The Victoria HarbourCats have ridden into central Oregon, not to mention a bit of diamond history, and have stolen away with two West Coast League victories.
A four-run fifth inning propelled the HarbourCats to a 4-3 win on Tuesday night before 1,933 fans at venerable Vince Genna Stadium in Bend against the Elks to follow up the 6-0 victory from the night before in the series opener.
The bases were loaded when a two-out double by Nick Plaia from Cal-Baptist, sandwiched between RBI singles by Caleb Ricketts from the University of San Diego and Dustin Miller from Chico State, proved the difference for Victoria Tuesday evening.
’Cats starter Justin Solt went five innings, giving up five hits and two runs, with two strikeouts and no walks to earn the win.
Bend may be well off the Interstate-5 corridor, but not off the baseball map. Its 19 seasons of minor-pro Single-A ball as a Phillies, Angels, Rockies and A’s affiliate included a second-baseman in 1971 named Kurt Russell before he escaped from New York and Los Angeles in his acting days.
Now in the collegiate summer league WCL, the Bend baseball success story has continued with former Elks star and 2015 WCL first-team all-star Nick Madrigal, selected fourth overall this month in the first round of the 2018 MLB draft by the Chicago White Sox, not to mention former Elks centre-fielder Jacoby Ellsbury of the New York Yankees.
Despite their historic successes, the Elks are struggling this season and sit at the foot of the South Division standings at 3-14.
The HarbourCats (8-6) close out their set in Bend tonight before returning home to face the North Division-leading Bellingham Bells (11-5) in a three-game series starting Friday at Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park.
that could go a long way toward deciding the North Division first-half championship, and the playoff berth that goes with it.
