VICTORIA 4
BEND 3
A home run from a familiar face and some strong late-game pitching from a new one propelled the Victoria HarbourCats to a big win over the West Coast League-leading Elks in Bend, Oregon, on Sunday afternoon.
First baseman Gabe Clark, in just his second game since returning for his second season with the club, hit a fourth-inning home run and Josh Mitchell silenced the Elks鈥� bats in the eighth and ninth innings to lead the HarbourCats (4-5) to a 4-3 victory. The win halted Victoria鈥檚 two-game losing skid and snapped the Elks (7-2) seven-game win streak.
After the Elks put up three runs in the third inning off HarbourCats starter Sean O鈥橳oole, Clark, coming off being selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the Major League Baseball League draft earlier this week, started the come back with his solo shot of Elks starter Eric Lex.
Catcher Jackson Thoreson also had a strong game at the plate for Victoria, going 2-for-3, while shortstop P.J. Floyd went 1-for-3 with two RBIs.
O鈥橳oole got the win going five innings while allowing three runs, two of them earned. Alex Rogers blanked the Elks in the sixth and seven, paving the way for Mitchell鈥檚 save.
The victory keeps the HarbourCats in second place in the West Division, two games back of the Bellingham Bells.
Victoria now heads north to Cowlitz for a three-game set with the Black Bears (1-5) beginning Monday night. The HarbourCats鈥� next home game is Friday night when they host those same Black Bears at 6:35 p.m. at Royal Athletic Park.
