The early game tonight on June 23rd, 2023 was a big night for the Bellingham Bells as they faced the Victoria HarbourCats who came into the series with a 14-4 record on the season giving the Bells one of their toughest challenges yet. The Bellingham Bells just returned home from a series away against the Kelowna Falcons where they went 2-1. The Bells won the last two games against the Falcons which gave them a bit of confidence coming into the first game against the HarbourCats. 

In the first inning of the game, each team scored one run. The HarbourCats put up the first run of the game in the top of the first inning when Nick Dumenil scored on a passed ball. But in the bottom of the first inning Andrew Valdez lit up the crowd when he hit his first home run of the season tying up the game. The rest of the game was a battle between the pitchers with no other runs scored until extra innings. In the bottom of the 11th inning the Bells fought hard after a long 10.5 innings, managing to have a single from Dean West. One runner on for the Bells and West steals second on the first pitch thrown to Max Hartman, on the second pitch to Hartman he proceeds to lay a bunt down the third base side and the ball gets overthrown to first base scoring West from second base for the walk off of the evening. The Bells won the game 2-1. 

But all this hard work at the plate wouldn’t have been possible without the great pitching on the mound for the Bells. Ryan Beitel faced one of the best hitting teams in the league tonight and had five strikeouts and only allowed five hits over five innings pitched. Beitel kept his ERA low at .60 and stayed strong on the mound even when his team was unable to produce runs. John Pfeffer and James Trimble came in to relieve Beitel later in the game. Pfeffer and Trimble each threw for 3 innings. Trimble was the closing pitcher for the Bells and played well without knowing how long the game could go on. He pitched for two innings more than expected, but stayed strong through the end.

Tomorrow evening there will be a BECU giveaway as the Bellingham Bells take on the Victoria HarbourCats in game two of the series at 6:35 P.M.