NANAIMO, B.C. — Never better timing from Andrew Nykoluk.
The shortstop from Hawaii Pacific slapped a single into right centre with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning on Thursday night gave the Nanaimo NightOwls a much-needed 3-2 victory over the visiting Corvallis Knights.
Nykoluk’s hit scored JJ Abner from second base, rescuing a win to cap the three-game series, the first-ever visit by the Knights to Nanaimo.
The result ends a Nanaimo losing streak as the team prepares for a road series this weekend against the Kamloops NorthPaws.
On Thursday, both teams scored twice in the seventh inning — nothing but zeroes on the board other than that until the NightOwls scored in the 10th.
Jacob Hayes (Azusa Pacific) was 1-1 with two walks for Nanaimo, Jayden Gabrillo (Hawaii Pacific) was clutch for Nanaimo in weathering a storm in the ninth and 10th innings, holding the score at 2-2. Aidan Boice gave up just two hits and no walks in six innings, striking out five in a stellar start that Nanaimo sorely needed after dropping the first two games of the series.
Nanaimo pitchers limited the Corvallis bats to just five hits.
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