HarbourCats, Shamrocks both in action
The Bells jerseys, with the abbreviated city name “B’Ham” stitched across the front, are among the best-looking in the West Coast League.
Bellingham wasn’t so sharp on the diamond early Friday night but really came on at the end in dropping a 7-5 decision after trailing the host Victoria HarbourCats 7-0.
The game ended with Victoria reliever Greg Casper striking out the dangerous Bells batter Danny Casals with the bases loaded. This was after Landon Riker had earlier cleared another loaded-bases situation in the top of the ninth with a three-RBI double to make it 7-5.
B’Ham, however, still stole out of Royal Athletic Park with two victories in the three-game series.
“We’d like to close these games down a lot earlier than we did this one . . . this game got too close for comfort,” said A.J. Alcantara, who had four hits, two RBIs and one run for Victoria. “We have to keep our energy up and play the hard, fast baseball that we can.”
HarbourCats starter Cam Schneider (3-0) out of Cal Poly spun a two hit shutout through six innings. He finished with four hits and one-run allowed in seven complete.
Victoria (29-10 overall and 6-6 in the second half) was the runaway first-half champions in the North Division and has clinched a playoff berth because of it. The Bells (22-17 overall and 7-5 in the second half) need to win the second half of the North Division (or finish second to Victoria) in order to make the playoffs.
“We can let having a playoff spot clinched effect our play,” said Alcantara.
Victoria got to Bellingham starter Joey Matulovich from CalBerkeley right away, starting in the bottom of the first inning with two walks, followed by an Alcantara single that brought home both those base runners. Alcantara was swung in by a Tommy Jew hit as the HarbourCats led 3-0 after the opening inning. But Victoria was probably wary after blowing a 3-0 lead after seven innings the night before in an 8-3 loss in 10 innings. Indeed, the Bells again fought back but fell short on this night.
A Joe Prior RBI single made it 4-0 for Victoria in the second inning. There was an off-beat play in the third inning. When Alcantara was caught in a rundown between first and second base, Brad Pluschkell scored from third to make it 5-0. A bases-loaded twoout, two-RBI single by Joe Prior made it 7-0 in the bottom of the sixth and this looked about done. But it turned into an adventure.
FOUL TIPS: Griffin Andreychuk, the Seattle University slugger hitting .275 for the HarbourCats, missed the Bellingham series because of dental surgery and will also miss the upcoming series beginning tonight against the Knights in Corvallis.