Summer Collegiate
NorthPaws prepare for Bellingham comeback after Wenatchee sweep
Photo credit – Allen Douglas Photography
KAMLOOPS — The Wenatchee AppleSox travelled to Kamloops and left with a North Division leading 12-3 record after a weekend sweep. The set also pushed the Kamloops NorthPaws losing streak to seven games.
Game 1 –
It was an old fashioned pitching duel to begin the three game set between the AppleSox and NorthPaws on Friday night, with the visitors pulling out a thrilling 2-1 win.
Wenatchee starter Evan Canfield went toe-to-toe with ‘Paws righty Josh Berenbaum all night, with both pitchers striking out eight batters along the way. Berenbaum went six strong giving up 2-runs, only 1-earned on just 3-hits, taking a tough-luck loss. He was outdone by Canfield who went 8.0 innings, giving up 5 hits, and 1-unearned run.
The AppleSox would strike first in the sixth inning, scoring the opening run of the ballgame without the benefit of a base hit thanks to a pair of Kamloops errors and a sacrifice bunt.
The NorthPaws would respond in the bottom half thanks to a Hayato Ikeda RBI single. The winning run would score in the seventh on a 2-out RBI single from Hunter Friedberg.
With the tying run standing on second base in the ninth with two outs, Jerry Nix would single up the middle but Dylan Dekker would be gunned at the plate by Max Hartman to end the ballgame and secure the Wenatchee win.
Tristian LaMaison earned his first save of the season thanks to the 8-2 putout.
Game 2 –
The offense in the series arrived in spades for the AppleSox in game two, as they would bully their way to a 13-2 victory.
Wenatchee would strike early with a first inning run, before exploding for six in the 4th inning and never looking back. Cannon Peery would lead the offense with a 3-5, 4 RBI night. Aidan Dougherty and Max Hartman both provide 2 RBI as well in the dominant win.
The two runs of the ballgame for Kamloops came in the 6th inning when Jacob Schlesselman brought home Jacob French and Tyler Glowacki with a single.
Derek Murphy would take the loss giving up 6ER over 3 innings. Casper Rammeloo allowed 4ER over 2 innings of relief.
Quincy Vassar earned the win for the AppleSox pitching 6 strong giving up 2ER on 6 hits. Braiden Boyd would earn the rare 3-inning save, walking just one and not allowing a base hit.
Game 3 –
The AppleSox would outdo their offensive performance in a North Division leading statement victory on Father’s Day. A pair of big innings would be the difference in a 15-5 win to complete the sweep for the visitors.
Kamloops held a pair of leads in the contest before Wenatchee took control, including thanks to a 2-run homer from catcher Jerry Nix that made the score 3-2 at the time.
It was a 2-out rally that led to the demise of Kamloops on Sunday. Wenatchee scored five 2-out runs in the 5th inning, including a grand-slam from Connor Peery who finished the contest 3-6 4RBI.
Kamloops leadoff hitter Madden Ocko went 3-5, as the ‘Paws reached the 10 hit plateau for the first time this year.
Cade Johnson was credited with the loss, 4.2 IP, 6ER, 6H, 2K.
Caleb Costa earned the win for Wenatchee who have won 5 straight. The loss pushed the Kamloops losing streak to seven games.
Reset for Bellingham
The ‘Paws will look to get back on track following an off-day Monday as they begin a mid-week set in Bellingham against the Bells. Kamloops has already beaten the 7-6 Bells twice.
“Hopefully the tables turn here and we start to get some W’s,” said Dylan Dekker. “Just stick to the gameplan, not trying to change to much, not get to-high, to-low.”
Dekker from Hinton, Alberta, now calls Kamloops home and is happy to be spending time in the Tournament capital for the summer.
“Nice to see everybody, see the parents, stay at home” added Dekker.
Along with Dekker, Kamloops’ Matt MacDonald also returned to the squad ahead of the Wenatchee series.
“Loving playing at home, playing in front of the fans. Hopefully I can turn it around, hopefully I can show out and do something cool this year,” said MacDonald. “All these guys, I grew up with them, I love playing with them. It’s sweet, it’s great for the team chemistry. Super enjoyable, I like being home for sure.”
Joining the team in the midst of the slide, MacDonald is looking to reset for Bellingham on Tuesday.
“We have to wipe the slate, definitely a couple of ugly games here but we will figure it out. We just have to get the energy up and forget about it,” said MacDonald.
Head Coach Jose Bautista, who spent 10 seasons in the majors has been a part of a few losing streaks over his long baseball career. His message to the boys after the contest was to keep moving forward.
“Just let the kids go up there and play. No superstitions, no nothing, just go up there and play,” said Bautista. “Hoping to add some more guys, and add a couple pitchers.”
Upcoming Schedule –
Monday, June 17 – Off-Day
Tuesday, June 18 @ Bellingham, first pitch 6:35
Wednesday, June 19 @ Bellingham, first pitch 6:35
Thursday, June 20 @ Bellingham, first pitch 6:35
Friday, June 21 vs Edmonton, first pitch 6:35 (Bark at the Park)
Saturday, June 22 vs Edmonton, first pitch 6:35
Sunday, June 23 vs Edmonton, first pitch 2:05
For media requests –
Jenna Forter
General Manager
Kamloops NorthPaws
- 250-200-1415
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.
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.
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.
Summer Collegiate
Victoria HarbourCats – Four HarbourCats Representing Victoria at WCL All-Star Game
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.
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.
The Cats will go for the sweep over the Elks in the final game of the series at 6:35 pm on Thursday night!
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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