The Victoria HarbourCats enter the final week of the West Coast League regular season with little room for error if they want to extend their season with post-season action next week.
Going into Monday night’s play, the HarbourCats (11-11 second half, 22-26 overall) were 1 1/2 games back of the Wenatchee AppleSox (12-9, 24-24) in the chase for the North Division second-half championship with six games remaining — three games in Bellingham against the Bells starting tonight, and three games at home against the Edmonton Riverhawks starting Friday night at Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park.
Bellingham (11-10, 30-17), winners of the North’s first half title and automatic playoff berth that goes with it, and Edmonton (12-9, 23-24) are also in the running for the second-half title. The Riverhawks are tied with the AppleSox atop the second-half standings, while the Bells are one game back.
The first- and second-half champions earn automatic playoff berths, with the next two best overall records earning the division’s wild card spots.
In the South Division, the first-half champion Corvallis Knights (18-4, 36-12) also lead the second-half standings, with a two-game lead over the Portland Pickles (16-6, 31-15). Yakima Valley (15-6, 24-24) and Ridgefield (13-8, 29-18) round out the top four.
EXTRA BASES: The HarbourCats, coming off a 13-4 victory over the Lefties in Port Angeles on Sunday afternoon, were idle in league play Monday, but did host the Redmond Dudes in a non-league game Monday night at Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park and the ΚΌCats prevailed 10-2.
