Summer Collegiate
Victoria HarbourCats – HarbourCats win game one in thrilling fashion
The historic Serauxmen Stadium was rocking tonight for the first game of the playoffs (Photo: Justin P. Morash)
August 10, 2024
For immediate release
NANAIMO, B.C. – It was a special atmosphere at Serauxmen Stadium for game one of the first-round series where the Victoria HarbourCats sent their fans home happy with a 4-2 walk-off win against the Wenatchee AppleSox.
Todd Haney turned to his All-Star pitcher Carson Cormier (TCU) to start the opener and the big right-hander did not disappoint. Cormier, who was named HarbourCats Pitcher-of-the-Year on Wednesday, struck out the first six batters of the game. After four innings and 74 pitches his night was done, striking out eight AppleSox giving up zero runs and two hits.
Wenatchee starter Garrett Ahern matched Cormier’s excellence early, striking out four batters over two scoreless innings to begin the game. The first run of the ballgame came in the bottom of the third inning when Jake Vrlak (Miami-Ohio) scored on a Gunner Antillon (Bowling Green) RBI groundout, giving the Cats a 1-0 lead.
Carson Cormier’s eight strikeouts was a season-high (Photo: Justin P. Morash)
Flynn Ridley took over for Cormier in the fifth inning and the junior from Ottawa University continued his late-season dominance. Ridley pitched three scoreless innings of relief giving up three hits and striking out two. Ridley’s most important pitch came in the top of the sixth inducing a groundball for an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play when the Sox were threatening with runners on the corners.
Michael Crossland (UC San Diego) led off the bottom of the sixth with a double but Ahern looked to be escaping the threat retiring the next two Cats. After fouling off four pitches, Kamana Nahaku (University of Hawaii) smashed a ball through a hole in the infield for a single scoring Crossland and doubling Victoria’s lead, making it 2-0.
Jack Finn (Illinois State) began the eighth on the mound for the Cats but walked one and hit another and was replaced by Haldon Craig (Doane University). Craig, making just his second HarbourCats appearance, was blowing his low-mid 90’s fastball by batters recording two strikeouts in the inning. He was one strike away from stranding the runners, but Jake Larson hit a single past the diving Cam Schneider (Fresno State), scoring two runs tying the game at 2-2 and silencing the home crowd.
The AppleSox loaded the bases against Craig in the ninth but the flamethrowing right-hander struck out Evan Cloyd to give his teammates the chance to walk it off in the bottom half.
Flynn Ridley has thrown 14-1/3 shutout innings in a row (Photo: Justin P. Morash)
WATCH GAMES HERE
After a walk and two strikeouts, the stage was set for Kerim Orucevic (UC San Diego) to be a hero. The lefty took the first pitch he saw and hit it over the fence in right field winning the game for the HarbourCats.
It’s not the first time this season Orucevic has come up with a clutch hit late with his only other long ball in 2024 being a two-out ninth- inning game-tying home run in Ridgefield back in July.
Over 1000 fans were in attendance with many making the drive up to Nanaimo to support their team, proving once again that Victoria has the best fans in the West Coast League.
The HarbourCats are one win away from advancing to the next round and that game is Sunday at 6:35 PM in Wenatchee.
Victoria HarbourCats 2025 Season Tickets are now available! If you have been loving HarbourCats baseball, lock in your existing seats, or purchase new seats by our Early Bird Deadline of September 30th to secure seats at 2024 pricing. Stop in at the office or contact Christian by email at Chris@harbourcats.com for details.
With two hits tonight, Logan Shepherd increased his batting average to .356, which is third best in the WCL (Photo: Justin P. Morash)
July 29, 2025
For immediate release
VICTORIA, B.C. – With Logan Shepherd leading the charge, the Victoria HarbourCats cruised to a 9-3 win over the Kamloops NorthPaws to open the series.
For the third game in a row, the Cats gave up a run in the top of the first inning. A walk and single to start the game was followed up by a Kason Siguenza RBI single to give the NorthPaws the early lead.
The hosts wasted no time answering back in the bottom half when Shepherd (Mercer U) crushed a breaking ball off the scoreboard beyond the left field fence for a three-run home run to make it 3-1. It was his third straight game going yard and his eighth home run of the season. That ties him for the HarbourCats single-season home run record with Gabe Clark, Hunter Vansau, and Colton Moore, who all hit eight long balls in 2014, 2017, and 2022, respectively.
Tanner Beltowski had three hits and scored three runs (Photo: Justin P. Morash)
Kamloops starter Mason Chien struggled facing the lineup the second time through the order in the third inning, giving up a pair of hits, walking three, and a wild pitch. Victoria took advantage of his lack of control, scoring runs on a bases-loaded walk, RBI groundout, and wild pitch to give starter Ryne Palmer (Cal Baptist) a solid cushion to work with. Another bases-loaded walk in the fourth inning, this time drawn by Garrett Brooks (St. Mary’s), gave the Cats a 7-1 lead.
Palmer made his fourth appearance of the campaign and first start. He pitched five innings, giving up one earned run on two hits, striking out six and walking two. In 2024, the right-hander from Peoria, Arizona, led the Cats with seven starts and 27-1/3 innings pitched.
The NorthPaws added a pair of runs in the middle innings, but the HarbourCats cancelled out those runs in the eighth through back-to-back RBI singles from Jack Johnson (Tulane U) and Shepherd to restore their six-run lead, making it 9-3.
Ryne Palmer has 12 strikeouts in 9-2/3 innings pitched this season (Photo: Justin P. Morash)
Ben Hewitt replaced Palmer and threw a season-high four innings to close out the game for the hosts. The big right-hander struck out four while surrendering just one run on one hit.
WATCH GAMES HERE
With tonight’s win, the HarbourCats maintain their one-game lead at the top of the North Division’s second-half standings. The Edmonton Riverhawks, who sit in second, beat the Nanaimo NightOwls 5-1 Tuesday night.
The two teams are back in action tomorrow at 6:35 PM. Tyler Patrick (Fresno State) is your projected starter for Victoria.
VOUCHER REMINDER: The Victoria HarbourCats only have 5 home games remaining this season, so don’t forget to redeem your vouchers. You can do so at harbourcats.com/tickets, and if you have any questions or need help exchanging your vouchers, call the HarbourCats office at (778) 265 0327.
10 Game Flex Passes and Single Game Tickets are on sale for all home games and “Showcase” events through the HarbourCats’ one-and-only ticketing partner SHOWPASS at harbourcats.com/tickets.
Tickets and merchandise can also be purchased in person at the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street or by calling 778-265-0327.
For more updates, be sure to follow @HarbourCats on all social channels (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram).
Today is the 12th time this season the HarbourCats have scored 10 or more runs (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)
July 27, 2025
For immediate release
VICTORIA, B.C. – The Victoria HarbourCats clinched an important series win against the Wenatchee AppleSox with a 13-8 victory in front of more than 2000 fans on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.
It wasn’t going to plan early for the hosts, as for the second game in a row, the AppleSox jumped out to an early two-run lead. Izzy Madariaga and Jehee Lee hit back-to-back RBI doubles to give the visitors a 2-0 lead.
In the bottom of the second, Connor Ross (Cal Baptist) crushed a 100 MPH double to the gap after Garrett Brooks (St. Mary’s) drew a walk after battling through a 10-pitch at bat. That put runners on second and third for Jai Berezowski (Golden Tide), who hit a clutch two-out single to plate both runners, making it 2-2.
Including non-league action, Jai Berezowski is on a five-game hit streak producing eight hits and nine RBIs (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)
Berezowski got things started in the fifth with a double down the left field line for his second hit of the game. The Victoria native reached base four times this afternoon. Tanner Beltowski (Westmont College) brought him home, hitting a single up the middle, giving Victoria their first lead of the afternoon. The shortstop came around to score later in the inning on a wild pitch to give the Cats a 4-2 lead. Kamana Nahaku (Hawaii) blew the game wide open for the second time this weekend, crushing a three-run home run to push the Cats’ advantage to 7-2.
The HarbourCats did not let up in the sixth inning, scoring six more runs in the sixth inning after the big five-run fifth. A pair of wild pitches allowed two runs to score before Logan Shepherd (Mercer U) crushed his seventh home run of the season, a three-run blast, to extend the lead to 12-2. Ross drove in his first run of the game with an opposite-field single later in the frame, which pushed the score to 13-2.
WATCH GAMES HERE
Logan Rumberg (George Mason) started for Victoria, and after his shaky first inning, he produced one of the most dominant displays the West Coast League has seen this season. The flame-throwing right-hander struck out eight over seven innings of work, walking zero batters. After surrendering a second-inning single, the Okotoks, Alberta native retired 16 batters in a row to complete his outing.
Logan Rumberg’s 35 strikeouts this season rank eighth in the West Coast League (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)
Garrett Villa (Angelo State) pitched the final two innings for the Cats and, due to some poor defence all around the infield, gave up four runs in the eighth inning. The Sox scored two more in the ninth inning through a Madariaga two-run single to cut the lead to 13-8, but that was all they could produce as Villa got Jehee Lee to ground out to wrap up the win.
The HarbourCats entered Sunday tied for the second-half North Division lead alongside the Edmonton Riverhawks. This win puts them half a game up on the Hawks for the time being, as they are in action later tonight against the Kelowna Falcons.
After an off-day on Monday, Victoria plays host to the Kamloops NorthPaws for three games on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. All games are at 6:35 PM. Get tickets at harbourCats.com/tickets.
VOUCHER REMINDER: The Victoria HarbourCats only have 6 home games remaining this season, so don’t forget to redeem your vouchers. You can do so at harbourcats.com/tickets, and if you have any questions or need help exchanging your vouchers, call the HarbourCats office at (778) 265 0327.
10 Game Flex Passes and Single Game Tickets are on sale for all home games and “Showcase” events through the HarbourCats’ one-and-only ticketing partner SHOWPASS at harbourcats.com/tickets.
Tickets and merchandise can also be purchased in person at the HarbourCats office at 101-1814 Vancouver Street or by calling 778-265-0327.
For more updates, be sure to follow @HarbourCats on all social channels (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram).
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