The math in baseball is brutally basic. Win each series you play on average 2-1, and you should make the playoffs.
Having lost four of their first five three-game sets 2-1 to start the season, the HarbourCats realize they need to start reversing that trend and now.
鈥淲e have to win series for the rest of the season,鈥� said Victoria head coach Graig Merritt.
What better way to start than a three-game series beginning tonight in Bremerton, Washington, against the Kitsap Blue Jackets. The Victoria club won its only series of the season against the Blue Jackets 2-1 earlier this month.
On Sunday afternoon, the HarbourCats defeated the Cowlitz Black Bears from Kelso/Longiew, Washington, 6-1 after dropping 11-8 and 12-8 decisions to the Bears the previous two nights.
The Father鈥檚 Day matin茅e turnabout was fashioned around the arm of starter Dominic Topoozian (2-1), who took the win with six hits allowed with five strikeouts and no walks over 71脷3 yeomen innings of work before a sun-soaked crowd of 2,327.
Heading into his senior season at Fresno State, Topoozian felt he pitched enough during his first two NCAA seasons that he needed to rest his arm during the summers. This is the first year he felt the need to play in a collegiate summer league such as the WCL. The HarbourCats can only be happy he did. Along with Alex Rogers of Nanaimo (3-0), headed next year to North Dakota State, Topoozian is emerging as one of two Victoria aces.
鈥淚鈥檝e always wanted to rest my arm during the summers, and this is the first year I decide to try summer ball,鈥� said the native of Clovis, California, who sports a stellar 1.63 ERA in three starts and five appearances for Victoria.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a pretty cool and awesome experience so far.鈥�
The key stat Sunday was the zero walks allowed by Topoozian and his relievers Josh Mitchell and Matt Blais to stem, at least for one day, what has been a glaring problem for the Victoria pitchers.
It鈥檚 been a rocky start to the season for the Victoria hurlers, with two big exceptions.
鈥淩ogers and Topoozian are both throwing with confidence and showing leadership on the mound,鈥� said Merritt.
鈥淭hey are No. 1 and 2 for us and both aces.鈥�
This game is simple, added the dugout boss: 鈥淚t comes down to pitching and defence.鈥�
The HarbourCats got the latter to close out the game with a sharply executed double play that brought the crowd to its feet. It was started by Oregon State freshman Michael Gretler, the Beavers infielder who continues to show why the Boston Red Sox selected him in the 2014 MLB draft.
Gretler can also bat, with a hit, run and walk in three trips to the plate Sunday to push his Victoria-leading batting average to .455. Another young HarbourCats player with a huge upside is Kevin Collard, who was went 2-for-2 in a pinch-hitting role. The Grade 12 slugger Collard bypassed the 2015 MLB draft, in which he was projected for between the fifth and 10th rounds, and is headed to the University of San Diego. He is batting .439 for Victoria and could be a monster prospect for the 2018 MLB draft, which the next time he will be available.
P.J. Floyd from Sacramento State added two hits. Jake Pries, a Grade 12 prospect drafted by the Baltimore Orioles but headed to the UCLA Bruins, followed up his homer from Saturday night with only one at-bat Sunday but a productive one that accounted for a hit, RBI and run. The pivotal hit was veteran Alex DeGoti鈥檚 two-run single in the seventh inning that broke a 1-1 deadlock.
The HarbourCats return from Kitsap on Friday to Royal Athletic Park to begin a three-game set against the Wenatchee AppleSox.
Everybody knows what needs to be done.
鈥淲e need to win two-of-three [games in each series] the rest of the way,鈥� said Topoozian.
In HarbourCats player moves, 12-game infield starter Brady Rogers from Nanaimo has asked for his release to attend to academic matters, while pitcher Henry Omana will join the team in Kitsap after appearing with Cal State-Fullerton in the 2015 College World Series in Omaha.
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