The Victoria HarbourCats (14-19) will make their first-ever West Coast League baseball visit to Nanaimo Tuesday night to play the expansion NightOwls (12-17). The three-game Island derby will run through Wednesday and Thursday nights at Serauxmen Stadium.
The HarbourCats lead the Island-rivalry series 2-1 following games played in Victoria. The HarbourCats won 7-6 and 11-8 on June 7-8 and Nanaimo prevailed 8-6 on July 7 at Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park Park.
The HarbourCats head into the derby following Sunday afternoon’s 2-1 victory over the Kamloops NorthPaws (16-13) in the rubber match of the three-game set as Victoria scored both runs in the bottom of the eighth inning before 2,028 fans at Royal Athletic Park Park.
HarbourCats starter Cooper Crompton spun a three-hitter with eight strikeouts over six complete innings. That performance, combined with an earlier one, earned Crompton WCL pitcher of the week honours as the Langley product allowed only one earned run with 13 strikeouts over 12 total innings pitched during the week. But it was relievers Sam Walbridge who took the win Sunday and Jack Seward the save. Sluggers Roberto Gonzalez and Colton Moore led the Victoria offence each with doubles.
The Wenatchee AppleSox (16-17) won both games Sunday against the NightOwls in Nanaimo to sweep their three-game series. The Sunday doubleheader, two games of seven innings each, came about after Saturday night’s game was postponed due to rain. Wenatchee doubled the NightOwls 6-3 in Sunday’s first game before 1,074 fans at Serauxmen Stadium. Tim Holyk and Garrett Ostrander led Nanaimo with a hit, RBI and run scored each.
The AppleSox blasted the NightOwls 18-1 in the second game.
The HarbourCats open a three-game home set at Royal Athletic Park on Friday night against the South Division last-place Yakima Valley Pippins (12-21). The NightOwls are in Bellingham beginning Friday to take on the North Division-leading Bells (21-8).
