HarbourCats Wrap up Trip with Win in 13
Published on June 29, 2014 under West Coast League (WCL)
Victoria HabourCats News Release
LONGVIEW, Wash. -- Take that one streak and stomp on it, bury it, burn it -- do whatever you want to it. The Victoria HarbourCats, the hard-luck team on so many nights early this season including Saturday's tough loss, outlasted the Cowlitz Black Bears on Sunday afternoon (night?) in a four-hour affair, 4:25 to be precise, that took 13 innings before Victoria left with a 9-8 triumph over their West Division rivals.
It's a one-game winning streak -- one the HarbourCats will gladly take, looking to build on the emotion of it.
Quintin Torres-Costa was the winning pitcher in relief -- with family from Hawaii on-hand to see his work in the 13th inning, ending with a 5-4-3 double play that put a nine-game scuffle in the rear-view mirror. Torres-Costa's only blemish in one inning of work was a base on balls.
Nathan Lukes worked a bases loaded walk in the top of the 13th, not long after a key double by Griffin Andreychuk.
The HarbourCats pounded out 14 hits -- Andreychuk was 2-6, Sean Watkins was 3-6, Nathan Lukes was 2-6, Gabe Clark was 1-4 but with three runs and three driven in, Alex DeGoti was 3-5 with three driven in, and Wyler Smith was 2-6. Victoria did make three errors, but overcame them. Cowlitz managed 11 hits, and made no errors. Combined, the teams used 11 pitchers.
The HarbourCats scored four times in the sixth, on a bases-clearing double by Gabe Clark. He would then score on a single by Alex DeGoti. The HarbourCats, who got on the board in the fourth on a Nathan Lukes triple, would score single runs in the eighth, ninth and 10th innings. Cowlitz scored first, going up 1-0 in the third, then put three more across thanks to some Victoria errors in the fourth, then found ways to score single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh.
The HarbourCats had the final out all but made in the bottom of the 10th, leading 8-7, but a terrible bounce on the turf sent the baseball over the head of second baseman Griffin Andreychuk, scoring the tying run.
Victoria had six extra base hits, and left 10 men on base, five fewer stranded runners the the host Black Bears.
Andrew Nelson started for the HarbourCats, relieved by Alex FaGalde, Tim Peabody and Preston Ryan. Peabody limited Cowlitz to two runs, one earned, in 3.1 innings of work, battling through four walks. Ryan gave up one hit and one walk in 2.1 innings of work.
Head coach Bob Miller was ejected at the end of the top of the fifth inning when he contested a call at third base. Wyler Smith, who had two doubles in the game, tried to stretch a double into a triple and was ruled out on a close play.
On Saturday, a goofy infield hop led to the error by Ted Boeke that allowed Cowlitz to win with a run in the bottom of the ninth inning.
The HarbourCats open a three-game home series with the Kitsap BlueJackets on Monday -- the probable starting pitcher will be decided later tonight, but Logan Lombana and Mikey Wright are among those being considered. The HarbourCats actually play their next six in a row against Kitsap, with a Fri-Sat-Sun trip next weekend down south.
The HarbourCats are 6-12 and Sunday's win pushed them ahead of Klamath Falls and Kelowna in the overall standings. Despite the slide, the HarbourCats can still make noise, sitting 6.5 games out of first place, and five games back of the wild card spot.
BIG PROMOTIONS
The HarbourCats are about to make a big splash with promotions this week, starting with the much-anticipated Times Colonist Fan Fest Fireworks on Monday night -- tickets are still available, www.harbourcats.com/tickets. The 18-minute fireworks show was a big hit with fans last year, and the Tumbling Dice, the country music house band from Upstairs Lounge will be playing at the park. There will be giveaways from Monster Energy Drink and Coca-Cola.
The Tumbling Dice will also be back on Tuesday for 2 Burley Men Canada Day, the first afternoon game of the season (1:05pm, Sports Traders Diamond). It will be a patriotic day, with Citizenship judge Gerry Pash going through the Canadian Citizenship Oath and with Demonstration Skydiver Team members of the Victoria Skydiving Club dropping in to get things going.
On Wednesday, Elvis will be in the building, sponsored by Pacific Rim Exteriors, and Maple Leaf Meats is providing free hot dogs for kids, a 7:11pm start that evening. It's also the first day of the Blue Jays Honda Super Camp, and Blue Jays greats from the past will be helping with the opening pitch -- something you will NOT want to miss! Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar, Jesse Barfield, Lloyd Moseby, Duane Ward, Devon White, Brian McRae and Sandy Alomar Sr. will be in Victoria to instruct kids at Sports Traders Diamond on Wednesday and Thursday.
West Coast League Stories from June 29, 2014
- Pippins Complete Sweep With 8-4 Win Over Kitsap - Yakima Valley Pippins
- HarbourCats Wrap up Trip with Win in 13 - Victoria HabourCats
- BlackBears Walk off in Win over HarbourCats - Victoria HabourCats
- Sweets Overmatched by Bend Bats - Walla Walla Sweets
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