In their first game after clinching home-field advantage in the playoffs, the Bellingham Bells defeated the Cascade Collegiate League Showcase Team 5-0 Friday night in Joe Martin Field. The Bells pitchers held CCL to just two hits in throwing a shutout game, with Ty Saunders taking his first start on the mound.

Saunders had an impressive pitching debut, starting the Bells off with three hitless innings while striking out three. From there, Ryan Scott added another three scoreless innings, allowing just one hit to earn the win. The team recorded 11 strikeouts throughout the evening.

The Bells scored their first two runs in the second inning, when a Justin Thorsteinson walk and a Gavin Schulz single set Jace Phelan up for an RBI double. Phelan smacked a deep ball that hit off the CCL center fielder’s glove to score Thorsteinson and advance Schulz to third. Shortly after, Phelan’s WSU teammate Willis Cresswell hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Schulz, putting the Bells up 2-0.

In the third, Jack Van Remortel sent a solo shot over the left field fence to increase the lead to three runs. It was Van Remortel’s third home run of the season, and his team-leading 14th RBI. 

The next inning, Phelan drew a walk and Cresswell hit a single before Christopher Campos hit a sac fly to score Phelan from third. Later in the inning, Elijah Hainline drove a hard single up the middle that scored Cresswell to make it 5-0.

The Bells will face the CCL Showcase Team, and former Bells Kyle Henington and Noah Meffert, again Saturday night.