The Bellingham Bells (4-7 second half, 15-20 overall) defeated the Bend Elks by a final score of 11-6 on Sunday, July 18th in the series finale. The Bells out-hit the Elks 13-12 and played clean defense, committing no errors.

Will Armbruester turned in a quality start and earned the win. He allowed seven hits over 5.0 innings, striking out four and walking none. He allowed one earned run in the top of the 6th after allowing a double and a single to lead it off, and was relieved. He is now 3-0 with a 2.05 on the year.

Emilio Corona kicked off the scoring in the top of the 3rd with a leadoff home run, his 3rd of the summer. He ended the day with a solid performance, going 3-5 with three runs scored. Bellingham added two more runs in the 5th, with Yugo Hamakawa scoring Corona and Daniel Gernon on a 2-RBI single.

The Bells flexed more power in the top of the 7th. Hamakawa and Bennett Lee reached on back-to-back hits, and Cole Hinkelman scored Hamakawa on an RBI single. Luis Aviles promptly unloaded the bases on a 3-run homer (3rd of the summer) to stretch the lead to 7-1.

Bend hit back in the bottom of the 7th, scoring four runs off of Ryan Sanders (1.o IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K). Sanders relieved Armbruester with no outs in the 6th, and he was relieved after allowing the first four baserunners to reach in the 7th. He was relieved by Noah Ferguson (1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K) after allowing two runs to score, and Ferguson allowed the other two. Bend scored once more in the 9th off of Greg Blackman (2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K), but never took the lead. As a staff, the Bells had 8 strikeouts and 3 walks, and stranded 7 Elks on base.

Bellingham kept their foot on the gas pedal until the end, scoring two in the top of the 8th and 9th. Bennett Lee and Luis Aviles each had RBI’s in the 8th, with Lee recording a single and Aviles scoring one on an error. In the 9th, Gernon and Cody Schrier each scored on a wild pitch.

Every Bell but one recorded a hit tonight. McLain, Hamakawa, Lee and Corona each turned in multi-hit performances, with Lee and Ty Saunders each hitting doubles. The team left 11 runners on and drew 8 walks.

The team will be back at Joe Martin Field this Tuesday, July 20th, to take on the NW Star Nighthawks in a two-game series. You can get tickets now at www.bellstickets.com.