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Watch Roman Martin’s walk-off grand slam here.

Roman Martin hit a walk-off grand slam for the Bellingham Bells to defeat the Kelowna Falcons 6-4, earning a three-game series sweep for Bellingham on July 25 at Joe Martin Field in Bellingham, Wash. Martin’s grand slam came with the bases loaded, two outs and a 3-2 count in the bottom of the ninth inning. One swing by the UCLA shortstop drove the baseball deep over the left-center field wall.

The movie-like night began with Everett Swaim on the bump for his third start of the season and ninth overall appearance. Swaim surrendered singular runs in both the first and second innings but would retire six straight through the third and fourth innings for a strong departure from his start. Down 2-0 to the Falcons, Lathan Haywood made his return to the Bells after pitching with the team for three games earlier in the season.

The Falcons had a no-hitter entering the bottom of the fifth inning and were leading 2-0. Nate Kirkpatrick broke up the no-hitter and the shutout in one swing. The right-handed third baseman went opposite field with his third home run of the season and cut the lead in half. Haywood pitched a shutout sixth to exit his two relief innings with only two hits allowed. 

Rogers State University right-handed pitcher Dylan Weddle made his Bellingham Bells debut on the mound in the seventh inning. Weddle kept the score at 2-1 with one scoreless inning that included his first strikeout in the West Coast League. The Bells did load the bases in the seventh inning but  with two outs they could not tie or take the lead in the bottom of the seventh.

CJ Bott out of UCLA entered an eighth inning where he would walk one batter. With a runner on first, Mathew Pena flew out to left field on a hit and run. Gavin Long grabbed the flyout and would throw out the runner who had to get back to first base. The 7-3 double play sent the game to the bottom of the eighth inning, Bells still trailing 2-1.

In the bottom of the eighth inning the Bells once again loaded the bases but this time would deliver the big hit they needed. Jacob Mejia hit a ground ball that got past the infield and sent Logan Degroot home to tie the game. That would end the scoring for that inning as Conner Smith struck out and sent the game to the ninth inning tied 2-2.

Stanford’s Jack Svinth had the ball for the top of the ninth. Svinth walked the first batter, got an out, then walked another Falcon. After Lucas Scott flew out to left, Svinth was taken out of the ninth inning for Will Goldberg. Goldberg inherited the runners on first and second with two outs. On his first pitch of the relief appearance, Goldberg gave up a two RBI double to Eddie Fines. It was his second double of the game and his third RBI of the night to put the Falcons on top 4-2. Goldberg walked a batter to load the bases for Kelowna but escaped the ninth with only the two runs of damage.

The ninth inning began with two straight outs for the Bells offense. Degroot worked a two out walk to bring the tying run to the plate. Trent Mallonee would be walked as well and the go-ahead run came to the plate. With two outs, Long hit an infield single that was kept in the infield by the shortstop Scott but no outs would be gained and the bases were now loaded for Roman Martin. Martin was put in the driver’s seat after going up 3-0 in the count but would have a called strike and a swinging strike to fill the count. The 3-2 pitch came home and Martin delivered the sixth walk-off at Joe Martin Field this summer via a grand slam.

The win capped off an 18-day and 13-game home stand that also saw the WCL All-Star Game come to town in Bellingham. Up next is a series against the Nanaimo NightOwls on the road for the Bells. With a second half record of 9-6, the Bells are in first place of the North Division second half and are 26-16 overall which is second best in the North for the 2024 season. 

After three games against at Nanaimo, the Bells take Monday off and will have a three game series against the Kamloops NorthPaws. The Bells will then return for their final home series of the regular season as they play the Victoria Harbourcats during the first weekend of August. Follow your bells on the road by tuning into the WCL’s live streaming website.

This game recap is sponsored by Everstrong Physical Therapy and Performance.