The Kamloops NorthPaws defeated the Kelowna Falcons on Saturday night at Elks Stadium 7-6, securing the series victory. It was another back-and-forth ball game that saw the NorthPaws score three in the eighth inning and hold on to win their second one-run game of the season.
Following a scoreless first where the NorthPaws left two men on base, third baseman Kieran Gaffney got hit by a pitch to lead off. Left fielder Cade Palkowski drove Gaffney in with a triple to left center field. Second baseman Joey Marino made it a 2-0 game by driving in Palkowski with a sacrifice fly. Kamloops made it 3-0 in the third courtesy of designated hitter Matthew MacDonald. The Kamloops native hit the NorthPaws first home run of the season.
The Falcons responded in the bottom of the third with a pair of singles and a walk to load the bases. A single to right field scored a pair, making it a one-run game. Two batters later, Kelowna tied the game on a sacrifice fly.
The top of the fifth saw NorthPaws shortstop Elijah Clayton hit the team’s second triple of the night to lead off. Two pitches later, Clayton would score the go-ahead run off a wild pitch.
The back-and-forth battle would swing in favour of the Falcons in the bottom of the sixth, tying the game off back-to-back hits. Later in the inning, a strange situation would unfold as Falcons second baseman Zach Wieder was on third base. Righty Dylan Dekker was on the mound for Kamloops and saw Wieder break for home. Dekker threw the ball home, and the tag was applied. Initially, the Umpire ruled Wieder out at the plate, but the call was overruled because the third base umpire called Dekker for a balk, tying the game.
In the top of the eighth, first baseman Kalen Applefield and catcher Brendan Burke both reached base with third baseman Kieran Gaffney at the plate. Gaffney would get a hold of a 0-2 pitch and drive it to the gap in left-center field, scoring two runs. Cade Palkowski was up next and drove Gaffney in for the second time, making it 7-5.
“He had a big hit last night as well, and to see him do it again tonight was awesome; seeing our guys fight all night long is a great sign for us,” said Head Coach Reily Jepson.
The game would come down to the wire in the bottom of the ninth as righty Keith Manby came into the game with Falcons on second and third with no one out. Manby gave up a sacrifice fly, making it a 7-6 game, but shut the door, recording the final two outs and securing the series victory.
“That was massive for us. Keith was nails tonight. He did a great job,” said Pitching Coach Jack Slominski.
Although the NorthPaws improved to 6-2 on the season, the offence has struggled at times. However, tonight, the team finally saw its first home run and triple of the season.
“That’s been missing from our game early on, so it was nice to see tonight; those runs ignited our offence,” said Jepson.
After a pair of challenging games in Bellingham, the team has rattled off three wins in a row, and with more home games on the horizon, Jepson is excited.
“It’s nice for the guys to be able to sleep in their own beds and establish routines; it’s tough to do that when you’re on the road,” said Jepson.
The Falcons and NorthPaws will face off once again on Sunday afternoon at Norbrock Stadium. The first pitch is set for 12:05 pm, and you can watch the game on West Coast League TV.
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