KELOWNA, B.C. — The bats came alive for the Nanaimo NightOwls in the tune of eight runs on nine hits with two home runs. The complete opposite of last night, where Nanaimo just couldn’t get things going at the plate. Tonight they had 4 extra base hits, and that combined with some great pitching led to the series win.
Starting pitcher Aiden Boice, from Holladay, Utah, had a great night on the mound, pitching five innings, allowing just one run on six hits while striking out four. Catcher Brock Wirthgen and Caden Petrey both went yard in the game for the NightOwls. Andrew Ivy continues to impress, going two for four with a walk and a stolen base. If feels like every game I have to mention him swiping a bag.
The Nanaimo NightOwls jumped out to an early 1-0 lead thanks to some smart base running from Eli Watson. He stole second and was able to score on an error trying to steal third. After the Falcons tied it up with a run in the second, the NightOwls went off with a huge sixth inning, putting a four-spot on the board. After a walk to Andrew Ivy, and an Easton Mould single. Eli Watson would cash one after a wild pitch moved the runners to second and third.
Then walked up Brock Wirthgen, who cracked one out of the park to give the NightOwls the 5-1 lead. The 7th innings saw Easton Mould and Eli Watson driving in back-to-back RBI singles. Not to be outdone, Caden Petrey also got into the party with a home run in the top of the 8th inning to make it 8-1. The Falcons would claw one run back in the 9th, but it wasn’t nearly enough.
Besides starting pitcher Aiden Boice, Dawson Shultz and Dalton Hanson also had great games on the mound. They combined for four innings of 2 hit ball, giving up just 1 run and preserving the win for Boice.
The Starting pitching gave the Nanaimo NightOwls a chance to find their bats. I asked head coach Cody Andreychuk about the performance of Aiden Boice after the game, “Ya, he competed and did a wonderful job for us tonight. Commanded all his pitches for strikes. Got behind some of the hitters but would always get back and get the hitters out. [The] best way to say it is he competed well tonight in a getaway game to win the series on the road.”
Some big innings for the NightOwls and some great pitching saw them take the series against the Kelowna Falcons two games to one on Sunday night. Nanaimo finished the night with eight runs on nine hits and an error. Kelowna had two runs on eight hits and three errors in the loss. The NightOwls move back above .500% with the win at 8-7.
The Nanaimo NightOwls head back to the Island but not home as they will take on the Victoria HarbourCats for a three-game series, June 17th, 18th, and 19th. The team returns home on June 20th for a weekend series against the Port Angeles Lefties. That goes Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, June 20th, 21st, and 22nd at Serauxmen Stadium.
The team is on a 10-game homestand starting on the 20th of June. We have some great promotional days coming up, including Indigenous Peoples Day and Halloween in June. Make sure to get your tickets and follow the team on our website and social media when they are on the road for the latest information and updates!
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