Summer Collegiate

NorthPaws fight off a late Riverdog rally to secure Exhibition victory

Published

1 year ago

May 30, 2025

Dugout Wire Service

The Kamloops NorthPaws defeated the Kamloops Riverdogs 18U squad 4-3 in a game that came down to the wire. The NorthPaws scored four runs in the first three innings before the bats went silent. The Riverdogs, however, scored their three runs in the eighth and ninth innings.

The Paws got their offence from Many Recchi, Austin Coyle and a solo home run in the bottom of the first from former Riverdog Matthew MacDonald. The Kamloops native got the start behind the plate and went two for two with a base hit in his second and final at-bat of his night, earning him player of the game honours.

The Riverdogs threatened several times in the later stages of the game, including loading the bases with one out in the fifth inning and coming up empty-handed. They later faced the same situation in the eighth but only mustered one run.

The ninth inning saw the Riverdogs put up a pair of runs off RBI doubles and had runners at second and third with two outs. Reid Williamson hit a ball to the warning track in left field that was caught on the run by Recchi to end the game and secure the win for the NorthPaws.

Paws Head Coach Reily Jepson is also a former Riverdog and got his first taste of coaching against his old youth program.

“It’s different coaching against them; they had me on my toes for sure,” said Jepson.

For many of the players in the Northpaw lineup, this was their first game action in a couple of weeks, providing an excellent opportunity to get game experience before the regular season begins.

“Tonight was all about shaking off the rust for guys who haven’t played in a while and getting their feet under them – This was also the first time they were playing under us as a coaching staff, so they’re all a little nervous, so it’s just to get warm and get ready for the weekend,” said Jepson.

With both teams being local, the fans showed up and cheered on their beloved squads throughout the night.

“It was great to see people in the seats even though there may have been more RiverDogs fans, but it’s great to get the community involved,” Said Jepson.

The NorthPaws will hit the road for six games starting Friday in Port Angeles for a three-game series before heading back south of the border for three more to play the Belling Bells beginning Tuesday. The NorthPaws will be back at Norbrock Stadium for the home opener on Friday, June 6, where they take on their Interior rival, the Kelowna Falcons. The first pitch is set for 6:05; we hope to see you there!

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Comeback Out of Reach in Extra Innings Loss

Published

2 hours ago

July 4, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

The HarbourCats’ offence struggled tonight, failing to pull together until the late stages of the game. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Kelowna, B.C. – The Cats’ comeback attempt fell short as Victoria endured a 3-2 extra-innings loss in game one of the Kelowna series.

A leadoff double in the bottom of the third inning paid off for Kelowna when a one-out single drove in the first run of the ballgame. After a strong couple of innings top open the game, Cats starter Easton Reimers (North Dakota State) struggled to find the zone in his third frame of work.

BOX SCORE

The HarbourCats turned to Spencer Kratt (San Jose State) to pitch the fourth inning, and the right-hander proved to be unsolvable for the Falcons. Kratt allowed no runs in his solid four innings in relief, allowing only two hits alongside a pair of strikeouts.

Victoria finally cobbled together an offensive threat in the top of the fifth, with Tristan Buehring (Whitman) making his way to third after a single and two groundouts. The Cats were unable to take advantage however, squandering their first opportunity to score.

Anson Stuckly (Texas A&M Corpus Christi) was called from the bullpen in the eighth, on the heels of an airtight outing from Kratt. Stuckly made things look easy in his brief appearance, tossing ten pitches for a quick scoreless frame.

Victoria struggled to find any traction over the course of the ballgame until Logan Shepherd (Mercer) uncorked a monster solo shot in the top of the ninth, his first homer of the season to tie the game at one. That kept the game going long enough for Stuckly to pitch a scoreless bottom of the ninth and force extra innings.

The Cats battled their way to a one-run lead in extras, courtesy of a sacrifice fly from Riley Kwak (Bossier Parish) to give Victoria the advantage. Marcus Janovsky (UBC) was tagged in for extra innings duty, loading the bases and allowing two runs to score for a 3-2 Falcons win.

WCL STANDINGS

This Kelowna series continues this weekend, with the next game scheduled for 6:35 on Saturday night. Following the end of the series, the Cats will come home for a three-game set with the Bend Elks.

Single game tickets for all HarbourCats games are now on sale at http://harbourcats.com/tickets. Season tickets, 12-pack and 32-pack game vouchers may also be bought online or by stopping by the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street.

GET YOUR ALL-STAR TICKETS BEFORE THEY ARE GONE! Tickets for the 2026 WCL All-Star Home Run Derby (featuring former Blue Jay Kevin Pillar) and the West Coast League All Star Game on July 14-15 are selling fast. Get yours today! Each event is now on sale separately, or grab the package deal for both and save a few bucks at http://harbourcats.com/tickets! Or call the office at 778-265-0327 to order by phone.

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – HarbourCats Battle to the End for 2-1 Victory

Published

1 day ago

July 3, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

Victoria, B.C. – A war of attrition ended in a win for the good guys on Thursday night, with the Cats clawing their way to the finish line to take a series win over the NightOwls.

The Cats weathered the lengthy rain delay and came to the plate ready tonight, striking first on a two-out single from Rohne Klein (San Jose State). Designated hitter Logan Shepherd (Mercer) got the wave around third and Victoria quickly took a 1-0 lead.

BOX SCORE

UCSD’s Quincey Brown added to a string of dominant starting pitchers for the Cats in this series. Brown’s nine strikeouts in his second start of the season are the second-most in a single game for Victoria this year, tied with Austin Lindsey in the previous game and just short of Jeremiah Arnett’s team-leading ten K’s on Tuesday.

In addition to a whole lot of swings and misses, Brown kept the NightOwls off the bases with just two hits across his five innings of work. Davis Lee (Calgary) came in on the heels of Brown’s start, opening up the sixth inning on the mound with a one-run lead. Lee got himself into some trouble, loading the bases with two consecutive walks and letting the game-tying run sneak by on a pitch straight to the backstop.

Will Zielinski held strong in his Cats debut, scoring important outs in the late innings. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Lee returned in the seventh for a much cleaner frame, striking out two for a scoreless inning. Will Zielinski made an impressive Cats debut in the top of the eighth. The local Victoria product secured a quick two strikeouts and a groundout to keep the score tied and bring the HarbourCats lineup back up to the dish.

Victoria rallied to finally break the tie in the bottom of the eighth, courtesy of a Marcus Nolen (Fresno State) special. The outfielder walked, stole a base, and came in to score on a throwing error from the Nanaimo shortstop to take a 2-1 lead for the Cats.

Zielinski was back for the top of the ninth, shutting it down and securing a close win for the Cats to take the series and tie up the Island Cup!

WCL STANDINGS

The HarbourCats will now hit the road to Kelowna for a three-game weekend series against the Falcons.

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Cats Bats Heat Up in 11-2 Win Over Nanaimo

Published

2 days ago

July 1, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

Nanaimo, B.C. – The HarbourCats evened the series with a titanic 11-2 win over their island rivals on Wednesday night.

It was a blink-and-you’ll-mis-it start for the Cats, who scored their first run just four minutes after the first pitch. David Krahn (UBC) and Matt Westley (George Mason) found themselves on base with a single each, and a double off the wall from Logan Shepherd (Mercer) drove Krahn in from second. Westley came in to score an an extremely well-placed bunt from Jacob Silva (UTSA), and a Rohne Klein (San Jose State) single swiftly made it 3-0 Cats after the first half-inning!

BOX SCORE

Krahn touched the plate once again in the second inning, reaching base on an error and being cashed in by a Logan Shepherd base hit. Westley followed suit, pushing the score to 5-0.

Jeremiah Arnett (Rice) powered through six innings in his fifth start of the season, allowing three hits, no runs, and striking out nine. (Photo by JPM Photography)

The onslaught continued in the middle innings, highlighted by a two-run homer from infielder Brady Hewitt (Fresno State) in the fifth. A Tristan Buehring (Whitman) single brought home another before the end of the frame. Victoria followed up with another two tallies in the sixth, a result of some wild pitches and a knock from Bryan Bradshaw (UCSD). 10-0 Cats after six.

That strong start carried over to the other side of the baseball as well, with Jeremiah Arnett putting on a pitching clinic. The Rice University starter let up three hits in a scoreless six innings, striking out nine NightOwls. Daniel Tovar (Northern Kentucky) took over in relief for the seventh and eighth, keeping things clean and keeping Nanaimo off the board.

Matt Westley was on fire at the dish in Nanaimo, badgering NightOwls pitching for a four-hit game. (Photo by JPM Photography)

David Krahn stayed hot in the top of the ninth, crushing an RBI double to extend the lead to 11. Hunter Daniels (Phoenix) was sent in from the bullpen with a safe cushion to work with, giving up the first runs of the game for the NightOwls but ultimately closing out an 11-2 victory.

WCL STANDINGS

The Cats finish off the series in Victoria at 6:35 pm Thursday night before hitting the road for a weekend series in Kelowna.

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