VICTORIA 8
KITSAP 2
Everything old was new again for the Victoria HarbourCats in Wednesday night鈥檚 8-2 West Coast League baseball victory over Kitsap BlueJackets before 1,398 fans.
The key hit came early with a two-run homer in the first inning by Jake Pries, whose grandfather, Don Pries, played and managed on this same site at Royal Athletic Park with the independent pro Victoria Tyees from 1951 to 1954 before becoming the assistant GM of the Baltimore Orioles and the head of the major-league scouting bureau.
鈥淚t was a fastball up. That was the scouting report [on Kitsap starter Colten Barnes] and that鈥檚 what I was looking for, and I let it rip,鈥� said Pries, the Grade 12 standout headed to the UCLA Bruins of the Pac-12.
Victoria (11-16) swept the three-game set against the BlueJackets (10-17), who lost their seventh consecutive game.
Victoria starter Matt Blais put in a stellar 5.2 innings with one hit, one run and six strikeouts with three walks. The five HarbourCats hurlers combined for four Kitsap hits allowed.
鈥淥ur pitchers have been dominant,鈥� Pries said of the sweep.
鈥淧lus, we鈥檝e been getting timely hits with runners on base. It鈥檚 been a combination of everything.鈥�
The Victoria HarbourCats now take the Coho, followed by an 818-kilometre bus trip to Klamath Falls, 38 kilometres from the California border in south-central Oregon and the hometown of 1996 Atlanta Olympics decathlon champion Dan O鈥橞rien.
Its WCL team is named after the Klamath Falls Gems, an old farm team of the Philadelphia Phillies from 1948-1951. After three games starting on Friday against the Gems, the Royals motor up to Medford in Oregon to play the Rogues, beginning on Monday.
This is after having only returned to Victoria for the Kitsap series after games last weekend in Corvallis, Oregon.
The next home date at RAP is July 16 against the Bellingham Bells.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 just our league. Welcome to the WCL. We鈥檙e preparing players for pro baseball,鈥� HarbourCats GM Jim Swanson said.
鈥淧layers are learning they need to be good at working hard and good at resting.鈥�
Pries concurred. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a good learning experience,鈥� he said.
DIAMOND DUST: The HarbourCats released outfielder Kevin Amezquita, batting .182 with a homer and two doubles, four RBIs and two stolen bases, and also pitcher/fielder Kyle Francis, batting .222 with a double and seven RBIs and 0-0 in nine appearances on the mound with a 3.72 ERA with 10 strikeouts over 9.2 innings . . . the Victoria roster is now at 30.
