Nanaimo walks off Bellingham in Game 1 of WCL Playoffs

NANAIMO — After entering the ninth inning leading 2-1, the Bellingham Bells were walked off by the Nanaimo NightOwls with two outs in the final frame during Game 1 of the West Coast League Playoffs on Friday, Aug. 7 at Serauxmen Stadium in Nanaimo, British Columbia.

Parker Warner was phenomenal in his playoff start for Bellingham. The right-handed pitcher kept the NightOwls from scoring during the first five innings. He allowed just two hits and two walks and struck out three batters.

Unfortunately the offense didn’t muster any runs either against Nanaimo’s starter Kaleb Tenn until the sixth inning when Noah Cassie followed up a Bo Shinkle double with an RBI knock to give the Bells a 1-0 lead.

That lead wouldn’t last as the first pitch David Wiser threw in relief was sent out of the park on a leadoff solo home run for the NightOwls to draw the game even at 1-1 after six innings. Wiser settled in and tossed the seventh and eighth innings scoreless. He struck out the side in the eighth and returned to the mound for the ninth.

Bellingham took a 2-1 lead in the top of the eighth when Nate Johnson tripled with two outs to score Cassie, who had walked just before Johnson.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Wiser began the frame with his ninth strikeout of the night. After issuing a four-pitch walk, Wiser got a pop up for his second out. Another walk placed the go-ahead run at first for Nanaimo. The next batter singled to load the bases and Wiser walked in the tying run. Nathan Widelski then blooped a hit into center field to deliver the walk-off RBI for Nanaimo.

Wiser pitched 3-2/3 innings with three hits and three walks allowed for three runs. He had only allowed one baserunner prior to the ninth and had retired 10 NightOwls in a row before the late rally.

The Bells dropped Game 1, so Nanaimo needs one win in Bellingham to advance to the North Division Championship Game. The Bells and NightOwls face off tomorrow night, Saturday, Aug. 8, at Joe Martin Field in Bellingham with first pitch at 6:35 p.m. Bellingham must win to keep its season alive and force a decisive Game 3, which will be played at 1:35 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 9.

Playoff tickets are on sale at bellstickets.com. Come out and cheer on your Bells for the next two games as they try to defend their championship from last season.