The Bellingham Bells defeated the Portland Pickles by a final score of 18-0 on Tuesday night, Bellingham’s most runs scored and their largest margin of victory this season.

Bellingham scored in every inning but one, and every starter got a hit in the rout. They jumped ahead in the first inning on an RBI single by Bennett Lee. They added three more runs in the second, with Malakhi Knight and Ty Saunders scoring on errors and Cody Schrier adding an RBI sac fly. They added one more on an RBI single by AJ Davis in the 3rd to push the lead to 5-0.

The game was cracked wide open in the top of the 5th inning. Bennett Lee scored two on an RBI single, and AJ Davis smacked a 3-run home run just three batters later to make it a 10-0 ball game. All three runs on the homer were unearned, and that was a theme for the Pickles in the game. They committed four errors, and the Bells scored seven unearned runs (11 earned).

Bellingham didn’t score in the 5th, but Cole Hinkelman joined the party with a 2-run home run in the top of the 6th. He is now tied for the team lead with 4 HR in league play this year. Hinkelman added two more runs in the top of the 7th on an RBI double. AJ Davis and Ty Saunders both had RBI singles in the 7th as well, to bump the lead to 16-0.

Cody Schrier put the final two runs on the board for Bellingham with a solo HR in the 8th and an RBI single in the 9th. All told, the Bells scored 18 runs on 22 hits, they hit three home runs and three doubles, drew five walks and struck out nine times, and left 12 runners on base. They also stole three bases. Hinkelman, Davis, Schrier, Saunders and McLain each had two-hit games, with Knight, Lee and Aviles notching three hits. Hinkelman and Davis led the way with 4 RBI each, and Schrier and Lee each had 3.

As good as the offense was, the pitching was just as dominant. Joey Dixon (5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 4 K) allowed a runner to reach scoing position in multiple innings, but strong defense helped him work out of every jam. He earned the win and is 2-0 on the year with a 1.96 ERA. Carter Parcher (2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K) and Justin Tucker (2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K) were lights-out in relief.

After the big win, the Bells have two more games remaining against the Pickles before returning to Joe Martin on Friday, July 6th. The remainder of the games against Portland can be streamed live at mixlr.com/bellinghambells.