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Summer Collegiate

July perfect so far for NorthPaws

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Author: Larry Read

KAMLOOPS BC—Fans of the Kamloops NorthPaws experienced something they hadn’t in nearly a month.  That was a victory by their team at Dearborn Ford Field at Norbrock Stadium.

Canada Day was truly a happy day for those people as the NorthPaws notched their sixth win of the West Coast League season beating the Kelowna Falcons 5-4 in 11 innings. 

And it was followed up with a second victory over Kelowna on Sunday (July 2).  The score in that game was 6-0 as the NorthPaws upped their record to 7-20. The Falcons fell to 14-13.

Following the two-game sweep at home over the Falcons, Kamloops has a day off to travel. They begin a six-game road trip to Washington State. They meet up with the Bellingham Bells starting July 4th.  They then visit the Wenatchee Apple Sox for a three-game set starting July 7th.

Bellingham and Wenatchee are the top two teams in the WCL North Division. Bellingham fell out of first place after an 8-2 loss in Victoria on Sunday (July 2).  Wenatchee hammered the RiverHawks 12-4 Sunday in Edmonton.   The AppleSox are 18-6 after the weekend while Bellingham fell to 17-7.

The Falcons return home to Elks Stadium in Kelowna to play three times against the defending West Coast League champions: the Corvallis Knights. Game one is July 3rd.

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

SERIES RECAP:

Saturday, July 1, 2023 in Kamloops: NorthPaws 5 Falcons 4 (11 innings)

The Paws had three opportunities to ‘knock off’ the Falcons in this one.  The teams were tied at 4 after seven innings.  Jude Hall (Chiliwack, BC) brought in the winning run in the bottom of the 11 th when he was walked by reliever Thrasher Steed (Orange Beach, AL) with the bases loaded.  That brought home Drew Giannini (Tracy, CA) from third base.    Steed was the losing pitcher in relief.  Hes now 2-2 after pitching one inning giving up a run, four walks and had a strikeout.

David Jeon (Coppell, TX) was the winner in relief.  He too pitched one inning, walking two and striking out one.  His record is 1-2.

Offensively, Kamloops was led by Tyler Glowacki (San Diego, CA).  Glowacki was 2-5 with two runs scored.  Robin Villeneuve was 0-2 but had three runs batted in and had two walks.  Catcher Matthew Ward was 1-4 with a run scored.  Ward was playing his first game with Kamloops after being picked up off waivers from the Nanaimo Night Owls.

Kelowna’s top batsman were Cameron Mercucio (Modesto, CA) who was 2-3 with a run batted in and a run scored. Trevor Wilson (Fresno, CA) was 2-4 and score da run.  Jonas Salk (Fairfax, CA) was 2-5 with a run batted in.

Link to Scoresheet: http://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=598684

Sunday, July 2, 2023 in Kamloops: NorthPaws 6  Falcons 0

The NorthPaws broke open a scoreless tie with two runs in the bottom of the third.  They added two more in the fourth and singles in both the fifth and seventh innings.

New Zealander MacLain Roberts got the start on the hill for Kamloops. The left earned his first win of the season to move to 1-4.  It was his seventh start of the campaign.  Roberts pitched five innings of four hit ball with six walks and six strikeouts. He was the first of three pitchers for the NorthPaws.

Jaxon Byrd (Sacramento, CA) went three and a third innings and was tagged with the loss. It was his first decision of the year after starting two previous games.  He gave up five hits, three runs, struck out four and walked one.

Kamloops was led offensively by Anthony Manuel (Antioch, CA) was 2-4 with a run batted in.  Robin Villeneuve (Gatineau, QC) was 1-2 with two runs scored.  Cooper Neville (Glendale, AZ) was 2-4 with a run scored and ended the game as he one timed a ‘hot shot’ to shortstop.   Phoenix Sommay was 1-2 with a run batted in and two runs scored.

Kelowna catcher Konnor Palmeira (Kahului, HI) was 2-3 while Griffen Palfrey (West Vancouver, BC) was 1-4.

Link to Scoresheet: http://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=598685

HEAD COACH KEITH FRANCIS:

“The weekend was good for us. We played at their place on Friday and we played terrible. I am going to chalk it up to a long eight days on the road.   We came home and had a nice big crowd the last two nights and played very well.”

NORTHPAWS OUTFIELDER TYLER GLOWACKI (SAN DIEGO, CA):

“These wins have been great.  The guys have been working really hard but the balls haven’t fallen our way. It is starting to pay off. It is a great group of guys.  We have to trust in the process. At the end of the day, how you regroup and regather.  It is all about how you respond.”

NORTHPAWS INFIELDER COOPER NEVILLE (GLENDALE, AZ):

“It was how the game is supposed to be played (referring to the home sweep over Kelowna). We did what we could. There is more room to grow for sure. But we are finally coming together as a team. We have the capability and the talent to compete with any team in this league.”

NORTHPAWS PITCHER TYRELLE CHADWICK (KAMLOOPS, BC):

“It feels like we are back on the right track after starting slow this year. We have everyone moving in the same direction.  With the Kamloops-Kelowna rivalry, its great to take a couple off of them.”

NEXT UP FOR THE NORTHPAWS:

As mentioned, the Paws are living out of a suitcase the next six games beginning Tuesday July 4th in Bellingham.  Then it is onto Wenatchee against the Apple Sox for three games.

Their next home series will be Tuesday July 11th when the Edmonton RiverHawks come to town. Opening pitch that night along with Wednesday and Thursday July 11-12th will be 6:35 PM.

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 is hoppin’ 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.

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Lefties take game one in resounding fashion

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Logan Shepherd celebrates his first home run of the season (Photo: Justin P. Morash)

June 6, 2025

For immediate release

VICTORIA, B.C. – The Port Angeles Lefties won their second straight game, spoiling the party on the Victoria HarbourCats home opener, cruising to a 9-3 win.

The HarbourCats got off to a great start when Logan Shepherd (Tacoma CC) hit a 109 MPH laser over the left field wall for a two-run home run, giving his team an early 2-0 lead. The designated hitter went two for four tonight, adding a single in the eighth.

Jack Finn (Illinois State) started for the hosts and looked good through his first two innings of work. The Victoria native added velocity to his fastball, sitting high 80’s and touching 90 MPH tonight. That is up from last season, where he pitched 25 innings for the Cats, posting a 3.96 ERA. Finn struck out four, walked three, and gave up two earned runs on four hits in 2-2/3 innings of work.

BOX SCORE

Eric Valdiva tied the game in the third inning with a two-out, two-run double to deep left-centre field. He came home after a Jack Johnson throwing error allowed him to score, giving the Lefties a 3-2 lead.

Jake Cumming pitched four innings out of the bullpen for Port Angeles and was utterly dominant. He gave up zero runs on zero hits while striking out seven batters. His fastball sat mid-90s, which he paired with a wipeout slider that the HarbourCats hitters had no answer for.

Xander McAfee has four hits in his first four games (Photo: Justin P. Morash)

BUY TICKETS HERE

Hudson Lance (Coastal Carolina) ate up meaningful innings out of the bullpen and was efficient in doing so. He threw 4-1/3 innings in just 50 pitches, loading up the zone using his entire repertoire. The freshman gave up two runs on five hits.

Jalen Sami (Golden Tide) pitched the eighth inning, giving up two runs on two hits while striking out one. John Ondus (Niagara) pitched the ninth and didn’t fare much better, giving up two runs on three hits while striking out three.

Jack Johnson (Baylor) continued his hot start to the season, crushing a hanging breaking ball over the left field fence for a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth.

WCL STANDINGS

Debutant Connor Ross (Cal Baptist) played third base and recorded his first HarbourCats hit, going one for four.

The two teams are back at it tomorrow at 6:35 PM for the first of four FIREWORKS nights! Gates open early at 5:00 PM. Get tickets at harbourcats.com/tickets

Missed the game? Catch HarbourCats in 30 airing at 10:30 PM after every home game all season long on CHEK TV.

Season Tickets, 10 and 32-Game Flex Passes and Single Game Tickets are now on sale for all 33 home games and four “Showcase” events through the HarbourCats’ new and 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.

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A wild first inning proves to be enough as the NorthPaws avoid the sweep in Bellingham

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The Kamloops NorthPaws avoided the sweep in Bellingham and defeated the Bells 6-2 on Thursday night. The NorthPaws scored all six of their runs in the first inning and held the fort down, shutting down the Bell’s offence and only giving up five hits.

Bellingham would turn to highly touted South Dakota right-handed pitcher Jackson Dial, who will be attending Washington State in the fall. The first NorthPaw he faced was center fielder Ethan Kodama, who saw three straight balls before getting hit by the next pitch. Dial would strikeout left fielder Cade Palkowski, walk third baseman Kieran Gaffney, strikeout right fielder Kalen Applefield and hit catcher Brendan Burke, loading the bases with two outs.

With first baseman Joe Gagnon at the plate, Dial would throw a wild pitch, allowing Kodama to score the first run of the game. Gagnon would later draw a walk, reloading the bases. Second baseman Joey Marino was next up, and Dial would plunk him, bringing in another run.

The nightmare wasn’t over yet for Dial as he issued his third walk of the inning to shortstop Anthony Setticassi. Designated hitter Dylan Dekker was making his debut at the plate and sent a line drive down the first base line, driving in two runs and making it 5-0.

Dial was pulled after only two-thirds of an inning. Kodama was back at bat with Dekker on first and Setticassi on third. Before Kodama saw a pitch, Dekker took off for second while Setticassi ran home. Dekker sacrificed himself, ending the inning but allowing the sixth run to score.

Kamloops sent out righty Owen Fernandes on the mound to make his second start of the season. The Bells would get a run back via a sacrifice fly at the bottom of the first. In the third, a leadoff triple set up the Bells to capitalize on yet another sacrifice fly to make it a four-run ballgame.

Fernandes would throw four strong innings, giving up only one earned run while striking out two batters. Righty Jayson Tamayo was the first call out of the bullpen and walked the first to hitters he faced. A flyout and an infield hit loaded the bases with one out as the Bells were all of a sudden within striking distance. Tamayo got a clutch strikeout and a groundout to leave the bases loaded and preserve the four-run lead.

“If they convert there, it’s a different game. He made big pitches when he had to, and that definitely helped us lock up the game,” said Pitching Coach Jack Slominski.

Rightys Daxton Vanderkooi, Lukas Dykstra and Cade Webber each came into the game and pitched clean innings giving up three combined hits all while not walking a single batter. Webber struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth, securing the win.

In game two, the NorthPaws scored first, but mistakes on the mound cost them; tonight, the NorthPaws flipped the script on the Bells.

“The last two nights, we were behind the eight ball for most of the game, so it was nice to get a big lead early; I think it helped everyone settle down,” said Head Coach Reily Jepson.

The six-game road trip is over, and with the win, the NorthPaws head back to Kamloops with a 4-2 record.

“It’s been a tough stretch playing six games on the road in two separate trips, but it will be nice to get back home and play in front of our fans,” said Jepson.

Next up for the NorthPaws, a weekend home-and-home series against the Kelowna Falcons, with games at Norbrock Stadium on Friday night and Sunday afternoon.

 

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Victoria HarbourCats – Riverhawks complete sweep of Cats with 7-1 win

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June 5, 2025

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EDMONTON, A.B. – The Edmonton Riverhawks remain perfect on the season, winning their third straight and sweeping the HarbourCats with a 7-1 win Thursday night.

Robert Sanford (Paris JC) started for the Cats and was solid early until he ran into trouble in the third inning. A pair of two-out walks and a single loaded the bases, signalling the end of the sophomore’s night. Dustin Davidson (Brookhaven) was given the task of getting out of the jam but failed to do so, throwing a wild pitch allowing a run to score, then surrendering a three-run home run to Jason Green to give the hosts a 4-0 lead.

BOX SCORE

Oliver Mabee (Nebraska Omaha) made his Cats debut pitching the fifth, however, it was not a debut to remember as he gave up a towering two-run double to the returning Trent Lenihan to extend the Hawks’ advantage to 6-0.

The visitors had a chance to cut into the deficit in the seventh inning by loading the bases, however, they could only tack on one run through a Bobby Filler Jr. (Niagara) bases-loaded walk.

WCL STANDINGS

Dillon Dibrell (Central Oklahoma) pitched a scoreless sixth inning, striking out one batter, and Ethan McNish-Heider (Niagara) completed the final two innings, giving up one run on zero hits, walking four, and striking out three. 

Victoria was held to just three hits tonight and was outscored 29-5 in total over the three-game series. They will need to hit their stride quickly as they welcome the Port Angeles Lefties to Victoria for a three-game set.

BUY TICKETS HERE

Tomorrow is the HarbourCats’ home opener! First pitch is at 6:35 PM against the Port Angeles Lefties. Saturday, June 7th, is our first of four FIREWORKS nights of the season! Don’t miss out! Grab tickets at harbourcats.com/tickets.

WATCH HOME GAMES HERE

Season Tickets, 10 and 32-Game Flex Passes and Single Game Tickets are now on sale for all 33 home games and four “Showcase” events through the HarbourCats’ new and 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.

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