Bells lose in extras on back-to-back nights

NANAIMO — The Bellingham Bells were once again on the wrong side of a walk-off hit after a 4-3 loss in 11 innings against the Nanaimo NightOwls on Friday, July 3 at Serauxmen Stadium. The Bells are now 1-6 during their road trip and hold a 19-12 record.

Charlie Decker was once again magnificent in his start. The Puget Sound lefty tossed 5-2/3 scoreless innings to lower his season ERA to 2.05 through 30-2/3 innings. Decker kept the NightOwls off the scoreboard after only allowing three hits and he didn’t walk a batter while striking out four.

Tyler Peshke delivered a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning to score Byrce Johnson. Everett Swaim kept Bellingham up 1-0 by finishing the sixth inning out of the bullpen and tossing a scoreless seventh. Jordan Chancellor allowed the game-tying run in the eighth inning after walking a batter with two outs and surrendering a single following a stolen base.

Chancellor forced extra innings with a 1-2-3 ninth inning and Kenneth Johnson was called upon for extras. Neither side could score in the 10th, but Bellingham went up 3-1 after two runs scored on a Nanaimo error with two outs in the top of the 11th.

Kenneth Johnson walked the leadoff batter in the bottom of the 11th to load the bases. After forcing a flyout, the NightOwls had a bloop single that made it 3-2. Nanaimo then had a single down the right field line that scored the tying and winning runs.

Bellingham was led by two hits from Jake Lyall. The team had eight hits as a team with doubles coming from Noah Cassie and Dillon Moss. Aspen Alexander, Nate Johnson, Bryce Johnson and Jaden Jackson had singles as the other Bells hits.

Tomorrow the Bells look to snap a four-game losing streak to even the series with Nanaimo out on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. The Bells have their next two games against the NightOwls before returning to Joe Martin Field on Tuesday, July 7.

Tickets for the upcoming nine-game home stand are available at bellstickets.com.