Connect with us

Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Team Black prevails in Game 1 of Golden Tide Intersquad World Series

Published

on

Above: Team Black’s Zeke Holt celebrates scoring one of six runs in the second inning against Team Gold Wednesday.

Story and Photos by Christian J. Stewart

October 28, 2021, Victoria, BC – Team Black jumped out to an early 6-0 lead but then had to hang on for an exciting 14-13 win over Team Gold in Game 1 of the Victoria Golden Tide Inter-squad Wold Series on Wednesday afternoon at Wilson’s Group Stadium in Victoria.

Team Black shortstop Brandon Green puts the tag on Team Gold baserunner Tyler Burton during this first inning rundown on Wednesday.

The World Series, the first for the inaugural year of Golden Tide baseball, pits Team Gold (coached by Ethan Fox) against Team Black (coached by Kyle Orr) in a best of three series. The winning team not only gets bragging rights, but will be awarded with a night in the Wilson’s Transportation Group suite at a Victoria Royals game.

Team Gold’s Brody Alexandre had two hits, a walk and two runs scored in the loss to Team Black Wednesday.

The Series is being played under some unique rules, designed to speed up game play and keep the games exciting, as due to other events scheduled in the evenings at the stadium, games have to be completed by 6:30pm.

As such, pitchers are required to pitch within 10 seconds and teams have to hustle on and off the field between innings. Any delays or infractions will warrant a warning from Head Coach Curtis Pelletier and if a team is notified a second time, a run is granted to their opponents.

Team Black left-handed slugger Ryan Deagle had two singles, a double a walk and two RBI to lead the Team Black offence Wednesday.

Batters are also not allowed to call time outs, or a strike will be called, catchers have pinch runners at all times and in all the even numbered innings, teams begin the inning with a runner on second base.

While there were a few warnings in Wednesday’s game, there were no penalty runs awarded under the rules, however the runner at second in the even innings had a dramatic impact on the game, with seven of those eight runners ultimately scoring.

Team Gold’s Daniel Sawchyn, here celebrating a score, would have three hits and two RBI to pace the Team Gold offence.

This aspect came into effect immediately Wednesday, as Team Black would jump on Gold starter Brady Wilson for six runs in the top of the second inning, thanks to five five consecutive base hits, one of which, by high schooler Ryan Deagle, scored Alex Mclauchlan, the special runner, with the first run of the game.

Team Black’s Brett Paterson would be credited with the win in relief on Wednesday.

Team Gold would get one of those runs back in the second, when special runner Brody Alexandre scored despite a 1-2-3 inning and then they would jump into a brief 7-6 lead in the third, when they finally got to Black starter Ethan Dean for six runs on the strength of six hits.

A three-run fourth inning, keyed by an RBI single from Jaxson Cordle, would put Team Black back in front 9-6 and they would extend that lead to 14-9 heading to the bottom of the eighth (the agreed upon final inning due to curfew).

Team Black’s Jaxson Cordle slides safely into second base ahead of the throw to Team Gold second baseman Myles Wall.

Team Gold would not go down without a fight however and after a pair of walks and singles from Parker Harris, Daniel Sawchyn and Alexandre, they had closed the gap to 14-13 with the tying run sitting on second base. Reliever Haldon Craig would not be fazed however and struck out Jordan Bond to end the game and preserve the crucial game one win.

Team Gold’s Will Podmoroff hustles to third base during action Wednesday against Team Black.

For Team Black at the plate, Parksville Royal product Deagle had a great night, slashing two singles, a double, two RBI and scoring twice. Zeke Holt also had a three hit night with two runs scored, while Cordle, Ryan Whelan and Witt Nevins all had RBI base hits.

On the hill, Dean was picked up with some solid middle-inning relief by Brett Paterson, who gets credit for the win, going three innings and surrendering two runs on one hit and two walks. Nate Major pitched the seventh and part of the eighth innings and Craig would get the save.

Team Gold’s Jayden Puri would provide four innings of solid relief in Wednesday’s game.

For Team Gold, Sawchyn would lead the offence with three hits, two RBI and a run scored, while Alexandre would chip in with two hits a walk and two runs scored. Tyler Burton was his usual instigator in the leadoff spot, with a single, walking three times and scoring twice, while Victoria Eagle product Ryder Green would single, walk and score three times in the losing effort.

Team Black’s Zeke Holt would make a valiant effort to catch this foul pop-up in Wednesday’s game.

On the mound, Wilson would pitch through the fourth, taking the loss. Jayden Puri would take over in relief, finishing the game and giving up five runs on five hits and three walks in his four innings of work.

Game two in the series was scheduled for 4:00 pm on Thursday afternoon, but has now been cancelled because of extreme rain and weather. It will now be played Friday at 4:00 pm. Game three then (if needed), would likely then be held Sunday afternoon, with a time to be determined.

Tam Gold’s Jordan Bond slides safely into second, ahead of the throw to Team Black second baseman Austin Gurney.

The Golden Tide will also be in action on Saturday for their last formal game of the fall season, when they take on the Ontario Giants at 3:00 pm at Wilson’s Group Stadium in a single nine-inning game. Tickets are available at the gate. That game will be preceded by a game at 12 noon between the HarbourCats Players Development Club and the Giants U16 club. That game is included with the ticket for the Tide game at 3:00pm.

Team Black catcher Andrew Baxter puts the tag on Team Gold’s Jordan Bond on this play at the plate Wednesday.

Source

Continue Reading
Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Paws Bounce Cats in Game Three

Published

on

The HarbourCats were inches away from scoring in the third inning on a close play at the plate. (Photo by Christian J. Stewart)

Victoria, B.C. – The Victoria HarbourCats and Kamloops NorthPaws faced off in the decider of a three-game series on Sunday afternoon, with Kamloops battling their way to a 7-3 win.

It was somewhat of a rocky start in the early going for Shea Lake (West Texas A&M) on this rainy Sunday afternoon, hitting the first batter he faced and allowing a run in the opening inning to give Kamloops an early lead. Lake found his footing for a moment in the third inning with an efficient three-up three-down frame.

BOX SCORE

Victoria came close to evening the score in the bottom of the third with Bryan Bradshaw (UCSD) on second base. Rohne Klein (San Jose State) hit a line-drive single into centre field, but Bradshaw was cut down at the plate to end the inning. The NorthPaws responded by hammering a three-run homer in their next turn on offence, growing their lead to 4-0 in the fourth inning.

The top of the fifth required the services of Northern Kentucky reliever Daniel Tovar, who let up a pair of singles but held Kamloops scoreless in his first inning of work. The going got tougher in the sixth, when the NorthPaws led off the inning with a bomb to left field, and add on another solo shot before the end of the frame.

Shea Lake exited the mound after a four inning start, in which he allowed four runs on seven hits with five strikeouts. (Photo by Christian J. Stewart)

The HarbourCats’ first run came at long last in the bottom of the sixth by way of a sacrifice fly off the bat of Rohne Klein. The home team was able to keep the line moving in inning number six, netting another run when Jacob Silva (UTSA) scored from third on a wild pitch.

Tristin Thomas (West Texas A&M) took over from Tovar for the top of the seventh. Thomas worked quickly, putting a zero on the board and getting the Cats back on the offensive. The bottom of the eighth saw another blow dealt by the Victoria offence, as Declan Brown (Ottawa University) laced a single into centre field to drive in a run and chip away at the lead.

The Cats gave it their all but ultimately came up short, coughing up the series to the NorthPaws with a 7-3 loss.

WCL STANDINGS

With the weekend series complete, the HarbourCats will return to action for a three-game set against Port Angeles this week, starting on Tuesday night at 6:35 pm.

There are only four home games remaining in the 2026 regular season including a mid-week set against the Port Angeles Lefties this Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday! Then on August 3rd, we end the season with a bang! Our final fireworks show and Fan Appreciation Night! Don’t miss your chance to catch a game in 2026! Get your tickets now at http://Harbourcats.com/tickets.

ATTENTION VOUCHER HOLDERS: Just a reminder that all ticket vouchers must be exchanged for one of our remaining regular season games! They are not eligible for playoffs, nor can they be carried over to 2027.

Source

Continue Reading

Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – Cats Dominate NorthPaws 14-4

Published

on

David Krahn made some noise in his first start since returning from injury, hitting 2/3 with 3 RBI and a home run. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Victoria, B.C. – The HarbourCats bounced back after Friday night’s loss and thumped the visiting Kamloops NorthPaws 14-4 on Saturday night.

It’s impossible to predict the future in baseball, but tonight’s first inning was a pretty good sign of how this ballgame would go. Bryan Bradshaw (UCSD) drove a liner over the shortstop to lead it off for the Cats, getting a runner on base for one of the most dangerous bats in the WCL, the unstoppable David Krahn. The UBC infielder watched a couple of pitches out of the zone before teeing off on a no-doubter to Pembroke Street for his second bomb in his last two at-bats. Krahn’s ninth homer of the year not only gave an early lead to the HarbourCats, but also tied the franchise record for home runs in a season! Cameron Chee-Aloy (Illinois) drove in another on a sacrifice fly, and suddenly the home team had a three-run advantage after the first inning.

BOX SCORE

The NorthPaws barked back in the top of the second with back-to-back doubles to drive in their first run of the game. Determined to maintain the upper hand, starting pitcher Erik Rico (Fresno State) sliced through his next challengers to earn a pair of strikeouts and end the inning. There would be no such nonsense in the third, as Rico recovered from a couple of walks to set down three NorthPaws in a row.

It was only a matter of time before the Cats were back on the prowl. Krahn came up in a big spot with the bases loaded and lined a ball hard into left-centre field to widen the lead for the HarbourCats. Logan Shepherd (Mercer) followed up with a bases-clearing double to really break the game open and make it 7-1.

Rico backed up the bats with five innings of shut-down pitching. (Photo by JPM Photography)

Erik Rico’s night came to an end after five excellent innings of one-run ball, over which he allowed just two hits and racked up a tidy nine strikeouts – just a regular Saturday night for this all-star arm.

The HarbourCats kept their foot on the gas in the fifth inning with another three-run frame. Bryan Bradshaw smacked a single to drive in two, and a Logan Shepherd singe brought David Krahn home. Entering the back half of the ballgame, Victoria now held a commanding 10-1 lead.

Davis Lee (Calgary) assumed control of the mound in the sixth inning and worked quickly, torching through the Kamloops lineup with a three-strikeout frame. The next inning was handed off to the capable hands of Houston Tomlinson (Arkansas State), who tossed a clean inning to keep the HarbourCats well out in front.

The Cats found themselves in a bases loaded jam in the top of the ninth, but the lead held strong and Victoria walked away with a 14-4 blowout victory in game two.

WCL STANDINGS

Kamloops and Victoria will face off one more time at 1:05 pm on Sunday with the series up for grabs!

There are only five home games remaining in the 2026 regular season including our final weekend homestand of the year against Kamloops this weekend and then a mid-week set against the Port Angeles Lefties next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday! Then on August 3rd, we end the season with a bang! Our final fireworks show and Fan Appreciation Night! Don’t miss your chance to catch a game in 2026! Get your tickets now at http://Harbourcats.com/tickets.

ATTENTION VOUCHER HOLDERS: Just a reminder that all ticket vouchers must be exchanged for one of our remaining regular season games! They are not eligible for playoffs, nor can they be carried over to 2027.

Source

Continue Reading

Summer Collegiate

Victoria HarbourCats – HarbourCats Drop Series Opener to NorthPaws

Published

on

Victoria, B.C. – The HarbourCats ran out of time to complete their comeback in a Friday night matchup against the Kamloops NorthPaws, falling 9-5 to the visitors.

BOX SCORE

Contrary to how things have been going lately for the HarbourCats, it took until the fifth inning for either team to make their mark on the scoreboard. In what was otherwise an airtight start through the first four frames by Quincey Brown (UCSD), a single and two walks loaded the bases for Kamloops in the fifth. Brown plunked a batter to bring in the first run, and a single after that cleared the bases to put the NorthPaws out in front with a four-run lead.

The Cats struck back in the home half of the inning, sparked by a leadoff walk from Riley Kwak (Bossier Parish). A couple of groundouts moved Kwak over to third and Logan Shepherd (Mercer) came up with a two-out base hit to score Victoria’s first run of the game and cut into the Kamloops lead.

Cats starter Quincey Brown saw five innings of work in which he gave up four runs on three hits with four strikeouts. (Photo by Christian J. Stewart)

Taylor Franklin (George Fox) stepped in as Brown’s replacement on the rubber, coming in for the top of the sixth and allowing an RBI double to restore a four-run lead for the NorthPaws. Franklin was back for the seventh and got to two outs before an error at first base allowed two more runs for Kamloops. The NorthPaws followed that up with the first homer of the night, a two-run bomb to left-centre that widened the lead to 9-1.

Victoria mounted the beginnings of a comeback in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases with nobody out for Home Run Derby champion Logan Shepherd. Shepherd popped a ball up that miraculously dropped just fair in a sea of NorthPaws to drive in a run, and Dillon Lopez (St. Mary’s) notched a sacrifice fly soon after.

Hawaii Pacific reliever Flynn Warren took the mound in the top of the eighth and worked quickly en route to a clean inning. The bottom of the eighth brought the return of David Krahn (UBC), who wasted no time rattling off a solo moonshot to deep left to chip away at the deficit.

Victoria loaded the bases again in the bottom of the ninth, but ran out of chances before any real damage could be done. In the end, the comeback fell short and the NorthPaws come out on top in game one by a score of 9-5.

WCL STANDINGS

The HarbourCats and NorthPaws will continue to duke it out throughout the weekend, hitting the field again for game two on Saturday night.

There are only six home games remaining in the 2026 regular season including our final weekend homestand of the year against Kamloops this weekend and then a mid-week set against the Port Angeles Lefties next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday! Then on August 3rd, we end the season with a bang! Our final fireworks show and Fan Appreciation Night! Don’t miss your chance to catch a game in 2026! Get your tickets now at http://Harbourcats.com/tickets.

ATTENTION VOUCHER HOLDERS: Just a reminder that all ticket vouchers must be exchanged for one of our remaining regular season games! They are not eligible for playoffs, nor can they be carried over to 2027.

Source

Continue Reading

Trending