.
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