Kirkpatrick delivers for a 3-2 win
The Bellingham Bells defeated the Kamloops NorthPaws 3-2 on June 19 at Joe Martin Field in Bellingham, Wash. Third baseman Nate Kirkpatrick delivered the go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning to push the Bells to five straight wins.
The game started with Will Anderson making his first start of 2024 in a Bells uniform and his fifth total appearance. Anderson would go three innings in a bullpen game for the Bells. Anderson allowed one earned run on two hits and a walk with one strikeout in the start.
The NorthPaws went ahead first in the third inning when Alec Gomez drove in the first run of the game on an RBI single. The Bells would answer immediately in the third inning when Gabe Henderson led off the inning with a walk and was moved over by Bryce Johnson who also walked. A sacrifice bunt from Anthony Kodama would move them both over into scoring position. Henderson would score on a fielder’s choice put in play from Jason Shedlock as the NorthPaws failed to throw out Henderson advancing home. Johnson would touch home next when Shedlock got caught in a pickle that allowed Johnson to score from third base. The Bells exited the third inning leading 2-1.
The next four innings would go scoreless between both teams. The Bells saw pitching debuts by Jack Svinth and Ethan Unruh out of the bullpen. Along with the newbies, Callum Young, Everett Swaim, Nathan Van Beek and Chris Foster would all be a part of the great pitching from the Bells that held Kamloops to five hits and two runs.
The NorthPaws would tie the game at 2-2 in the eighth inning thanks to a wild pitch from Van Beek that scored Jacob French who reached on an error by Kaikea Harrison. Just like the third inning, the Bells would answer the NorthPaws offense immediately. With one out in the bottom of the eighth, Kodama was hit by a pitch that forced him to exit the game. Noah Albanese pinch ran for Kodama at first basse and was moved to second on a Shedlock groundout. Kirkpatrick hit a ball into left field that was barely fair and sent Albanese home to give the Bells a 3-2 lead in the eighth.
“Earlier in the at-bat I got a couple of good pitches to hit and I missed them so with two strikes I was looking for a slider and he blew me up with a fastball but I got enough of it to get it over third,” Kirkpatrick said.
The closer Chris Foster would retake the mound for the ninth inning after getting the last out of the eighth. Foster picked up the win, his second of the season, by striking out two batters and allowing only one hit.
Kirkpatrick finished 2 for 4 with an RBI and was the State Farm Terry Stach Player of the Game. Gabe Henderson had a double, a steal, a run and a walk in a 1 for 2 day at the plate. The Bells had five hits as a team with singles coming from Roman Martin and Harrison as well.
The Bellingham Bells and the Kamloops NorthPaws play game three of their three-game series tomorrow at 6:35 p.m. at Joe Martin Field. The Bells improved to 11-6 on the season and extended their winning streak to five games in a row.
Tonight’s game recap is presented by Everstrong Physical Therapy and Performance.
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