Bellingham dropped the final game to Victoria in a game that went 10 innings on Sunday, August 4th, by a score of 6-5.

Extra Inning Heartbreak 

Trailing by one run headed into the bottom of the 9th, Bellingham needed a rally to keep their chances alive. Pinch-hitter Austin Kretzschmar led off the effort with a single, which was followed by a Collin Burns fielder’s choice for the first out of the inning. After Christian Dicochea grounded out, Guthrie Morrison stepped up with two outs. He delivered on an RBI single, tying the game. In the top of the 10th, Bellingham got the Harbourcats to two outs, but the winning run was scored off of a throwing error by third baseman Troy Viola. His throw led first baseman Jack Machtolf off the bag, and a collision with the runner injured Machtolf on the play. While reacting to the injury, the ball fell to the ground as the winning run scored from third.

Team Effort 

Bellingham out-hit Victoria by a total of 11-6. Every batter except two recorded a hit for the Bells, led by two-hit efforts from Dicochea, Morrison, and Ethan Smith. Jordan Vujovich led the way with 2 RBI, and Dicochea’s highlight hit was a 362-ft home run to kick off scoring in the bottom of the first (in which Bellingham scored 4 runs). However, the team left eight runners on base, along with grounding into four double plays.

Falling Behind 

With the loss, Bellingham falls 3 games behind Wenatchee in the race for the best overall record with just six games to play. The Applesox trail Victoria by .5 games in the second half standings. Both teams face a three-game series with Corvallis in the upcoming week, and the Bells will also be traveling to Kelowna to take on the Falcons. Although falling behind, Bellingham is still holding onto its playoff hopes. However, they do not control their own destiny, and will need a tremendous final six games to go along with a disastrous final six for Wenatchee.

Looking Forward 

Bellingham will be hosting the WCL-South leading Corvallis Knights on Tuesday, August 6th, for the team’s last home game of the season. This series is must-win to keep the playoff hopes alive. First pitch on Tuesday is scheduled for 6:35 pm.