A three-run dinger by Victoria’s Harrison Bragg in his first at bat as a HarbourCat tied things up at 6-6 in the eighth inning Sunday, but Walla Walla got sweet revenge, scoring the winning run in the top of the ninth to win their West Coast League baseball game 7-6 at Royal Athletic Park.
The victory gave the visiting Sweets their fifth win in six games against Victoria this season and moved Walla Walla to 10-8, while the HarbourCats dropped to 10-12 on the season, four games back of North Division leading Bellingham.
Walla Walla jumped out to a 2-0 lead in their first at bat of the day and never trailed in the game, opening up a 6-1 lead by the sixth inning. Victoria chipped away, however, scoring two in the seventh and three more on Bragg’s three-run shot over the right field fence off Sweets reliever Scott Parker.
Back to back singles to start the ninth, then a wild pitch by HarbourCats closer Travis Kuhn saw Viny Capra race home with the eventual winning run. A Davis Wendzel single in the bottom half was the only offence Victoria could muster off Walla Walla pitcher Billy Dimlow, who picked up the save for Parker’s win.
Sweets pitchers scattered six hits across nine innings Sunday. Right fielder Hunter Vansau cracked a two-run single in the seventh and Nick Moroney hit a solo homer in the third to account for Victoria’s other runs. Kuhn, the sixth HarbourCats pitcher on the day, took the loss.
Victoria hits the road to play in Corvallis for three games Monday through Wednesday, then returns home June 29 to start a three games in three days series against the Cowlitz Black Bears.
