The Bellingham Bells scored four runs in the top of the ninth inning to defeat the Victoria HarbourCats 6-2 in a crucial game of a playoff race that has become hazy, literally, because of the smoke from the forest fires in the sa国际传媒 Interior.
The scheduled Wenatchee AppleSox home games Tuesday and Wednesday against the Corvallis Knights were postponed due to poor air quality that could prove harmful to the players. Those games have been moved and will be played in Yakima, Washington, as part of a doubleheader on Friday. If the third game of the series is required to be played to settle the North Division playoff picture between the AppleSox, HarbourCats and Bells, it will be played Monday in Wenatchee.
The three teams are locked in a tight battle for the North Division second-half regular-season crown and playoff berth that goes with it for the right to face the first-half champion Kelowna Falcons in the best-of-three divisional final beginning Tuesday.
Victoria will close out the season with two games across the strait in Port Angeles against the Lefties.
Victoria is 14-11 in the second half, Bellingham 13-11 and Wenatchee 12-9. The HarbourCats and AppleSox are tied for first place while the Bells are only half a game behind.
The HarbourCats know they must win out against Port Angeles on the road and then hope for the best.
鈥淚t all depends on what other people do,鈥� said HarbourCats head coach Brian McRae, who said he has confidence his team can hold up its end against Port Angeles.
There were 3,056 fans in attendance for the HarbourCats regular-season finale as the team crossed the 50,000 threshold in attendance for the second consecutive season. That has only been twice in the WCL and Victoria has done it both times.
鈥淢ore than 50,000 fans have come out to see collegiate summer baseball in Victoria and that鈥檚 quite an accomplishment for the organization,鈥� said McRae, who played 10 seasons in the major leagues.
He only wished he could have delivered a smashing victory, or even a close one, for the home faithful in such a big game Wednesday.
鈥淲e hit the ball hard, which is what we have been doing this season, but it seemed to be right to [Bellingham] fielders,鈥� said McRae.
鈥淗unter [Vansau] lined out hard four times.鈥�
Releivers Travis Kuhn and Cole Masik had their troubles in the ninth with Kuhn giving up three runs and Masik allowing one in taking the loss. HarbourCats starter Wyatt Boone went 32脷3 innings, scattering four hits while not allowing a run.
Keenan Lum pitched two scoreless innings in relief for the Bells and picked the win.
The Victoria highlight was a home run by incoming University of San Diego freshman Shane McGuire, his fourth of the season, and doubles by Kevin Collard and Cole Weiss. Designated hitter Austin answered with a home run for Bellingham on a three-hit night.
Now, it's into a final weekend haze, quite literally, in the WCL North playoff race.
DIAMOND DUST: McRae, in his first season with the HarbourCats, said he expects to return next season.
