Summer Collegiate

NorthPaws have “Bell” rung in Bellingham

Published

3 years ago

July 7, 2023

Dugout Wire Service

Author: Larry Read

BELLINGHAM, WA—The Kamloops NorthPaws might not have earned any points but they did earn some respect as they dropped a three game set to one of the top teams in the West Coast League: the Bellingham Bells.

Capping off the series on Thursday (July 6), the NorthPaws held a 5-0 lead before falling 7-5 to the Bells.

Kamloops falls to 7-23 on the year while Bellingham moves to 20-7.

Other scores in the series had the Bells winning 5-1 on Tuesday (July 4) and 2-0 on Wednesday (July 5).

Bellingham was led in the series by Canadian Yohann Desseureault. The resident of Trois Rivieres, Quebec went four for eleven with four runs scored and four runs batted in.

The win Thursday moved Bellingham atop of the WCL North Division. They are a game ahead of the second place Wenatchee AppleSox. The AppleSox, who are the next opponents for the NorthPaws starting tomorrow (Friday, July 7) fell 3-2 to Port Angeles on Thursday. The AppleSox have lost their last two starts.

The Paws and Wenatchee will be playing the next three games against each other at s Paul Thomas Senior Field . The Bells are also on the road on Friday as they meet the Raptors in Ridgefield.

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

SERIES RECAP:

Tuesday, July 4, 2023: Bellingham 5 Kamloops 1

3,299 people spent Independence Day at Joe Martin Field where they saw their home team win their 18th game of the season. Bellingham took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second and added three more in the bottom of the third and one in the sixth—all off NorthPaws stater Tyrelle Chadwick (Kamloops, BC). Chadwick was playing his last game with the Paws before returning to Illinois State University. He went five and two thirds’ innings striking out three and walking two. Chadwick was 0-4 this summer in five starts.

Daniel Paret (Miami Lakes, FLA) went to 2-0 on the year pitching four innings of two hit ball with nine strike outs.

Offensively, Ty Saunders (Anacortes, WA) was two for three with three runs batted in. Dessureault went two for four with two runs scored and a run batted in. Colton Bower (Poulsbo, WA) was one for three with a run scored.

Kamloops saw Gabe Mestas (Durango, CA) go two for four with a run scored. Cooper Neville (Glendale, AZ) went one for four with a run batted in. Drew Giannini (Tracy CA) was one for four with a run scored.

Link to Scoresheet: http://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=596802

Wednesday July 5, 2023:Bellingham 2 Kamloops 0

The NorthPaws stuck with the Bells until the fifth inning when Nate Kirkpatrick (Surrey, BC) led off the inning hitting a single off reliever Liam Reynolds (Trumansburg, NY). Kirkpatrick was the first batter Reynolds faced after replacing starter Griffin Almond (Thornbury, ON).

Kirkpatrick later scored on a single by Anthony Kodama (Mill Creek, WA). Kirkpatrick was 1 for three with a run scored in the game. Kodama was one for two with a run batted in and a run scored. He was brought home by the next batter-Dessureault. He was one for three with a run batted in.

Reynolds was tagged with the loss and is 0-1 in eight appearances this season. He pitched three innings giving up the two runs and striking out two.

For Kamloops: Joey Baran (Austin, TX) was two for four. Nevillle was one for three while Robin Villeneuve (Gatineau, QC) was one for two.

Trevor Moore (Golden, CO), the second of four Bellingham pitchers got the win. He is 1-0 on the year as he pitched three innings giving up one hit, striking out three and walking four

Kamloops outhit Bellingham 6 -5 but left 10 runners on base.

Link to Scoresheet: http://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=596803

Thursday, July 6, 2023: Bellingham 7 Kamloops 5

The NorthPaws jumped out to a 5-0 lead scoring all their runs in the top of the third inning. That would account for all their offense as the Bells scored seven consecutive runs. They cut the deficit to 5-2 after four innings and added three in the bottom of the sixth along with single runs in the seventh and eighth.

Bellingham outhit Kamloops 9-4 and committed four errors to the NorthPaws one.

Two Canadian players did the most offensive damage for Bellingham. St Albert, Alberta’s Max Hartman was two for four with a triple and a home run. He had two runs batted in. Dessaurault of Trois Rivieres, Quebec was one for four with a run scored and an RBI. His one hit was a triple.

Coleman Schmidt (Reno, NV) was two for four. He scored twice and had a run batted in.

Kamloops was led offensively by Mestas . He was one for three with two runs batted in and a stolen base. Phoenix Sonmay was one for three with a run scored while Neville was one for four with a run scored.

Treven Hope notched the win for the Bells. The Blaine, Washington resident went three innings giving up two walks and a hit. It as his first win in three starts. Gianluca Shinn (Menlo Park, CA) earned his first save striking out a single batter in one inning of work. He has made five appearances on the mound this year.

Noah Loew (Chelan, WA) suffered his first loss in six appearances. On in relief, he went an inning and a third giving up a run, a hit and a walk. Hayden Walker (Albuquerque, NM) got the start for Kamloops and went five and two thirds innings, giving up five runs on seven hits with a walk and two strike outs.

Link to Scoresheet: http://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=596804

NEXT UP FOR THE NORTHPAWS:

As mentioned, the Paws are in Wenatchee against the Apple Sox for three games beginning tomorrow.

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 12-13 will be 6:35 PM. Kamloops then has a four day break.

PLAYERS TO WATCH ON THE RIVERHAWKS:

KJ Ward – RHP – Park University Gilbert

Jonny McGill – OF – University of British Columbia

Jack Wheatley – MIF – Liberty University

Kelly Corl – MIF – Niagara University.

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.

Featured Image Credit: Makayla Sparks

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Elks Salvage a Win in Extra-Innnings Grind

Published

9 hours ago

July 10, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

Victoria, B.C. – The HarbourCats fought to the bitter end in a ten-inning showdown that ended in a 7-6 Bend Elks victory tonight.

The first run of the game belonged to the visitors this time. A couple of walks in the first inning came back to bite Quincey Brown (UCSD) when they were moved over and cashed in by a two-out single. 2-0 Elks in the early going, putting the Cats on their back foot. Victoria retaliated in their first turn at the plate, bringing home David Krahn (UBC) on a Logan Shepherd (Mercer) fly ball to cut the lead in half.

BOX SCORE

The HarbourCats surged back to reclaim the lead in the second inning, taking advantage of some heads-up baserunning, a single from Bryan Bradshaw (UCSD), and a handful of wild pitches. Two frames down, and it’s suddenly 3-2 for the home team.

Quincey Brown was relieved after two innings where he wasn’t at his sharpest. The Seattle-born righty tightened it up in the second inning, but his command wavered in the first, leading to two runs allowed. Davis Lee (Calgary) took his place in the third and quickly turned two strikeouts before his control began to slip and the free passes became an issue. All of a sudden, what looked like a quick one-two-three turned into a three-run inning to give Bend a 5-3 lead.

Tacoma reliever Carson Ackermann was summoned from the bullpen to close out a long top half of the third and did just that, securing a quick out to change sides and give Victoria another chance on offence. Ackermann wasn’t quite so efficient in his second inning of work, loading the bases and letting up another run for the Elks before getting out of it.

Matt Westley was one of two HarbourCats to register a hit on Thursday night, bashing a homer in the fourth inning. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Bryan Bradshaw has displayed some great aggressive baserunning since arriving in Victoria, and this game was no different. The UCSD outfielder got on base with a leadoff single in the bottom of the fourth, and proceeded to steal two bases before coming home on a wild pitch. WCL All-Star Matt Westley (George Mason) further cut into the lead later in the inning, pulverizing his fourth homer of the summer to pull the Cats back within one.

The HarbourCats clawed their way back to a tie ballgame in the bottom of the fifth with a sacrifice fly from returning catcher Dillon Lopez (St. Mary’s) bringing the score to an even 6-6. Victoria threatened with more runners in scoring position in the bottom of the fifth but were unable to take advantage, leaving them stranded on second and third.

Taylor Franklin (George Fox) entered the game in Ackermann’s wake in the top of the seventh and had no trouble at all, striking out the side on 12 pitches to preserve that tie.

The deadlock lasted all the way into extra innings, when a wild pitch by Anson Stuckly (Texas A&M Corpus Christi) allowed an Elk to cross the plate and take the lead in the top of the tenth. Despite a bases loaded opportunity, the Cats were unable to climb back, and fell in the third game of the series by a score of 7-6.

WCL STANDINGS

The Cats are back on the road this weekend in Kamloops, and will return next week for the Showpass 2026 West Coast League All-Star Festival presented by Canadian Club!

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 – Four HarbourCats Representing Victoria at WCL All-Star Game

Published

21 hours ago

July 9, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

Victoria, B.C. – We’re less than a week out from the Showpass 2026 West Coast League All-Star Festival presented by Canadian Club, and four ballplayers have been selected to represent the HarbourCats among the league’s best. David Krahn, Matt Westley, Erik Rico, and Jeremiah Arnett have all been crucial parts of the HarbourCats roster this year, and the four of them will suit up for the North Division in the 2026 WCL All-Star Game.

David Krahn is in the midst of an impressive debut season with the HarbourCats, and his stats show exactly why he’s been named an All-Star. The UBC second-baseman has showed consistent contact and crackling power at the plate this season, ranking third league-wide in hits (43) and second in home runs (7). Krahn brings more than just a reliable bat to the Cats, though – he’s a spark plug for the team as well.

“Energy and talent,” is head coach Todd Haney’s simple reply when asked about what Krahn brings to the table. “You need a guy with that kind of energy, and he brings that every night.”

Matt Westley, hailing from Manassas, Virginia, has been the other half of a lethal one-two punch at the top of the lineup, alongside David Krahn. Westley’s contact ability is undeniable – he has the second-most hits in the entire WCL this year with 46, and has been a mainstay at the number two spot in the lineup in recent weeks. The third-baseman also shows off flashes of brilliance in the hot corner, making those long throws across the infield look easy and making some spectacular diving plays that leave Cats fans stunned.

Jeremiah Arnett is arguably the toughest pitcher to face in the entire WCL this summer. The calm, cool, and collected Texan has allowed just seven runs in 29 innings, and leads the league in strikeouts with 41. Clearly some excellent stuff on display, but Arnett is entirely focused on improving further.

“He’s an All-Star for a reason,” says Haney on the Rice University starter, “He’s here to get better and work on his craft. Obviously he has talent, there’s no doubt about it, but he’s here for all the right reasons.

Erik Rico has been the stuff of hitters’ nightmares this season. The Fresno State right-hander is just one strikeout behind his teammate Arnett for the league lead, but he’s amassed 40 K’s in just 22 innings. That strikeout prowess combined with a staggering 1.23 makes for little mystery why Rico was an easy choice for the All-Star roster.

Don’t miss these four superstars and the rest of the WCL’s brightest when the Showpass 2026 West Coast League All-Star Festival comes to town next week!

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Cats Pitching Shuts Down Elks to Clinch Series

Published

1 day ago

July 9, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

Victoria, B.C. – Victoria’s pitching staff put on a show tonight in a 5-0 shutout over the visiting Bend Elks.

The Cats got the engine running early in game two, driving in the first run of the game on a Brady Hewitt (Fresno State) double in the bottom of the second inning. Second-year HarbourCat Logan Shepherd (Mercer) kept it rolling the very next inning, crushing his second homer of the year to double the lead.

BOX SCORE

Starting pitcher Jeremiah Arnett (Rice) put on an absolute clinic on the mound in his sixth start of the year. The Waco, Texas product went six innings and struck out 11 (yes, 11) Elks while only giving up two hits. No wonder he’s a WCL All-Star.

Arnett’s excellent start laid the groundwork for a robust Cats win. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Victoria honoured an impressive start by widening the lead further in the bottom of the sixth. After Rohne Klein (San Jose State) found his way on base on a fielder’s choice, high-contact outfielder Tristan Buehring (Whitman) squeaked a single through the infield to drive him in. A Bryan Bradshaw (UCSD) double kept the line moving and brought Buehring home to make it 4-0.

Right-handed reliever Will Zielinski came into the game in the top of the seventh and picked up right where Arnett left off. The Victoria local hit the ground running out of the bullpen, striking out the side in 15 pitches. Zielinski wasn’t done there, though, as he picked up two more strikeouts in the eighth before giving way to Jake Rafferty (Tacoma CC) to close out a shutout win.

WCL STANDINGS

The Cats will go for the sweep over the Elks in the final game of the series at 6:35 pm on Thursday night!

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