Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – HarbourCats erase a five-run deficit to beat the Bells 6-5

Published

2 years ago

June 22, 2024

Dugout Wire Service

The HarbourCats snap the Bells six-game win streak with a come from behind victory in the series opener (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

June 21, 2024

For immediate release

VICTORIA, B.C. – The Victoria HarbourCats are making a habit of comeback victories against the Bellingham Bells. In their first meeting since the dramatic victory over the Bells in last year’s Championship Semi-Final, the Cats once again erased a five-run deficit to win by one run, winning tonight’s game by a score of 6-5.

The Bells got to Victoria starter Elijah Higginbottom (Tacoma CC) in the second inning scoring two runs, including a Jacob Mejia home run off the Pagliacci’s sign in left-centre field. The Bells lead was extended to three in the third inning courtesy of a Conner Smith RBI single.

BOX SCORE

Higginbottom’s night was done after three innings giving up three runs on six hits, striking out three.

Cade Rusch (IUS) made his second HarbourCats appearance out of the bullpen pitching two innings while giving up two runs in the fifth inning.

Victoria native and current Savannah Banana Ethan Skuija threw out the ceremonial first pitch (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

HarbourCats hitters struggled to time up Bells starter Tyler Van Dyke who pitched four scoreless innings of three-hit ball while striking out five.

LEAGUE STANDINGS

The new faces continued to make an impact offensively as Gunner Antillon (Cal Baptist) and Tate Shimao (Hawaii) each drove a run in to make it a 5-2 ballgame in the fifth inning.

Jake Finkelstein (Montana State) threw two scoreless innings, striking out two while giving up one hit. That set the stage for the offence to go to work in the bottom of the seventh.

After Ny’Zaiah Thompson (Cal State Fullerton) scored on a wild pitch, Kerim Orucevic (UCSD) drove in Shimao with a two-out RBI single to make it 5-4. Jake Haggard (ULM) reached on an error which allowed Kyle Micklus (West Texas A&M) to hit with two runners in scoring position. After fouling off four pitches, Micklus legged out an infield single which tied the game at five. Haggard scored on a wild pitch during the next at-bat making it 6-5, giving the HarbourCats their first lead.

WATCH GAMES HERE

Kyle Micklus threw out a Bells runner attempting to steal while picking up a stolen base of his own in tonight’s game (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

Connor Sims (IUS) came into pitch in the eighth inning after Logan MacNiel (Campbellsville) gave up a walk and a double to the first two batters he faced. Sims struck out two with a fastball touching 92 MPH and induced a ground ball for the third out to get out of the jam.

Sims was back out for the ninth where he set down the Bells hitters in order, striking out a third en route to recording his first win as a HarbourCat.

The series continues tomorrow at 6:35 PM, with the finale going Sunday at 1:05 PM. Next week if you attend any game between June 25-28 you will be entered into a draw for a pair of tickets to see Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in Vancouver! The winner will be announced at the game on June 28. Get tickets at http://harbourcats.com/tickets, by coming to the office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street in advance, or by calling 778-265-0327.

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – HarbourCats Silenced by NightOwls in 2-1 Loss

Published

8 hours ago

June 26, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

Despite out-hitting the NightOwls, two solo homers in the fourth inning was all Nanaimo needed to overpower the visiting Cats. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Nanaimo, B.C. – The Island Rivalry Series came to an end in Nanaimo on Thursday evening, with the Cats offence held quiet in a 2-1 loss to the NightOwls.

Erik Rico (Fresno State) was dominant in the opening third of the ballgame, keeping Nanaimo scoreless with six strikeouts. The Cats starter wavered in the bottom of the fourth, surrendering a solo homer for the first blemish on his previously spotless ERA this season. The NightOwls took the opportunity to pummel another ball over the wall, taking a 2-0 lead by the end of the fourth inning.

BOX SCORE

The Cats had their first real offensive opportunity in the top of the seventh, moving Rohne Klein (San Jose State) over to third after a leadoff single. Nanaimo’s defenses held strong, however, and Klein was stranded to end the inning.

Victoria finally broke through in the top of the eighth on a sacrifice fly from Kade Davis, but one run was all they could muster. Nanaimo closed it out in the top of the ninth to claim a series victory in the first Island Rivalry Series of the year.

Northern Kentucky reliever Daniel Tovar was introduced to the ballgame in the fifth inning, powering through two scoreless innings before handing the ball over to Houston Tomlinson (Arkansas State). Tomlinson worked his way across the seventh and eighth, picking up a strikeout and allowing two hits in two innings.

WCL STANDINGS

With the Nanaimo series complete, the Cats will now host the Bellingham Bells in a weekend series at home, beginning Friday night 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 – Nanaimo Hands Cats 8-3 Loss to Tie Series

Published

1 day ago

June 25, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

Victoria, B.C. – The NightOwls rolled into town and squashed the HarbourCats on a warm Wednesday night, tying the series and forcing an 8-3 loss on Victoria.

Nanaimo opened the scoring early in the second game of the series, getting a couple of men on in the first inning and cashing in a run on a single up the middle to take control of the game. The visitors tacked on a couple more in their next trip to the plate, taking advantage of an eastward wind for a two-run homer to make it 3-0 in the second inning. It was the first long ball surrendered all season by Hudson Lance (Coastal Carolina), and the first multi-run effort against the right-hander as well.

BOX SCORE

Retaliation came off the bat of Max Bernal (Fresno Pacific) in the bottom of the second, who fired a double straight into the gap and scored a runner from first to cut into Nanaimo’s lead. The NightOwls, however, got them right back. A ground ball caromed off two Cats in the bottom of the third inning, giving a Nanaimo baserunner time to find his way home to restore the three-run gap.

Hudson Lance worked his way through 4.2 innings, allowing seven runs on ten hits with four strikeouts. (Photo by JPM Photography)

The NightOwls rocked their second long ball of the game to lead off the top of the fifth, followed by a base hit into centre field to push their lead to 7-1 at the midway point of the ballgame. This would spell the end of Hudson Lance’s start, as the Cats tagged in Easton Reimers (North Dakota State) to finish off the inning.

Reimers locked in for a powerful performance, striking out six NightOwls in just three innings to keep the score from getting any further out of hand. Reimers was swapped out for Flynn Warren (Hawaii Pacific) in the eighth inning, who worked the final two innings for the Cats.

Matt Westley (George Mason) let fly an absolute laser over the fence for a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth, but it was too little too late as Victoria fell short to Nanaimo by a score of 8-3.

WCL STANDINGS

The series comes to an end tomorrow night in Nanaimo, following which the HarbourCats will engage with the Bellingham Bells for a weekend series in Victoria.

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Cats Nail Down 5-3 Win in Nanaimo

Published

2 days ago

June 24, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

Marcus Nolen’s homer in the second inning gave an early advantage to the HarbourCats. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Nanaimo, B.C. – Victoria kicked off the Island Rivalry series the right way on Tuesday night, claiming a 5-3 win over the Nanaimo NightOwls

The Cats made it a loud second inning in this one, slamming two monster moonshots to get on the board first. Marcus Nolen (Fresno State) shelled the parking lot for his second of the season, followed up by a blast to right field from Max Bernal (Fresno Pacific) to make it a three-run inning for the Cats.

BOX SCORE

That run support backed up a scoreless start from Landon Marchetti (San Jose State), who pitched three innings, gave up zero hits, and struck out four batters. Davis Lee (Calgary) was summoned for the bottom of the fourth, surrendering the first Nanaimo run of the evening before stranding two runners to end the inning. Victoria responded with another run in their next turn at the plate, bringing in a run on a sacrifice fly to restore a three-run lead.

Davis Lee took a seat after a strong two innings of work, giving way to Asher Clark (Northern Colorado) in the sixth. The right-hander loaded the bases but buckled down, generated some weak contact, and stranded the runners to keep the HarbourCats’ lead intact.

David Krahn is tied for the second-most hits in the West Coast League, adding three more in tonight’s ballgame. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Clark ran the bases full once again with no outs in the bottom of the seventh, inducing a change of personnel for the HarbourCats. Marcus Janovsky (UBC) took to the field, hitting a batter but stranding three runners to escape the inning clutching a 4-3 lead.

Victoria answered back in the next frame, beginning with a well-earned walk from Kade Davis (UTSA), who later came around to score on a base hit by Dryden Fuoco (Hill College). 5-3 Cats after eight innings..

It was Carson Ackermann’s turn to get in on the action in the bottom of the eighth. The Tacoma College hurler locked down the frame with two strikeouts to keep the score frozen. Pierce Stone (Regis) appeared on the bump to close it out and didn’t disappoint, filling up the zone and securing a quick three outs to seal the deal.

WCL STANDINGS

The series continues tomorrow, with the HarbourCats hosting the NightOwls in Victoria for an Island Rivalry game at 6:35 pm!

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