Bells come back from early deficit to take series over Pickles

BELLINGHAM — The Bellingham Bells earned a series win over the Portland Pickles after a 9-5 win where the Bells scored nine unanswered runs to improve to 9-6 on Sunday, June 14 at Joe Martin Field. The Pickles scored all five runs in the first inning, but Bellingham completed the comeback to win its fourth series of the summer.

Bellingham’s starting pitcher Jordan Chancellor was forced out of his start in the first inning after surrendering two early runs. Seddrick Henderson made his debut in relief and inherited two runners on base. He allowed a three-run home run that put Bellingham in a 5-0 hole.

Henderson settled in and Bellingham began to chip away at the Pickles lead. Tyler Peshke singled to score a run in the second after Noah Cassie led off the inning with a single and Dillon Moss doubled to put two runners in scoring position. Moss scored on a fielder’s choice by KG Hattori, who was playing in his first game.

Portland was sat down 1-2-3 by Henderson in the second, third and fourth innings. The only baserunner Henderson allowed except the home run was an error in the fifth. Bellingham dug into Portland’s lead with a two-run home run by Matt Churchill in the third inning.

The Bells tied the game 5-5 in the fifth inning on an RBI double from Jorge Olivera-Gutierrez. Rashad Hayes after a leadoff single in the frame. Henderson finished 4-1/3 innings with six strikeouts in an electric debut game.

Robby Zimmerman pitched in his first game for Bellingham and threw two scoreless innings. He earned the win after Peshke gave the Bells the lead in the bottom of the sixth on his second RBI knock in the game. Hattori also had another RBI on a fielder’s choice to give Bellingham a 7-5 lead.

Everett Swaim pitched a scoreless eighth inning and the Bells added on two more insurance runs in the bottom of the inning. Hattori collected his third RBI of the game by scoring Cassie and Aspen Alexander made it 9-5 after a sacrifice fly that scored Moss.

Aidan Colin locked down the series win with a 1-2-3 ninth inning that featured one strikeout. The Bells took two of three games in the rematch of the 2025 West Coast League Championship to improve to 9-6.

Bellingham is on the road beginning Tuesday, June 16 at Port Angeles. After three games against the Lefties, the Bells with begin another six-game home stand starting versus the Kamloops NorthPaws on Friday, June 19 at 6:35 p.m.