The Bellingham Bells defeated the Cascade Collegiate League showcase team by a final score of 5-1 in a game that was only played to 7 innings. Bellingham went 3-0 in their weekend non-league matchups against Cascade and the Redmond Dudes.

Will Armbruester (4.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K) earned the win and Player of the Game honors after putting together a great start. He allowed a single and a double to lead off the second inning, but struck out back-to-back batters and forced a fly out to get out of the jam. He also put together two 1-2-3 innings. Aaron Barokas (1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K) and Carter Parcher (2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K) combined to close out the game. The only run for Cascade came on a solo home run in the top of the 7th off Parcher.

Bellingham took the lead in the bottom of the 1st, and led wire-to-wire. 2B Yugo Hamakawa reached on a single in the 1st and came around to score on a 1B Pierce Leavengood single. That was the only scoring in the game until the bottom of the 6th, where Bellingham added four runs. Leavengood, DH Charlie Saum and SS Ty Saunders each reached to load the bases with no outs. Leavengood came in to score from third on a balk, and Saum scored on a 3B AJ Davis RBI single. Hamakawa scored Davis and Saunders on a 2-RBI single of his own.

Hamakawa had a great day at the plate, going 2-3 with a 2 RBI, 2 BB and a run scored. He was the only Bell to have two hits, but the 5-9 batters each had one. Leavengood, Saum, Saunders and Davis each had a single, and LF Ezra Samperi hit his second double of the year. Daniel Gernon also reached twice and stole two bases.

Bellingham will be off tomorrow before beginning a three-game series on the road against the Ridgefield Raptors. The Raptors are 2nd in the WCL South at 11-6. Bellingham (7-11) is 4th in the WCL North, 4 games behind the Yakima Valley Pippins. The first WCL playoff berths are awarded to the division winners through the first 24 games of the season. With just six games before hitting that mark, the Bells will be looking to catch fire in Ridgefield.

The team will be back at Joe Martin Field on Friday, July 2nd for a 3-game series against the Port Angeles Lefties. Tickets for that game can be found at www.bellstickets.com.