In the absence of middle-relief pitching depth, it has become evident the Victoria HarbourCats are going to have to slug their way into the West Coast League playoffs. But not even 14 hits was enough in a 9-7 loss to the Kelowna Falcons before a Thursday work-day matin茅e crowd of 1,802 at Royal Athletic Park.
It was ironic the reliever Victoria hasn鈥檛 had to worry about this season, closer and WCL all-star game selection Travis Kuhn, was the one victimized by a two-run Logan Steinberg homer that keyed a three-run Kelowna top-of-the-ninth rally that allowed the Falcons to steal away with the victory.
It was a collapse the HarbourCats could end up ruing.
Every North Division opponent that plays the Falcons in the second half of the season is hoping it is a playoff preview. Kelowna won the first half of the season but has struggled at 5-13 in the second half. Victoria鈥檚 quest to be that second-half champion the Falcons will face in the playoffs took a blow as Victoria fell to 11-8 in the second half (25-21 overall) and they are now just half a game ahead of the Bellingham Bells and Wenatchee AppleSox (both 10-8 in the second half and both victors Thursday).
But the ability of this HarbourCats team to pound the ball has the squad optimistic about its chances heading into two crucial three-game series, beginning tonight in Cowlitz, Washington, against the South Division second-half leading Black Bears (12-6) and continuing next week in Victoria against Bellingham.
It wasn鈥檛 lost on anybody that Victoria pounded out 18 hits in a 12-3 victory over Kelowna on Wednesday despite losing the three-game set 2-1.
鈥淭his is a great group of guys who help each other up. It is one of the closest teams I have been on,鈥� said Shane McGuire, the freshman headed this fall to the NCAA Div. 1 University of San Diego.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a selfless group that roots for each other,鈥� added McGuire, who had a hit, sacrifice fly, RBI and one run scored Thursday as DH, and is hitting a blistering .510 with three homers and 20 RBIs in 19 games.
鈥淲hen one of us starts hitting, it seems streaks start for other batters as well. Momentum is important for us.鈥�
That is now something that must be regained heading into Cowlitz.
DIAMOND DUST: HarbourCats pitcher Claire Eccles, who made league history as the first female to play in the WCL, left the team Thursday. The early departure was always in the plans because of her national team commitments.
鈥淭his will be something to remember,鈥� said the native of White Rock, who was a silver medallist with the Canadian women鈥檚 baseball team at the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto and 2016 World Cup in South Korea.
鈥淚 learned a ton and gained a lot of confidence. My teammates had my back.鈥�
The final season line for Eccles (1-0) in seven league appearances was 16 hits and 15 runs allowed, 13 earned, with two strikeouts and four walks over 81脷3 innings for a 14.04 ERA.
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