The Victoria HarbourCats (27-7) showed why they are ranked No. 5 in the latest poll of North American summer collegiate baseball teams with a 7-3 come-from-behind win over the Bend Elks on Friday night in Oregon.
Bend took a 2-0 lead on WCL all-star game bound Victoria starter Josh Mitchell after two complete innings. The Victoria bats didn鈥檛 give Mitchell much support early by leaving the bases loaded in the third inning. But they soon awoke. Joe Prior drove home Griffin Andreychuck to finally get the HarbourCats on the board and make it 2-1 in the fifth inning. Bend went up again by two before Dakota Dean scored to make it 3-2 in the sixth.
The HarbourCats again loaded the bases in the top of the seventh inning with none out and then put the foot on the pedal with Dean singling in Prior, and P.J. Floyd singling home Jake Stone to make it 4-3. A pinch-hit two-run single by Tommy Jew pulled the lead to 6-3 and Victoria added another in a five-run inning.
Mitchell, out of Pitt, went the distance for the victory.
The game began a three-game set in Bend. It鈥檚 part of a nine-games-in-nine days stretch that began with three home dates against Bend at Royal Athletic Park. HarbourCats head coach Graig Merritt described it as a 鈥渢ough鈥� road trip that will tell a lot about his club.
Victoria returns to Royal Athletic Park for a three-game series against the Bellingham Bells beginning Wednesday night. Then it鈥檚 back out on the road again for a three-game set in Corvallis beginning July 23.
cdheensaw@timescolonist
Twitter.com/tc_vicsports
