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The Bellingham Bells lost 12-9 to the Springfield Drifters on Tuesday, Aug. 6, at Hamlin Sports Complex in Springfield, OR. With the loss, the Bells dropped the series at Springfield and will try to salvage one win in game three at 6:35 p.m. tonight.

Last night’s game began with Nathan Van Beek on the bump. The left-handed pitcher was tagged for seven runs in the very first inning with the help of a three-run home run from Elijah Maris. Every other inning pitched by Van Beek was scoreless after the first frame.

Jacob Mejia brought in the Bells first run on an RBI double. Jorge Olivera scored Mejia on a sacrifice fly later in the inning. Van Beek exited four innings down 7-2 with seven runs allowed, four earned, on nine hits and one walk with one strikeout. 

Bellingham brought in two more runners in the top of the fifth inning on Nate Kirkpatrick’s two RBI double. Braven Nason made his season debut when he took the mound in the fifth inning. The right-handed pitcher had a clean fifth inning but would allow five runs, two earned, in the bottom of the sixth. An error by Anthony Kodama at third base is what led to three of the runs being unearned.

Springfield had a 12-4 lead after Nason left his two inning relief appearance with two earned runs allowed on four hits with one strikeout. With the depleted bullpen the Bells have this road series, Devyn Hernandez had to make a relief appearance on four days rest after starting a game in the Victoria series. Hernandez came in and struck out the side on 16 pitches in the seventh inning.

Five runs scored in the top of the eighth inning for the Bells. Conner Smith had a two RBI double to begin the scoring. The debuting shortstop, Cole Murawski, drove in one run with an RBI double. Trent Mallonee then hit his first home run of the season by crushing the two-run home run to bring the score to 12-9.

Jack Svinth pitched a scoreless eighth inning but the Bells could not plate any more runs and the Drifters won game two of this three game series in Springfield. The Bells totaled 12 hits with seven being doubles and one being a home run. Mallonee went 3 for 4 in the leadoff spot with his two-run home run and two runs scored. Kirkpatrick had two hits which were both doubles and drove in two runs. Smith went 2 for 4 at the plate with his double that drove in two runs. Murawski made an impact in his debut by going 2 for 4 with an RBI double and two runs scored out of the nine spot in the order.

The Bells will now play game three against the Drifters tonight at 6:35 p.m. Bellingham is 31-22 overall and 14-12 in the second half. Wenatchee has clinched a second half title so the best overall team in the North heading into the playoffs will be the two seed. 

Edmonton and Bellingham have agreed that for the opening series of the playoffs, Bellingham will host. This means the Bells travel to Edmonton for the start of the WCL Playoffs on Saturday, Aug. 10, at 7:05 p.m. (6:05 p.m. local time). Joe Martin Field will be the host of games two and three (if necessary). Get your playoff tickets now for the 6:35 p.m. game this upcoming Sunday where the Riverhawks and Bells go head-to-head in the 2024 WCL Playoffs.

Learn more about the upcoming playoff series here.

This game recap is presented by Everstrong Physical Therapy and Performance.