The 1,416 fans were just dying to get into the ballpark on Wednesday night.
But the Victoria HarbourCats were anything but stiffs with a 5-4 West Coast League baseball victory over the Wenatchee AppleSox in 10 innings.
The game was notable for its free funeral giveaway promotion.
鈥淏aseball is known for its wacky promotions,鈥� said Victoria HarbourCats GM Jim Swanson.
The New Britain Rock Cats had Speed Dating Night, the Lowell Spinners Political Correctness Night with errors not attributed to any particular player, and the Fort Myers Miracles had Mike Tyson Ear Night with plastic lobes given out.
The HarbourCats鈥� funeral giveaway night has earned the club worldwide press. The second annual prize went to Navjeet Tiwana, a manager on the CRD wastewater project.
Tiwana admitted he didn鈥檛 even know what the $2 ticket was for when he purchased it during the Wednesday game.
鈥淚 thought it was just another draw for something,鈥� he said, with a chuckle.
He鈥檚 33 and quipped he doesn鈥檛 plan on using the prize any time soon.
On the field, as opposed to underneath it, Frankie Niemann鈥檚 two-run single was the big hit in a 3-0 Victoria first inning as the impressive player out of the NCAA Tulane University Green Wave continued his torrid season in which he is hitting .491.
Wenatchee tied it with a three-run fourth inning before taking the lead with a lead-off homer by designated-hitter Hunter Montgomery in the top of the fifth inning.
Victoria left the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth.
Pinch-runner Nate Pecota scored to tie it for Victoria from second base in the bottom of the ninth inning after a Wenatchee pick-off attempt went awry, followed by another throwing error to third base. Tyler Pettit scored the winning run in the bottom of the 10th on an equally bizarre play.
Victoria starter Jack Neely went 31脷3 innings and gave up three hits and two runs with four strikeouts and six walks.
The AppleSox (7-10) and HarbourCats (13-7) conclude their three-game set tonight at Royal Athletic Park before the Kelowna Falcons come to the capital from the Okanagan on Saturday to begin the three-day sa国际传媒 Day weekend between the two lone Canadian teams in the WCL.
DIAMOND DUST: The winning ticket for the funeral was drawn out of the bowl from former New York Mets pitching-prospect Kurt Horne from Sooke 鈥� HarbourCats first-baseman Chase Wehsener, from the Big 12 Conference Baylor Bears and named WCL player of the week, went out of the game with what appeared to be an ankle issue in the sixth inning.
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