NANAIMO, B.C. — A string of runs late and near spotless pitching was all the Nanaimo NightOwls needed to stop a small slide.
The NightOwls got a run in the first inning, scored three in the fifth inning thanks in part to back to back doubles by Riley Paulino and Wylie Waters, and four more over the last three innings to post an 8-1 triumph over the visiting Kamloops NorthPaws on Tuesday night at historic Serauxmen Stadium.
The story of the game was the start for right-hander Adison Mattix, who broke a NightOwls record for strikeouts in a game with 11 — the 10 by current teammate Aiden Russell last week has already been broken. Mattix gave up just three hits and no runs over six innings, a masterful outing for the Everett CC pitcher.
Taiwanese right-hander Li Sih-te (Kobe) went two perfect innings, and Hayden Cuthbertson gave up a run in his inning of work on three hits, also striking out two, to complete the pitching line.
The NightOwls (8-11) pounded out 12 hits in total and played error-free baseball, while Kamloops (3-16), losers of 14 in a row, had six hits and three errors. Five Nanaimo hitters had two hits — Paulino, Waters, Aaron Marsh, Mitchell Middlemiss, and Drew Rutter.
The NightOwls and NorthPaws play the second of three games on Wednesday, with left-hander Caden Pearlman of Cal Poly-SLO, a 6-3 hurler from San Diego, due to make his West Coast League debut. His starting pitcher opponent will be Kolby Lukinchuk, a product of Prince George and Thompson Rivers University.
The third game of the series is also a 6:35pm start, on Thursday, with Russell slated to take the mound for Nanaimo. The NightOwls then have a rare Friday off before welcoming the Victoria HarbourCats on Saturday, then going to Victoria to play the HarbourCats in an evening game on Sunday.
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