HarbourCats Keep Rolling, Streak Hits Nine with Another Road Sweep
July 16, 2015 - West Coast League (WCL)
Victoria HabourCats News Release
MEDFORD, Ore. -- Nine has a nice ring to it -- it's also vaulted the Victoria HarbourCats back into the playoff chase, and above the tread-water mark.
The HarbourCats won their ninth-straight game, extending the team record set a night earlier, with a 5-1 win over the host Medford Rogues on Wednesday night at Harry and David Field. Attendance was not announced. The result gives the HarbourCats a 17-16 record -- they were once 8-16, after three narrow losses on the road in Corvallis -- and one game back of the final West Coast League playoff spot.
The Yakima Valley Pippins and Corvallis Knights, both at 18-15, hold that last position. The HarbourCats have also crawled to within four games of the West Division lead held by the Bellingham Bells, the defending league champions. The Bells and HarbourCats will meet nine times before the regular season is over.
Yakima lost at Kitsap, Bellingham dropped an extra-inning game to Cowlitz, and Corvallis won for the eighth-straight time on Wednesday, beating Klamath Falls.
This is the latest point in the season the HarbourCats, a young franchise in its third season, have been above .500.
The dramatics only build with the HarbourCats racing back to the Island to face the Bells in the first meetings of the season between the rivals, with the first game slated for Thursday night, 6;35pm first pitch, at Sports Traders Diamond at RAP. The series, which has been a hit with pre-series ticket purchasers, continues with games Friday night and Saturday afternoon (1pm)
Left-hander Josh Mitchell, making his first start of the season, went six strong innings, giving up just one run (through Medford's aggressive baserunning in the first inning). Mitchell, from Pitt, struck out six, scattered nine hits, and walked one.
Ben Polshuk got the HarbourCats out to an early lead with an RBI single in the first. Once Medford tied it in the bottom of the inning, the rest of the innings sported goose-eggs -- except a four-run top of the seventh, which marked the difference.
Griffin Andreychuk was 2-4 with a run and an RBI, and Chase Lambert scored two runs. Polshuk was 2-5 with two runs driven in. PJ Floyd had a key double in the seventh inning.
Right-handers Austin Dondanville and Henry Omana provided perfect relief for Mitchell, preserving the lead and cementing the ninth-straight win.
What's been impressive is how many different players have contributed through the last nine games, coming up with clutch hits or pitching performances.
The HarbourCats are home on Thursday in what is the start of an incredible set of exciting promotions ready to roll.
On Thursday, it's Victoria Chamber of Commerce night and Black Press will be giving away the super-duper-high-quality baseball card sets for 2015, which have special cards inserted to celebrate players who have gone on to the pro ranks, and also to recognize the three years of contributions by 'Mr. HarbourCat' himself, Alex DeGoti.
Freedom 55 will have a large group and will host a post-game party at Duke Saloon after the game, and BC Games Society is holding a staff event at the game.
Friday is Forces Friday with Galaxy Motors, $5 tickets for all forces members and their families, and it's Superheroes Night at the Park, presented by Superbath Mobile Car Wash, with one very dirty car getting the best wash it's ever had -- inside and out. Island Savings will be there with Simply Free Fridays giveaways, and the first 250 kids will receive comics from Curious Comics.
Saturday will see two giveaways -- water bottles from Wilson's Transportation, YYJ Shuttle and the HarbourCats, and team posters from Metropol. There will be special event ticket giveaways as well, including Eves of Destruction roller derby.
The HarbourCats are also taking their brand up Island on Sunday with an exhibition game in Nanaimo, which will be played in front of a sold-out crowd at Serauxman Stadium.
West Coast League Stories from July 16, 2015
- Sweets Sweep Senators - Walla Walla Sweets
- HarbourCats Keep Rolling, Streak Hits Nine with Another Road Sweep - Victoria HabourCats
- Rogues Swept by Harbourcats - Medford Rogues
- Falcons Drop Finale - Kelowna Falcons
- Rubber Match Struggles Continue at Kitsap - Yakima Valley Pippins
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
