Jason Willow had a 2018 homecoming to remember Friday night for the Victoria HarbourCats in a 6-5 West Coast League baseball victory that snapped an eight-game Bellingham Bells winning streak.
The hometown boy and Baltimore Orioles draft pick, now in the NCAA with the UC-Santa Barbara Gauchos, cranked a solo homer in the fifth inning in his first game back from Santa Barbara.
鈥淚t was an awesome night and so cool to do that in front of the home crowd,鈥� said Willow, who captained sa国际传媒 to the bronze-medal game of the 2017 U-18 World Cup.
鈥淎nd it was nice to get that ovation when I was announced at the plate.鈥�
The wind blowing out of Wilson鈥檚 Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park was a factor on the night.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a small park, and when you get under it [ball], the wind will help you,鈥� said Willow.
HarbourCats teammate Jeddediah Fagg also homered, and banged another ball off the wall for a double on a three-hit, two-RBI and two-runs scored night. Jack Smith, out of the NCAA Pac-12 Washington State Cougars, also hit a home run to complete the trey for Victoria.
Fagg鈥檚 home run was soaring as it cleared the scoreboard in left field as the slugger out Georgia Southern increased his team lead in home runs to three on the season.
鈥淲e are seeing the ball and are being more aggressive at the plate,鈥� said Fagg, of Victoria鈥檚 sudden discovery of the long ball after being more of a contact-hitting team.
鈥淎nd the wind was a factor.鈥�
The win snapped the Bells鈥� eight-game victory trek as the North Division leaders went to 13-6. The HarbourCats moved to 9-7 and 21脷2 games behind Bellingham in the race for the first-half division title and playoff berth that goes with it.
But it got dicey at the end as the Bells scored in the top of the ninth inning to make it 6-5 with none out before bowing out to HarbourCats closer Ping-Chun Ho with runners on second and third.
鈥淭his is a big series and that was close at the end,鈥� said Fagg.
The HarbourCats and Bells close out their set with games tonight and Sunday afternoon at Wilson鈥檚 Group Stadium.
FOUL TIPS: Following Sunday鈥檚 game, the HarbourCats will head right back on the road with games Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in Walla Walla against the Sweets.
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