After a spring time of hardwood Raptors-mania across Canada, sports fans on the Island came across a Raptors team this week that was a nemesis, but on the diamond.
The West Coast League game between the Ridgefield Raptors from Clark County near Vancouver, Washington, and Victoria HarbourCats was deadlocked 5-5 in the 10th inning Wednesday night at press time.
Noah Taylor’s sharply rapped, two-RBI double, that just made it fair past third base, gave Ridgefield a 5-4 lead in the top of the ninth inning. Griffin Paxton from NCAA Texas-San Antonio tied it for Victoria in the bottom of the ninth with an RBI triple aided by an outfield mistake by the Raptors.
Nick Plaia, who earlier in the game hit a solo homer and also two RBIs, received a controversial called third strike with two out in the ninth and Paxton on third.
Meanwhile, the infield tarp had saved the day in the afternoon at Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park by keeping the field playable during the rain.
The HarbourCats have had only two home rainouts in their seven seasons of franchise history, and both those games were called because of downpours after the contests had started.
The first-half North Division-champion HarbourCats are 1-1 in the second half and 19-10 overall. Ridgefield is in its inaugural season as an expansion franchise and is 1-1 and 14-15.
The teams split the first two games of the series at RAP.
The teams haven’t finished with each other, yet.
The HarbourCats dip into Ridgefield for a game tonight en route to a three-game weekend set against the Elks beginning Friday in Bend, Oregon.
