In baseball, seven is known as the number worn by Mickey Mantle. In Seinfeld, that was the reason George wanted to name his first born Seven. For the Klamath Falls Gems, that number represents the good and the bad of their West Coast League season.
Cody Hough, who won the WCL all-star game home-run derby last week at Royal Athletic Park, returned Tuesday night with the league-lead in homers with seven. But seven is also the number of pitchers the Gems have remaining on the roster due to school commitments and injuries.
The Victoria HarbourCats (19-23) took advantage to snap a five-game losing streak in downing the Gems (21-22) 11-4 before 1,104 fans at Royal Athletic.
Klamath Falls pitchers greatly aided Victoria鈥檚 cause with eight wild pitches and three passed balls that accounted for five HarbouCats runs.
Klamath Falls used three pitchers, meaning a position player could be forced to start tonight on the mound.
Victoria starter Logan Lombana recorded a complete-game, eight-hit victory.
鈥淲e have the best fans in the league and it felt good to get a 鈥榃鈥� in front of our home crowd,鈥� said Lombana, who plays in the NCAA for Long Beach State.
Lombana (1-1) said he got over a 鈥渞ough patch鈥� of injury midway through the season by working out hard in the gym and practicing his long toss.
鈥淣ow my arm feels 100 per cent again,鈥� said Lombana, who threw 115 pitches to record his second complete game of the season, although the first one was a loss.
He limited Hough to one hit and one run on the night.
But the long-ball did figure in the game with L.J. Brewster of Klamath Falls and John Schuknecht of Victoria, with his second of the season, both knocking out homers to the left-field vicinity of Pembroke Street.
鈥淭his felt good. I hope we build momentum from this game and keep it rolling,鈥� Schuknecht said.
AROUND THE BASES: The HarbourCats are down to their final five regular-season home games, two of which are tonight and Thursday to conclude the three-game set against the Gems. That is followed by a seven-game road trip and the season-ending homestand Aug. 9-11 against the Bellingham Bells.
