Summer Collegiate

NorthPaws ‘pickled’ in home opener against Portland

Published

3 years ago

June 9, 2023

Dugout Wire Service

Author: Larry Read

KAMLOOPS BC—The Kamloops NorthPaws are still in search of their first victory of the young West Coast League season.

The NorthPaws hosted the Portland Pickles at Dearborn Ford Field at Norbrock Stadium in a three-game series Tuesday through Thursday (June 6-8). Over 500 fans a night were treated to some entertaining baseball but went home a little disappointed as the Pickles swept Kamloops.

The scores were 11-4 Tuesday (June 6), 6-4 Wednesday and Thursday (June 7,8).

The results leave Portland with a 5-1 record while the NorthPaws dip to 0-6.

The NorthPaws will continue their homestand with the first ever appearance of the six time defending West Coast League champions, the Corvallis Knights to Kamloops. The Pickles will head down Highway 97 for a three-game set in Kelowna against the Falcons. Crovallis has a record of 5-1 after downing Yakima Valley 8-1. Wednesday night.

Portland and Kamloops will tangle once more this season when the NorthPaws visit the Pickles for three games beginning June 27th.

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

SERIES RECAP:

Tuesday, June 6, 2023-Portland Pickles 11 Kamloops NorthPaws 4

Portland broke open a 1-1 tie scoring four runs in the third inning before adding two more in the fifth and three runs in the sixth. Kamloops scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to reduce the deficit to 10-3. New Zealander Maclain Roberts was tagged with the loss as he started the game and went three innings giving up four hits, four runs, had one walk and one strikeout.

Left fielder Andrew Stucky (Tuscon, AZ) and Right fielder Felix Chenier-Rondeau (Blainvile, QC) each had runs batted in.

The Pickles were led by Jackson Waller (San Marcos, CA) who was two for two and three runs batted in. Two of the runs coming in on a single in the sixth. Jack Metcho (Fairfield, CA) was one for two with three runs scored. Starter Aiden Garza (Ventura, CA) was the winning pitcher tossing a no hitter for three innings, giving up two runs, striking out two and walking three.

Portland moved to 3-1 on the year. The NorthPaws dropped their fourth in a row.

Link to Scoresheet: http://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=598675

Wednesday, June 7, 2023-Portland Pickles 4 Kamloops NorthPaws 4

All the scoring in this game occurred in the first three innings. Portland rallied from a 2-0 first inning deficit to tally three in both the second and third.

The NorthPaws were led offensively by first baseman Nolan Austin (Kamloops, BC). He was two for four at the dish with two runs batted in. Designated hitter Landon Clark was one for four with an R.B.I..

Matthew Romero started for Kamloops and was tagged with the loss going two and a third innings, giving up nine hits, six earned runs, with two walks and a strikeout.

Murphy Gienger (Castle Rock, CO), who came into the game after an inning and two thirds was the winner. He threw a three hitter with eight strikeouts. Morris Austin (Keller, TX) earned the save as he came on in the ninth inning and struck out the side.

Offensively, the Pickles had three R.B.I. from left fielder Xiage Lancaster (Hilo, HI). He was two for three with two runs scored. Jack Metcho was three for five with two runs scored and two runs batted in. Right fielder Nicky Markantanatos (Portland, OE) was three for five.

Link to Scoresheet: http://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=601034

Thursday, June 8, 2023-Portland Pickles 6 Kamloops North Paws 4

The NorthPaws jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning on the basis of a home run by Jude Hall (Chilliwack, BC). It was Kamloops’ first home run of the season.

The home team held a 4-1 lead until the sixth inning when the Pickles scored twice and then added three more in the seventh inning. They wound up with six runs on six hits and one error. Kamloops had four runs on seven hits and one error.

Kamloops was threatening in the bottom of the ninth. They had the bases loaded with two outs, but Felix Chenier-Rondeau (Blainville, QC) hit a long flyball which was caught in left field.

Sakemi Sato (La Quinta, CA) was the winning pitcher as he threw two innings of one hit ball with four strikeouts. Portland was led offensively by Jack Metcho. He was two for five with three runs batted in. Nicky Markantanatos was two for five with an RBI.

Joey Adge (Parker, CO) was three for four for Kamloops with an RBI. Hall was two for four with three runs batted in.

Christian Spitz (Overland Park, KS) was the losing pitcher. He went three and a third giving up four runs (3 earned), striking out three and walking three. Kamloops resident Tyrelle Chadwick had his second start of the year for the NorthPaws. He pitched three innings giving up two hits, four walks and one earned run.

Link to Scoresheet: http://baseball.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=598677

HEAD COACH KEITH FRANCIS:

“It is always the little things in baseball that come back to haunt you. We run the bases improperly. We don’t get the right hit at the right time. Can’t throw the strike when we need it the most. Those things add up. I am telling them we need to win inning by inning. This has been the underlying theme all season. There is just one inning where an error was started and the pitcher can’t come back from it. We aren’t hitting. We haven’t scored more than four runs in any game. That is tough. “

FIRST BASEMAN NOLAN AUSTIN (KAMLOOPS, BC):

“It is not the start we wanted to have. We were in the game again tonight. Just small little errors are keeping us from getting over that hump. Once we can get the first one we will start to figure it out we are going to start to cruise and get some more dubs.”

NEXT UP:

The NorthPaws will conclude their six game homestand with the Corvallis Knights. The Knights and NorthPaws will play a three-game series starting tomorrow (Friday June 7th). It is the first time that the two teams will have ever met in West Coast League play. As mentioned earlier in this release, the Knights have won the league title the last six years in a row. In 2022, they beat the Bellingham Bells in the final.

PLAYERS TO WATCH ON THE CORVALLIS KNIGHTS:

#5, Tyler Quinn, Inf./C, Pacific University, Oregon. He was the Knights MVP in 2022

# 7, Luke Thiele, Inf., Central Arizona College, he’s going to Purdue in the fall.

# 16, Blake Avila, Central Arizona, he’s going to Grand Canyon in the fall.

#17 Sean Wiese, LHP, Hawaii. A four-year Knight, he was the Knights top pitcher in 2022 as our closer.

# 20 Sam Stem, OF, Gonzaga. He hit over .300 for the Zags this spring as a freshman.

# 37, Neil Feist, RHP, Cal State-Northridge. A returnee and a key player from the 2022 champions.

If you can’t make the NorthPaws 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.

For Everything NorthPaws – Go to the website : https://www.northpawsbaseball.ca/

Kamloops NorthPaws tickets: ticketing@northpawsbaseball.ca

West Coast League: westcoastleague.com.

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Cats Take Home Series Win on School Spirit Day

Published

20 hours ago

June 5, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

Local schools packed the park for game three of the homestand!

Victoria, B.C. – The HarbourCats sent the School Spirit Day crowd home happy on Thursday afternoon, defeating the Edmonton Riverhawks 6-2 to clinch the series win.

The Cats got on the board early in this one thanks to a sizzling long ball off the bat of Matt Westley (George Mason) to lead off the second inning.

BOX SCORE

Right-hander Erik Rico (Fresno State) was utterly dominant through a four-inning start, allowing just one hit and racking up a septet of strikeouts over that span. Austin Lindsey (Hill College) took up the torch in the fifth inning, securing a quick three outs to preserve a 1-0 lead for Victoria.

The Cats put on a show in front of a crowd of 3,128 at Royal Athletic Park.

Victoria found another chance to score in the bottom of the sixth, with infielder Jax Heid (Southeast Oklahoma State) putting pressure on the Edmonton defence and bringing home a run to make it 2-0 for the HarbourCats. Dryden Fuoco (Hill College) wasted no time following up, rocking a line drive to left field and driving in two more.

The very next inning, Brady Hewitt (Fresno State) kicked the score and the energy up a couple notches. The Cats infielder utterly obliterated a baseball, ensuring same-day delivery to Pembroke Street on his second homer in as many days.

Hunter Daniels (Phoenix College) made a relief appearance in the eighth inning for the HarbourCats. The Arizona native allowed two runs, but a shutdown ninth inning from Asher Clark (Northern Colorado) cemented a 6-2 victory for the home team.

WCL STANDINGS

With a series win under their belts, the HarbourCats will take on the Kelowna Falcons for a weekend series, beginning Friday, June 5 at 6:35 pm.

Single game tickets for all HarbourCats games and the 2026 West Coast League All-Star Game and Home Run Derby 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.

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – HarbourCats Comeback Bid Unsuccessful in Loss to Riverhawks

Published

2 days ago

June 4, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

The Cats were unable to claw their way back in game two of the homestand. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Victoria, B.C. – The HarbourCats hit the field for a skirmish with the Edmonton Riverhawks Wednesday evening, coming up short in a 13-11 loss.

HarbourCats starter Daniel Tovar (Northern Kentucky) wrestled with command issues early on, hitting a batter and issuing two free passes to load the bases in the top of the first inning. Edmonton took advantage, driving a pair of doubles to take a 4-0 lead before Houston Tomlinson (Arkansas State) entered the game from the bullpen to get the final out of the opening frame.

BOX SCORE

The Riverhawks stayed on the attack in the second inning, driving in two more runs on a screamer down the left field line to extend their lead to 6-0.

Brady Hewitt (Fresno State) showed up ready to slug. The shortstop notched two leadoff hits; a triple and a homer. (Photo by JPM Photography)

A second-inning leadoff triple from shortstop Brady Hewitt (Fresno State) sparked a Victoria comeback attempt. After Hewitt scored on an errant throw by the Riverhawks catcher, a sacrifice fly off the bat of Rohne Klein (San Jose State) would bring in another run for the Cats, closing the gap to 6-2 in favour of Edmonton.

Edmonton answered right back in the top of the third, driving home a run that ended Houston Tomlinson’s outing. Tomlinson, an Arkansas State sophomore from Spring, Texas, pitched 1.2 innings, allowing three runs on four hits with two strikeouts. Summoned from the pen was Landon Marchetti (San Jose State), who quickly secured two outs to head back to the dugout down 7-2.

Marchetti found himself in the midst of a tough spot in the top of the fourth, and a barely fair ball down the line in right field gave the Riverhawks a 9-2 lead.

Outfielder Kade Davis (UTSA) earned three walks in the loss. (Photo by JPM Photography)

The Cats struck back in the bottom of the fourth. Brady Hewitt (Fresno State) blasted a solo homer well beyond the left field wall, followed up by two more runs when the Edmonton infield decided to engage in a snowball fight. The inning came to an end with a sizeable dent in the Riverhawks’ lead, bringing the score to 9-5.

HarbourCats hurler Spencer Kratt (San Jose State) assumed control of the mound to begin the fifth inning, deftly tossing a much-needed zero on the board. Kratt returned for the sixth, surrendering a run to push the Hawks to double digits.

Victoria made things interesting two more runs in the seventh inning and three in the eighth, but Edmonton’s three-run shot in the top of the eighth inning kept them in front for a 13-11 win.

WCL STANDINGS

The HarbourCats take the field at 11:05 am tomorrow for the first School Spirit Game of the season, and will host the Kelowna Falcons for a three-game series this weekend.

Source

Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Home Opener Heroics Earn Cats 6-3 Win Over Riverhawks

Published

3 days ago

June 2, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

The Cats got hot in the middle innings to take a commanding lead. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Victoria, B.C. – The HarbourCats faced off against the visiting Edmonton Riverhawks tonight, claiming a decisive 6-3 victory in the first home game of the season.

The Riverhawks were the first to get on the board, scoring on a bases-loaded walk in the top of the second. Edmonton would strand three runners with a groundout to the shortstop shortly after, but not without claiming an early 1-0 lead.

BOX SCORE

The lead stood until the bottom of the fourth inning, when Marcus Nolen (Fresno State) brought in a pair of runs on a clutch two-out single to left field, pushing the home team in front by a score of 2-1.

David Krahn (UBC) was a mainstay on the bases tonight, going 3/5 with a pair of stolen bases and an RBI. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Cats starter Hudson Lance (Coastal Carolina) was relieved after four innings of work, in which he surrendered just one run on four hits. Easton Reimers (North Dakota State) took over from the bullpen and shut down the Riverhawks in a clean fifth inning.

Victoria added on to their lucrative fourth inning with three more runs in the bottom of the fifth. Kade Davis (UTSA) drove in a run on a single, followed up by a 2-RBI knock from Dryden Fuoco (Hill College). The fun didn’t stop there, as Marcus Nolen stole two bases and came in to score on the third hit of the ballgame for David Krahn (UBC), giving the Cats a 6-1 lead.

Hudson Lance (Coastal Carolina) made an immediate impact in his first start of 2026, giving up just a single run. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Pierce Stone (Regis) opened up the seventh inning on the mound for the HarbourCats. The Austin, TX native gave up two runs before handing the ball over to Garen Geoghegan (Whitman), who left the bases loaded to escape the frame with a 6-3 lead. Geoghegan would return to start the eighth inning, swapping out for Flynn Warren (Hawaii Pacific) from the bullpen. The Levin, New Zealand product tallied three quick outs in the eighth and powered through the ninth to nail down a 6-3 victory for the HarbourCats in the home opener.

WCL STANDINGS

The Cats are back in action against the Riverhawks tomorrow at 6:35 pm and Thursday at 11:05 am, before hosting the Kelowna Falcons for a three-game series this weekend.

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