The Kamloops NorthPaws lost 5-4 to the Walla Walla Sweets in game two of the series, moving to 10-7 on the season. The game went back and forth, featuring clutch hitting and great outings on the mound, but a ninth-inning controversy led to the Sweets walking it off with a single in the bottom of the ninth.

After a scoreless top half, the Sweets looked to jump on Kamloops starter JM Harduval. The righty gave up a solo home run to begin the bottom of the first. He would later walk a batter and have him score on a double, making it 2-0.

Kamloops responded in the top of the second with first baseman Keegan Drinkle hitting a two-out triple. Third baseman Joey Marino was up next and brought him home with a single, cutting the lead in half.

In the second inning, Harduval walked the leadoff man and gave up a single. A wild pitch advanced the runners, and then Handuval hit a batter, loading the bases and ending his outing. Lefty Tyler Straily was first out of the bullpen and faced a loaded, none-out situation. Miraculously, a strikeout, infield fly, and a ground out got Straily out of the jam as the Sweets couldn’t capitalize.

Kamloops would continue to chip away as second baseman Tanner Hornback singled and right fielder Joey Rico doubled, putting them at second and third. Hornback scored the tying off a sacrifice fly from designated hitter Brendan Burke. The Sweets wasted no time in the bottom of the third, beginning the inning with two walks and a single, making it 3-2.

The NorthPaws once again had a response with runners on the corners and one out in the top of the fourth. Kamloops center fielder Ethan Kodama sent a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Drinkle. Left fielder Cade Palkowski scored the go-ahead run a few pitches later on a past ball.

In the bottom half, despite turning a 5-4-3 double play, the Sweets rallied. Back-to-back singles and a wild pitch is how the Sweets tied things up, and it would be the final inning for Straily. Righty Nolan Austin was next up and was brilliant, going three scoreless innings and giving up only three hits. Righty Daxton Vanderkooi came on in the eighth and threw a scoreless inning.

Both teams went into the ninth deadlocked at four. The NorthPaws went down scoreless in the top half, bringing righty Julio Garcia out to try and pitch a shutdown ninth. Garcia gave up a leadoff single but would strike the next batter out. Kamloops then decided to intentionally walk Nate Stiveson, who already had two hits on the night.

Nikhil Beasley was next for the Sweets and hit a grounder to first base for out number two, but here’s where things get weird. Stivenson started jogging back to first after the out was recorded, so the NorthPaws tagged him for what they thought was an inning-ending double play.

Stivenson was confused because he thought he heard the umpire call time. The base umpire called him out but was overruled by the plate umpire. This ruling had both managers confused as Kamloops never heard time being called.

The Play resulted in both runners advancing 90 feet, and two pitches later, Johnny Backus sent a line drive to left field that touched outfield grass, securing the Sweet’s third walk-off win of the season.

The NorthPaws will play the rubber match tomorrow night at 6:35. You can find the game on West Coast League TV.

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Owen Clyne was back in the lineup Wednesday night, going one for five (Photo: Justin P Morash)

June 18, 2025

For immediate release

VICTORIA, B.C. – The Victoria HarbourCats take game two in dramatic fashion, coming back to walk-off the Nanaimo NightOwls and winning 4-3.

Robert Sanford (Paris JC) made his fourth appearance and third start of the season for the Cats and started brightly with a one-two-three first inning. However, Nanaimo struck first in the second inning when Talan Zenk hit into an RBI fielder’s choice after a pair of singles put runners on the corners. Zenk then stole second and came around on a Brady Morse single to give the visitors an early 2-0 lead.

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Jacob Hayes made it 3-0 in the top of the third with a deep sacrifice fly to the warning track in left. Sanford threw a season-high 53 pitches over three innings of work, giving up three runs on four hits, walking two and striking out one.

Ben Hewitt (Ottawa) was the first Cat out of the bullpen, making his third appearance of the campaign, and first since picking up the win on June 11. The big right-hander pitched two shutout innings while striking out one batter. Hewitt has not allowed a hit in five innings of work this season.

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Saanichton native and captain of the New York Sirens of the PWHL, Micah Zandee-Hart, threw out the ceremonial first pitch (Photo: Justin P. Morash)

Victoria loaded the bases in the fourth inning and got a run on a Connor Ross (Cal Baptist) RBI groundout, cutting the Owls’ lead down to 3-1. Lino Zepeda got Jacob Doyle (Nevada) to fly out to end the threat. Zepeda started the game and threw five innings, giving up one run on four hits while striking out one batter.

Shea Lake (West Texas A&M) threw three shutout innings of relief to keep the Cats within touching distance, striking out four and giving up just one hit.

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In the bottom of the seventh, the HarbourCats had the bases loaded with no one out but could not score, with Owls right-hander Jaedeyn Edwards pitching his way out of the jam.

Doyle cut the deficit to one with a two-out RBI single to left field, making it 3-2 Owls. Dalton Hanson then surrendered back-to-back walks to Xander McAfee (Texas Arlington) and Curtis McKay (Niagara), with the latter scoring the tying run.

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Garrett Villa (Angelo State), who is no stranger to pitching in high-leverage situations, came in to pitch the top of the ninth and kept the game tied at 3-3 with a scoreless inning.

Jacob Silva (TCU) was hit by a pitch and Cayden Munster (Fresno State) was walked which was followed by a pickoff attempt error to put the winning run on third base. Ross then smacked a single up the middle to walk it off and complete the comeback for the HarbourCats.

Victoria look for the sweep tomorrow at 11:00 AM. It is the second School Spirit Game of the season, presented by Kidsport. Be part of the one-of-a-kind atmosphere and buy tickets at Harbourcats.com/tickets.

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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The Kamloops NorthPaws defeated the Walla Walla Sweets in Washington 6-1 as the Sweets lost their first series opener at home this season. The NorthPaws have won back-to-back games and moved into sole possession of third place in the North Division, winning their 10th game of the season.

Righty Mason Chien was on the mound to start the week for the NorthPaws and pitched a gem, going seven innings, giving up one earned run on five hits, striking out eight batters. Chien’s lone troublesome inning was in the third when he gave up a walk and a single with one out. The second out was a fielder’s choice, leaving runners on the corners. Chien gave up a base hit, bringing home the only run of the game for the Sweets. That was the only inning Chien where gave up multiple hits.

At the plate, for the NorthPaws, the middle of the order was once again getting it done, with Drew Schmidt, Joey Rico and Jared Hall combining eight of the NorthPaws thirteenth hits. At the bottom of the order, the NorthPaws newest player, a second baseman from UT Tyler Tanner Hornback, had a pair of hits, including an RBI. Center fielder Ethan Kodama also had a pair of hits and scored twice as well.

In the second inning, the game would no longer be scoreless as Tanner Hornback, in his first at-bat as a NorthPaw, drove in Hall with a single. This would start a stretch of three consecutive innings, with Kamloops scoring a run. In the fourth, Joey Rico singled and brought home Kodama to make it 2-0. Kamloops made it three nothing with Kodama singling, scoring Hornback.

From there, it was all about Mason Chien. After the run scored in the third, he would only give up one more hit, and three of his final four innings were 1-2-3 innings, including striking out the side in order in the sixth. The Sweets had no answer, prompting Walla Walla Play-by-play broadcaster Drew Albaugh to say, “The NorthPaws are up by two right now, but it feels like way more the way Chein has pitched tonight.”

In the top of the eighth, Jared Hall singled, scoring Schmidt to give the NorthPaws some breathing room. The lead would be extended in the ninth courtesy of Schmidt, whose fourth hit of the night scored a pair, making it 6-1.

Lefty Kaden Douglas-Pluff came on in the eighth and cruised through the final two innings, securing the 10th win of the season for Kamloops. The NorthPaws and Sweets will be back at it tomorrow night at 6:35 as the NorthPaws look for their second road series victory of the season and third win in a row. You can find all the action on West Coast League TV.

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