Summer Collegiate
Victoria HarbourCats – South Division All-Stars Hold On for All-Star Game Win
Victoria, B.C. – In the biggest event of the 2026 season, Team North and Team South faced off in an epic duel of the WCL’s brightest stars. After taking an early lead in the first two innings, the South Division clung on for the win in a heart-pounding clash of talent.
Team South got it started early in this showdown of All-Stars! A leadoff base hit and a well-executed hit-and-run set up a RISP opportunity for Ridgefield Raptors slugger Zach Wadas, who found the outfield grass to drive in Payton Knowles (Walla Walla) for the first run of the ballgame. Nevertheless, North Division starter and HarbourCats ace Erik Rico picked up two strikeouts to get out of the inning. David Krahn (Victoria) sliced a ball to right field for a single in his first trip to the plate, but was cut down as part of a double play to end a quick bottom half of the first.
The other half of Victoria’s lethal starter duo took the mound for the second frame. Jeremiah Arnett got into a bit of trouble in his allotted inning, allowing another run for the South Division on an infield error. Ethan Porter added on to the lead when he dug in with a man on base and blasted a two-run shot out to the scoreboard.
Nathaniel Kurano (Yakima Valley) came in to pitch for Team South in the bottom of the second and continued to shut down the northern offence, striking out two batters in a quick one-two-three outing. Seth Sumner (Kelowna) took the field for the North Division for the top half of inning number three, holding Team South to their first scoreless inning on offence with an efficient frame of work.
Team North finally strung a few hits together in the home half of the third inning. Kamloops Northpaws outfielder Kade Crawford belted a line drive to right field that sent Carter Enoch (Port Angeles) wheeling around third base to score the home team’s first run of the ballgame. David Krahn was next, and the Cats star pummelled a hard ground ball for an infield hit to bring home another run and make it 4-2 in favour of Team South. Jordan Haver (Ridgefield) was summoned to finish off the inning and did so with haste, striking out Nanaimo’s Ethan Reynolds.
From the bullpen came Joe Thornton (Wenatchee) to oversee the first half of the fourth, cruising through a three-up three-down performance with two strikeouts to keep Team South off the bases. The bottom of inning number four was Morgan Codron’s domain. The Corvallis right-hander struggled a little with command but ultimately got his way out of a scoreless inning after giving up a leadoff walk.
Team South threatened with a man in scoring position in the top of the fifth, but the speedy runner was gunned down trying to steal third by a laser beam from Port Angeles catcher Carter Enoch. The scoreless stretch continued for the back half of the fifth inning as well, with Parker Heintz (Ridgefield) deftly shutting down Team North.
David Krahn stood out in tonight’s game, producing hard contact and making the hot corner look easy to make Victoria proud. (Photo by JPM Photography)
It was Carter Fink’s time to shine come top six. The Edmonton hurler glided through a frame in which he had little trouble, continuing the pitching dominance throughout the middle innings. The South squad sent out Perry Stow (Walla Walla) in response for the bottom of the sixth, who kept the scoreless streak going and maintained a two-run lead. David Sheppard was the next name drawn from the hat to continue this parade of pitchers. Representing the Edmonton Riverhawks, Sheppard secured three quick groundouts and sent the South lineup down quietly.
It was Jake Lyall (Bellingham) who finally broke the stalemate in the bottom of the seventh. Kamloops Northpaws outfielder Evan Dugdale hit a single, stole second, and moved to third on a groundout just in time for Lyall to drive him in on a sacrifice fly. Two innings left to play, and we have ourselves a one-run ballgame with South ahead 4-3.
Clint Beck (Wenatchee) was the man on the mound for the top of the eighth, benefitting from some excellent outfield play by Jaden Jackson. The Bellingham centre fielder was pulled way to his left, and then had to range way to his right on consecutive high flyouts.
The tables turned in the bottom of inning eight. Michael Klein of the Springfield Drifters loaded the bases after his centre fielder lost a sky-high ball in the lights. With the pond full of ducks, Edmonton slugger Easton Andrews patiently drew a six-pitch walk to tie the game in a truly masterful at bat. Jake Lyall’s liner was spoiled by a great play at second base, but the North got that tying run they needed with one inning to go.
A crucial top of the ninth rolled around, and Team South was determined to put the North on their back foot. Walla Walla’s Sam Kane drew a leadoff walk and Yakima Valley’s Daichi Furuhata came up with a two-out single before Troy Sanders (Bend) got his hero moment. Sanders made contact with a Jaxon McDonald (Nanaimo) fastball and dropped a barely-fair RBI double into right field, sending Kane home and making it 5-4 in favour of Team South!
With a narrow one-run lead to work with, Portland Pickles pitcher Rafael Espinoza took over the mound looking to close things out. Disaster struck the South’s middle infield when David Krahn lifted a towering pop up. The shortstop and second baseman failed to reach an accord, letting the dirt catch the baseball instead and allowing Krahn to reach second base! In the end, however, nothing came of that bizarre opportunity. Team South held onto their lead and closed out a nail-biter of a 5-4 win in the Showpass 2026 West Coast League All-Star Game presented by Canadian Club.