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The temperature may be heating up outside, but the Victoria HarbourCats鈥� bats remain cold.
For the third straight game, the HarbourCats were outhit and for the third straight game it cost them, this time dropping an 11-8 West Coast League decision to the visiting Wenatchee AppleSox in front of 1,393 fans at Royal Athletic Park.
The HarbourCats (7-12) managed just seven hits against the AppleSox, who had 14 hits and snapped a three-game losing skid and improved to 6-10 on the season. Victoria managed just five hits in a loss in Kitsap the night before.
After scoring eight runs in the first three innings, mainly thanks to triples from A.J. Alcantara and Alex DeGoti in the bottom of the third inning, the HarbourCats鈥� bats went silent and the AppleSox scored three to break an 8-8 tie.
Wenatchee loaded the bases in the ninth off of HarbourCats reliever Scott Mitchell and then small balled the HarbourCats to death, scoring with a Mitchell balk and two bunt singles.
The AppleSox used just two pitchers to stymie the HarbourCats鈥� bats as starter Kyle Blankenship went 2 2/3 innings and Michael Taylor went the rest of the way, giving up just three hits to earn the win.
Shawn Kennedy made his fourth start of the season for the HarbourCats but lasted just two innings while giving up seven hits and five earned runs.
Kennedy started the third inning but got in trouble after AppleSox third baseman Evan Douglas hit his first of two home runs on the night, this one a three-run shot.
Douglas鈥檚 solo shot in fifth gave him four round-trippers on the season, tops in WCL.
AppleSox first baseman also had a home run, a solo shot that preceded Mitchell鈥檚 in the fifth.
HarbourCats newcomer Henry Omana from Cal-State Fullerton pitched the next five innings, striking out six and giving up two runs.
The HarbourCats brought the tying run to the plate twice in the ninth but Kevin Collard grounded out and catcher Jackson Thoreson flew out to left field to end the game, dropping the HarbourCats鈥� record at Royal Athletic Park to 4-6.
Alcantara and DH Nick Meyer led the HarbourCats鈥� offence with two RBIs each.
The two teams play the middle game of this three-game set tonight at Royal Athletic, and wrap things up on Sunday with first pitch at 1 p.m.
EXTRA BASES: After an off day Monday, the HarbourCats will play a pair of exhibition games Tuesday and Wednesday at Royal Athletic against the Langley Senior Blaze. Tuesday鈥檚 game will feature fireworks following the game, and Wednesday鈥檚 game is a special 1 p.m. start for sa国际传媒 Day.
