Falcons host Yakima Valley this weekend

The Kelowna Falcons are back home tonight, opening a three-game set at Elks Stadium against the visiting Yakima Valley, Wash., Pippins.

Tonight’s opener starts at 6:35 p.m., with Sunday’s rematch at 6:05 p.m. and Monday’s finale also at 6:35 p.m.

Entering Friday’s action, with Kelowna idle, the Falcons were playing .500 baseball to date with a 6-6 record — tied for third place in the West Coast League’s North Division.

The standings have been tight to start the season, with the Bellingham, Wash., Bells on top at 7-5 followed by the Victoria HarbourCats at 7-6.

The Wenatchee, Wash., AppleSox (7-7) and Walla Walla, Wash., Sweets (5-5) are also at .500 — tied with Kelowna — while the expansion Port Angeles, Wash., Lefties (6-8) aren’t far behind despite being in last place.

The South Division-leading Corvallis, Ore., Knights have the league’s best record at 8-3. The Bend, Ore., Elks (6-5) were the only other team above .500 heading into the weekend.

Yakima Valley (5-6) was home to the Gresham GreyWolves (6-8) on Friday night.

The Falcons are coming off a 5-0 shutout win over the league-worst Cowlitz, Wash., Black Bears (4-8) in their series finale on Thursday night. Kelowna had dropped the first two games of that road set, falling 6-4 on Tuesday and 2-0 on Wednesday.

The Falcons bounced back, with three pitchers combining for a four-hit blanking of the Black Bears on Thursday.

Kelowna starter Cal Hehnke was stellar in striking out nine over his six innings of work. He allowed just three hits and earned the victory, his second of the summer.

James Brooks then pitched two innings, fanning four, before handing the ball to Braeden Toikka, who slammed the door in a perfect ninth.

Offensively, Logan Steinberg caught fire for the Falcons with a two-run homer, a pair of hits and three RBIs, while also drawing a walk in his four plate appearances and coming around to score one of Kelowna’s five runs.

Chris Arpan also had two hits, including an RBI double, while Taylor Wright reached base three times and knocked in a run.