BELLINGHAM 7
VICTORIA 4
The losing streak has hit four as the visiting Victoria HarbourCats dropped a 7-4 decision to the Bellingham Bells at Joe Martin Field on Tuesday night.
Victoria was coming off a three-game sweep suffered at home at the hands of the Bells before the West Coast League all-star break. Teams resumed played after the annual affair, which was also held in Bellingham on Monday.
On Tuesday, the HarbourCats took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning as left-fielder Ben Polshuk hit a two-run home run off Bells鈥� starter Zach Johnson.
Joey Harris replied with a two-run shot of his own off Victoria starter Matt Blais in the fifth inning. The HarbourCats clawed out a run in the top of the sixth before the Bells struck for another two-run shot by Walker Olis in the bottom half. The Bells, now 25-12 and with an eight-game lead on both Victoria and Cowlitz at 17-20, added a run in the seventh and eighth.
Johnson was credited with the win, while Blais took the loss.
Centre-fielder A.J. Alcantara was 3-for-4 at the plate for the HarbourCats with a run scored and an RBI in the losing cause.
The two teams meet again tonight and Thursday at 7 p.m. Victoria then returns home to play host to the Walla Walla Sweets in a three-game set starting Friday at Royal Athletic Park.
Also Tuesday, the HarbourCats announced the signing of Victoria product Eric Hegadoren, a six-foot-nine, right-handed pitcher who is playing at Yavapai College in California. Hegadoren will serve a bullpen role for the remainder of the season and allowed two walks, a hit-batsman, recorded a strikeout and had three bases stolen, all in the eighth.
EXTRA INNINGS: Shaw TV will broadcast three HarbourCats games on a taped basis, starting tonight at 6 p.m., broadcasting a game-of-the-week, starting with last Saturday鈥檚 6-2 home loss to Bellingham. The next two games will air July 28 and Aug. 4, also at 6 p.m.
