Box Score

SPRINGFIELD — The Bellingham Bells picked up a 10-6 win over the Springfield Drifters in 12 innings on Friday, June 5 at Hamlin Sports Complex in Springfield, Oregon. Bellingham improved to 4-3 on the season with a win in the series opener.

Jake Lyall doubled to lead off the third inning and moved up to third base after a groundout by Ty Rusko. Lyall scored on a wild pitch to give the Bells a 1-0 lead. Charlie Decker started the game on the mound for Bellingham and had five scoreless innings.

The Bells added to their lead in the fourth inning after Jorge Olivera-Gutierrez singled and swiped both bags. He scored on an RBI groundout by Dillon Moss. 

Bo Shinkle, who was playing in his first game as a Bell, singled and stole second in the fifth inning. Matt Churchill walked and Nate Johnson reached on catcher’s interference to load the bases. Bryce Johnson walked to score the Bells third run of the game. Olivera-Gutierrez singled to score another run and Moss made it 5-0 after beating out a potential double play fielder’s choice.

Decker allowed his first two runs of the game in the sixth inning and was relieved by Carter Olson. Kenneth Johnson relieved Olson after just two batters, but the Bells led 5-2 after Kenneth Johnson recorded the final two outs in the sixth.

In the seventh inning, Springfield scored three runs off of Kenneth Johnson and reliever Jake Andrew, who debuted and got the final out in the inning. Andrew went on to pitch a scoreless eighth and ninth innings to force the game to extras in a 5-5 tie.

Lyall cashed in one of the Bells free runners in the 10th inning on a single. Up 6-5, Everett Swaim made his return to the Bells and gave up an unearned run to one of the Drifters tiebreaker runners.

In the 11th, both teams failed to score a run. Bellingham broke the game open in the 12th inning beginning on an RBI single by Bryce Johnson. Olivera-Gutierrez knocked in a run and Bryce Johnson scored on an error. Olivera-Gutierrez scored on an RBI groundout by Tyler Peshke to cap a four-run inning that gave the Bells a 10-6 lead.

Swaim shut down the Drifters by striking out the side in the bottom of the 12th to earn the win. Olivera-Gutierrez led the Bells with three hits and he drew two walks. Lyall and Bryce Johnson both had two hits. The Bells look for a series win over the Drifters tomorrow at 6:35 p.m.