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Victoria HarbourCats – Big seventh inning leads Cats to fourth straight win

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Gunner Antillon extended his on-base streak to 21 games (Photo: Justin P. Morash) 

July 26, 2024

For immediate release

VICTORIA, B.C. – The Victoria HarbourCats came from behind to win the series opener against the Kamloops NorthPaws 11-6, their fourth win in a row.

NorthPaws lefty Shane Brinham made his WCL debut for Kamloops and was lights out. The Vancouver native threw five no-hit innings while striking out five batters. He walked six but consistently pitched his way out of trouble.

BOX SCORE

Michelle Artzberger’s two hits increased his batting average to .413 on the season (Photo: Justin P. Morash)

The HarbourCats had a southpaw of their own on the mound with Spencer Hatch (Tarleton State) starting his third game of the season. The NorthPaws hitters were seeing the ball well scoring two runs in the second and three runs in the third. Hatch went 2-1/3 innings giving up five runs on six hits while striking out four.

Thanks to Brinham’s strong outing, Kamloops had a 5-0 lead after five innings. The NorthPaws turned to Noah Del Rosario in the sixth but he struggled with his control, walking four batters, including two with the bases loaded which gave the Cats their first two runs of the ballgame. A Michael Crossland (UC San Diego) sacrifice fly followed to make it a 5-3 game.

WCL STANDINGS

Jake Finkelstein (Montana State) was excellent out of the bullpen for Victoria, pitching 2-2/3 of scoreless ball, and striking out the last five batters he faced.

The NorthPaws increased their lead to 6-3 through an error by HarbourCats catcher Jake Vrlak (Miami University) in the top of the seventh.

Cam Schneider reached base three times including a double in the seventh inning (Photo: Justin P. Morash)

The HarbourCats only had one hit through six innings but the offence finally exploded in the seventh. The Cats loaded the bases with zero outs to lead off the inning and Tyrus Hall (Bossier Parish) extended his hit streak to seven games with an RBI single, making it 6-4 Kamloops. That was followed by Vrlak’s first RBI of the season as he hit a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to one. Later in the inning, Crossland hit a clutch two-out single with the bases loaded to score two runs and give his team their first lead of the game. After Gunner Antillon (Bowling Green) was hit by a pitch to load the bases once again, Michelle Artzbeger (ULM) cleared the bases with a double to give the Cats a 10-6 lead, capping off the seven-run frame.

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In the eighth inning, Kamana Hakanu (University of Hawaii) made his HarbourCats debut pinch-hitting for Vrlak and hit the third pitch he saw over the Wilson’s Group Stadium sign in left field giving Victoria an 11-6 lead.

Willem Heilker (Everett CC) and Jack Finn (Illinois State) pitched two innings each to close out the win for the HarbourCats.

The HarbourCats hit season highs in walks drawn with 14, and stolen bases with nine. Victoria leads the WCL in steals with 138.

Tomorrow at 6:35 PM is game two of Kids Free Weekend, thanks to Peninsula Co-op. You can get tickets at the HarbourCats office or at the gate on game day. The kid’s free offer is not available online.

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REMINDER: If you have HarbourCats ticket vouchers of any kind, 10-game flex packs, or season ticket equivalent vouchers, all vouchers must be used for any of our remaining eight home games. Should we make playoffs, vouchers are not eligible for any games no matter where they are played. You can exchange your vouchers in advance for game tickets at the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street.

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Summer Collegiate

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

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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.

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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Victoria HarbourCats – Portland takes rubber match of opening series with HarbourCats

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The HarbourCats will return to Wilson’s Group Stadium in Victoria (above) on Tuesday for their Home Opener against the Edmonton Riverhawks.

By Christian J. Stewart

May 31, 2026

Portland, OR – The Victoria HarbourCats looked to have things under control, until they didn’t.

The Portland Pickles used a nine-run fourth inning to overcome a 3-0 deficit and then cruise to a 18-5 win over the HarbourCats in West Coast League action Sunday night at Walker Stadium in Portland.

The win gave the Pickles the series win, having won game one of the series on Friday.

FULL BOX SCORE

Victoria appeared to have the game under control, building an early 3-0 lead, thanks in part to a first inning RBI single from Jax Heid, a second inning home run from Marcus Nolan and three innings of shut-out pitching from starter Schuyler Fairchild.

However in the bottom of the fourth inning, Victoria sent reliever Tate Collins to the mound and four walks and a hit batter later, the Pickles cut the deficit to 3-2. Collins was replaced by Houston Tomlinson, but he could not stem the bleeding, and after three more singles, a double, and a HarbourCats error, the Pickles emerged from the inning with a 9-3 lead.

The HarbourCats would never fully recover after that and when the Pickles scored five more runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and four more in the bottom of the eighth, their fate was sealed.

On the bright side, David Krahn had another strong day at the plate, going three for five with two runs scored, while Marcus Nolen finished three for three with a home run and pair of RBI.

WEST COAST LEAGUE STANDINGS 


The HarbourCats now return to the friendly confines of Wilson’s Group Stadium, where they will welcome the Edmonton Riverhawks for the Home Opener on Tuesday evening at 6:35pm. That is followed by our Help Fill a Dream Night on Wednesday at 6:35pm and the our first of two School Spirit Games on Thursday June 4th at 11:00 am.

Tickets for all games are available at our one and only ticketing partner SHOWPASS at http://harbourcats.com/tickets.

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NightOwls ready for home opener, drop finale in Ridgefield 

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RIDGEFIELD, WA — The Nanaimo NightOwls were licking some wounds as they rolled north on I-5 on Sunday evening, partially due to a 15-3 series-ending loss to the host Ridgefield Raptors.

Ridgefield took the series two games to one, as both clubs opened the West Coast League season. Nanaimo won the opener 7-6 then dropped the second game 4-3 despite having multiple base runners in the last two innings.

It wasn’t just the score on Sunday afternoon, the NightOwls used three catchers because starter Jack Bergstrom took a foul tip and left the game as a precaution, then second backstop Malachi Noet was hit flush in the face by a pitch while batting — an ambulance was called, but he was able to be on his own power and in good spirits by the end of the game. Third catcher Damian Cataldo, from Victoria of the CCBC, made his WCL debut in relief.

BOXSCORE LINK — https://wclstats.com/sports/bsb/2026/boxscores/20260531_z2w9.xml

Ridgefield got out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, an infield error causing a mess. 

Both teams made three errors and the Raptors out hit the NightOwls 14-3.

Ethan Reynolds had two of the Nanaimo hits, and Jacob Hayes had the other hit for the visitors.

STANDINGS AND STATS LINK — https://wclstats.com/sports/bsb/2026/standings

Adison Mattix started the game on the mound and was charged with five runs but only one was earned. Blake Hager, Kaleb Tenn, Josh Rego, Tyler Clementz and Cole Carmichael also pitched.

WCL PIXELLOT VIDEO LINK — West Coast League Live

The NightOwls now set their sights on all the excitement of the home opener, which is on Tuesday against the Kelowna Falcons at historic Serauxmen Stadium (6:35pm first pitch). The brand new video scoreboard will make its debut and bring a whole new level of game presentation to the West Coast League.

Tickets for the home opener are going fast — nanaimonightowls.com/tickets for the official Showpass ticketing site, do not be fooled by googling and ending up at a third-party offshore ticketing website.

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