Extra effort allows HarbourCats to put end to Black Bears’ late charge

VICTORIA 5 COWLITZ 4

Chase Meidroth’s RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning gave the Victoria HarbourCats a 5-4 West Coast League victory over the Cowlitz Black Bears on Wednesday night at Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park.

The HarbourCats, who survived two Cowlitz home runs on the night, are 12-5 in the second half of the season and 30-14 overall.

Griffin Paxton and Harrison Spohn each had doubles to lead the Victoria offence.

The Black Bears, 9-8 and 19-25 overall, have greatly improved in the second half of the season but have dropped the first two games of their set in Victoria.

The series concludes today with a getaway day matinee at Royal Athletic Park.

The HarbourCats are on a three-game winning streak.

Meanwhilee, Parker Bramlett set the HarbourCats franchise record with his 20th steal of the season in Tuesday’s 12-3 victory over the Black Bears.

Bramlett broke teammate Nick Plaia’s standard of 19 stolen bases set last year.

Victoria embarks on one of shortest road trips when it begins a three-game set Friday night against the Bells at Joe Martin Field in Bellingham.

The clubs went down to the wire to settle the first-half North Division standings when Victoria won on the last game against the Bells to clinch the title and playoff berth that goes with it.

The Bells, who are struggling in the second half at 5-10, may rue missing that chance in the first half.

At this point, the Wenatchee AppleSox (12-6 in the second half) are the leading candidate to face the HarbourCats in the best-of-three North Division playoffs.

The first-half South Division champion Corvallis Knights will face the second-half champion in that final.

The North champion will face the South Division champion in the best-of-three WCL league final.