VICTORIA 2
COWLITZ 1
That was a friendly, cross-border helping hand. Helping bat, more like.
A star-spangled kid from, of all places Crawford, Texas, provided the winning RBI for the Victoria HarbourCats on Canada’s 150th birthday Saturday afternoon in a 2-1 victory over the Cowlitz Black Bears at Royal Athletic Park.
Hunter Vansau, who grew up as former U.S. president George W. Bush’s next-door neighbour in Crawford, drove in Nick Moroney with an RBI single in the fifth inning for a run that would hold up as the winner.
It was Vansau’s second hit of the game. The NCAA Mississippi State player is leaving an impression north of the border with his exceptional play. He is certainly enjoying his “foreign summer” in the West Coast League.
“The fourth of July can be pretty cool back home. But props to Canadians over the vibe here the past couple of days,” Vansau said.
“There’s more going on here for Canada Day than I can remember back home on the fourth of July. It’s been so much fun.”
About the question he is most asked: Yes, he has been to W’s house: “[Bush] has had everybody on our street over for barbeques. That’s been so cool. He’s the nicest guy.”
The HarbourCats (15-13) won for the fifth consecutive game. Few of the 1,749 fans probably knew, but the victory meant more than the previous four. It marked the start of the second half of the HarbourCats’ season.
The WCL North Division playoffs will match the winner of the first half of the regular season — Kelowna, Walla Walla, Bellingham and Wenatchee are still in contention for that crown — against the winner of the second half of the season.
The HarbourCats swept the three games against Cowlitz at RAP, all by one run, including the 6-5 win Friday before 3,484 fans on Fireworks Night.
“We have a lot of young players, and winning these close games is a sign that our ball club is maturing,” Vansau said.
HarbourCats head coach Brian McRae is also American, as are most of his players. The 10-year former major-leaguer celebrated his seventh Canada Day in Canada. He has previously been north of the border on July 1 with the Toronto Blue Jays and also while hosting youth camps. “This is not so new for me,” he quipped.
McRae liked how his team celebrated Canada Day. And the four straight wins before that, too.
“You can sense it in ball, where winning breeds winning,” he said.
“Everybody is getting more comfortable in their roles.
“We gave away some games in the first half of the season that we shouldn’t have given away. That is not going to happen in the second half.”
Certainly not if home-island starter Adam McKillican keeps pitching the way he has been. The Comox Valley product, from the UBC Thunderbirds, moved to 4-0 by going 6.1 innings Saturday with six hits allowed, one of which was a home run for Cowlitz (9-15) by Devlin Granberg.
Blake Hannah, Indigo Diaz and closer Travis Kuhn provided shutout relief pitching Saturday.
The HarbourCats play the Victoria Mavericks all-stars in an exhibition game at RAP on Monday, with Claire Eccles scheduled to start for the Cats.
