Summer Collegiate
Victoria HarbourCats – HarbourCats keep rolling, now 5-0 to start 2023
Victoria starter Sean Heppner was in fine form Tuesday night, striking out 10 batters in four innings of work during the HarbourCats win (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)
June 6, 2023, VICTORIA, B.C. — Welcome to Victoria, Tyler Davis.
The catcher from Fresno State made himself feel quite at home Tuesday night at Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park, pounding a three-run home run and adding a sac-fly RBI in his first West Coast League game to pace the Victoria HarbourCats to a 9-5 win over the visiting Walla Walla Sweets.
The North Division first-place HarbourCats are now 5-0 on the season, the Sweets are 0-5. Victoria, which won three games at home against Kamloops to open the summer, will look for a second consecutive series sweep on Wednesday in an 11am start for the annual Mayfair Optometric Clinic School Spirit Game — which will see a gathered crowd of more than 4,000 guaranteed, bolstered by school buses circling the stadium.
Davis, batting eighth, turned a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead with a blast to left field in the bottom of the fourth — the only extra-base hit on the night for Victoria. The HarbourCats stole nine bases, and reliever Sam Jordan earned the win on the mound, following a four-inning 10-strikeout start from Sean Heppner.
Kevin Shea slides safely into second base during action against Walla Walla on Tuesday evening (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)
Luke Stutesman took the loss for Walla Walla despite keeping Victoria bats silent for three innings. Both teams had 10 hits, with two-hit efforts from HarbourCats hitters Phoenix Sommay, Kevin Shea and Marco Pirruccello. Nick Dumesnil had two runs driven in.
The HarbourCats send Jack Seward to the mound in the series finale against Walla Walla, with the Sweets countering with Winston Roberts.
Following Wednesday’s game, the HarbourCats will hit the road for their first road trip of the season, a three-game weekend series in Wenatchee against the AppleSox, followed by three in Port Angeles on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, against the Lefties. The HarbourCats will return home to face the Yakima Valley Pippins on Friday June 16th at 6:35. Tickets for that game are available on-line at harbourcats.com/tickets.