Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – HarbourCats lose to Bells, but lock up WCL playoff berth

Published

2 years ago

August 5, 2024

Dugout Wire Service

August 4, 2024

BELLINGHAM, Wash. — The Victoria HarbourCats are headed to the playoffs, with a twist on how that will play out.

Despite a 3-2 loss in Bellingham on Sunday afternoon, the HarbourCats made it four straight years in the WCL playoffs — and six of seven seasons — when results around the league cleared up some of the North Division playoff picture, with final placements still to be determined.

With Edmonton winning Sunday and Nanaimo dropping a 6-3 score in Wenatchee, the four North Division teams will be Victoria, Bellingham, Edmonton and Wenatchee.

Because of the City of Victoria committing to the CFL game later this month, and the timeline required for preparations, the HarbourCats will play all post season games away from Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park, and it’s likely the team’s first “home” game will be played at historic Serauxmen Stadium in Nanaimo. Details will be announced as soon as playoff pairings are confirmed and dates locked in.

On Sunday, the HarbourCats closed a series in Bellingham with a 3-2 loss.

FULL BOX SCORE

Trey Langan started and gave up two runs in the first inning, an error playing a big role in that — but it left the HarbourCats chasing the game for awhile. Nick Frers, Mason Chamberlain and Ben Brewster followed in relief.

STANDINGS

A Ryan Deagle single and Noah Couch sacrifice fly got the HarbourCats even at 2-2 in the fifth inning, but a pair of hits in the sixth helped Bellingham score the eventual winning run.

The HarbourCats worked more walks (four) than they had hits (three).

WATCH ALL REMAINING HOME GAMES AT HCATS.TV

Now is when it gets fun, as the HarbourCats welcome the Corvallis Knights for the first meeting between the two teams since they met in the WCL final last August. And it’s a major promotional series as well.

Monday’s game is the annual BC Day fireworks sponsored by Joan Wallace Driving School, and Tuesday’s game is the annual Jersey Off Our Backs game-worn giveaway sponsored by Odlum Brown, a definite fan favourite evening.

The Wednesday game, the last game of the season at Wilson’s Group Stadium thanks to the team having to make way for football, is Fan Appreciation Night with Passion Sports, featuring fun giveaways.

If anyone wants to further comment about the City decision, please email your views to playoffs2024@harbourcats.com

Tickets for the last three games are available at the gate, online at the team’s official website – http://harbourcats.com/tickets – or general admission vouchers can be purchased at all Save On Foods in the South Island.

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Cats Narrowly Defeated by Falcons in Game Two

Published

2 hours ago

July 5, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

Kelowna, B.C. – The HarbourCats took to the field against Kelowna again on Saturday night, dropping the second game of the series by an all-too-familiar score of 3-2.

The Falcons swooped in to take an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, punishing Landon Marchetti (San Jose State) for allowing two walks with a 2-RBI double.

BOX SCORE

That score stood until the bottom of the fourth inning, when Kelowna gained enough ground to add on. A few baserunners and a sacrifice fly ended the outing for Landon Marchetti, who went 3.2 innings with three runs, three hits, and seven strikeouts. The new job opening was filled by Concordia-Nebraska right-hander Trent Schlim, who successfully cleaned up the runners left behind by Marchetti.

Schlim exited the game after loading the bases with nobody out in the fifth, and in came Taylor Franklin (George Fox) for his season debut. Franklin worked quickly to get a popout and a double play, miraculously escaping the jam with no runs across.

Landon Marchetti allowed Kelowna’s only runs in his three-inning start. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Victoria found the beginnings of revenge in the top of the sixth, executing a double-steal perfectly for Marcus Nolen (Fresno State) to swipe home plate and score the Cats’ first run. David Krahn (UBC) came around to score on a single later in the frame, making it a one-run ballgame with three innings to go.

Franklin retired to the dugout after a couple of scoreless innings, replaced by Leif Friedrich (Concordia-Nebraska) for the eighth. Friedrich held strong for a quick one-two-three inning, swiftly getting the Cats back on offence. Victoria kept it close but were unable to break the threshold, taking their second 3-2 loss in a row.

WCL STANDINGS

The Cats will attempt to salvage a win in the final game of the series tomorrow night, and will return to Victoria for a three-game set with the Bend Elks starting on Tuesday.

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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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Comeback Out of Reach in Extra Innings Loss

Published

1 day ago

July 4, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

The HarbourCats’ offence struggled tonight, failing to pull together until the late stages of the game. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Kelowna, B.C. – The Cats’ comeback attempt fell short as Victoria endured a 3-2 extra-innings loss in game one of the Kelowna series.

A leadoff double in the bottom of the third inning paid off for Kelowna when a one-out single drove in the first run of the ballgame. After a strong couple of innings top open the game, Cats starter Easton Reimers (North Dakota State) struggled to find the zone in his third frame of work.

BOX SCORE

The HarbourCats turned to Spencer Kratt (San Jose State) to pitch the fourth inning, and the right-hander proved to be unsolvable for the Falcons. Kratt allowed no runs in his solid four innings in relief, allowing only two hits alongside a pair of strikeouts.

Victoria finally cobbled together an offensive threat in the top of the fifth, with Tristan Buehring (Whitman) making his way to third after a single and two groundouts. The Cats were unable to take advantage however, squandering their first opportunity to score.

Anson Stuckly (Texas A&M Corpus Christi) was called from the bullpen in the eighth, on the heels of an airtight outing from Kratt. Stuckly made things look easy in his brief appearance, tossing ten pitches for a quick scoreless frame.

Victoria struggled to find any traction over the course of the ballgame until Logan Shepherd (Mercer) uncorked a monster solo shot in the top of the ninth, his first homer of the season to tie the game at one. That kept the game going long enough for Stuckly to pitch a scoreless bottom of the ninth and force extra innings.

The Cats battled their way to a one-run lead in extras, courtesy of a sacrifice fly from Riley Kwak (Bossier Parish) to give Victoria the advantage. Marcus Janovsky (UBC) was tagged in for extra innings duty, loading the bases and allowing two runs to score for a 3-2 Falcons win.

WCL STANDINGS

This Kelowna series continues this weekend, with the next game scheduled for 6:35 on Saturday night. Following the end of the series, the Cats will come home for a three-game set with the Bend Elks.

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Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – HarbourCats Battle to the End for 2-1 Victory

Published

2 days ago

July 3, 2026

Dugout Wire Service

Victoria, B.C. – A war of attrition ended in a win for the good guys on Thursday night, with the Cats clawing their way to the finish line to take a series win over the NightOwls.

The Cats weathered the lengthy rain delay and came to the plate ready tonight, striking first on a two-out single from Rohne Klein (San Jose State). Designated hitter Logan Shepherd (Mercer) got the wave around third and Victoria quickly took a 1-0 lead.

BOX SCORE

UCSD’s Quincey Brown added to a string of dominant starting pitchers for the Cats in this series. Brown’s nine strikeouts in his second start of the season are the second-most in a single game for Victoria this year, tied with Austin Lindsey in the previous game and just short of Jeremiah Arnett’s team-leading ten K’s on Tuesday.

In addition to a whole lot of swings and misses, Brown kept the NightOwls off the bases with just two hits across his five innings of work. Davis Lee (Calgary) came in on the heels of Brown’s start, opening up the sixth inning on the mound with a one-run lead. Lee got himself into some trouble, loading the bases with two consecutive walks and letting the game-tying run sneak by on a pitch straight to the backstop.

Will Zielinski held strong in his Cats debut, scoring important outs in the late innings. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Lee returned in the seventh for a much cleaner frame, striking out two for a scoreless inning. Will Zielinski made an impressive Cats debut in the top of the eighth. The local Victoria product secured a quick two strikeouts and a groundout to keep the score tied and bring the HarbourCats lineup back up to the dish.

Victoria rallied to finally break the tie in the bottom of the eighth, courtesy of a Marcus Nolen (Fresno State) special. The outfielder walked, stole a base, and came in to score on a throwing error from the Nanaimo shortstop to take a 2-1 lead for the Cats.

Zielinski was back for the top of the ninth, shutting it down and securing a close win for the Cats to take the series and tie up the Island Cup!

WCL STANDINGS

The HarbourCats will now hit the road to Kelowna for a three-game weekend series against the Falcons.

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