Lyall leads Bells to walk-off win

BELLINGHAM — Bellingham Bells catcher Jake Lyall hit a walk-off sacrifice fly that gave the Bells a 3-2 win over the Wenatchee AppleSox in the series finale on Thursday, June 4 at Joe Martin Field.

Bellingham had to battle back from a 2-0 deficit to avoid the sweep from Wenatchee. After JJ Martinson pitched 3-2/3 scoreless innings in his start, Braden Blackwell surrendered the game’s first two runs in the fifth.

Luke Moisant relieved Blackwell in the seventh inning and worked around traffic, stranding two AppleSox runners on base. The Bells got their first run across in the bottom of the seventh inning after Noah Cassie led off the frame with a single.

A hit-by-pitch on Bryce Johnson moved Cassie to second base and a fielder’s choice from Matt Churchill put Cassie on third. Dillon Moss hit a sacrifice fly to score Cassie and plate Bellingham’s first run.

Moisant returned to the mound and got in rhythm during the eighth inning. He struck out the side and got the Bells back up to back. Bellingham couldn’t tie the game in the eighth, but the score remained 2-1 after another scoreless inning by Moisant in the ninth.

Cassie led off the ninth by legging out an infield single. Churchill doubled to put the tying and game-winning runs in scoring position. Moss hit a ground ball that was kept in the infield on a dive, but he hustled down the line to beat the throw and tally a game-tying single.

With Churchill at third and only one out, Lyall just had to get the ball to the outfield. He hit a deep fly ball for his first-ever walk off across all levels of baseball he’s played. Bellingham avoided the sweep and picked up a morale-boosting win ahead of the three-game road series at Springfield, which starts tomorrow at 6:35 p.m.

Cassie, Churchill and Moss all had three hits and Moss led the team in RBI with two. Moisant earned the win in his debut as he struck out six batters and Bellingham’s pitching staff struck out 12 batters on the night. Nate Johnson recorded a hit in his debut and Tristan Schaefer had a single.

Bellingham is on the road for its next three games, but returns to Joe Martin Field for a six-day home stand beginning at 6:35 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9 against the Nanaimo NightOwls. The Bells will play Nanaimo three times before hosting the Portland Pickles Friday to Sunday in a WCL Championship rematch series.