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West Coast wonderful begins tonight in Victoria

Royal Athletic Park plays host to HarbourCats baseball home opener
web1_VNE-HarbourCatsRicci
Victoria HarbourCats pitcher Ryan Ricci winds up during an exhibition game last week at Royal Athletic Park. The West Coast League team went 3-1 on their season-opening road trip to Port Angeles and Yakima Valley, and are due to play their home opener tonight (June 5) against the Wenatchee AppleSox. Game time is 6:35 p.m. at RAP. Don Descoteau/Victoria News

The Victoria HarbourCats are off to a good start in West Coast League baseball play.

The Cats, who play their home opener tonight against the Wenatchee AppleSox at Royal Athletic Park, amid a backdrop of special events and activities, went 3-1 on the weekend, winning two of three in Yakima Valley and spoiling the home opener of the expansion Port Angeles Lefties last Thursday.

On Sunday in Yakima, Ethan Lopez led Victoria with three runs batted in and pitcher Noah Prewett threw 2-1/3 innings of relief for the win as the Cats beat the Pippins 6-2.

The only blemish on Victoria’s weekend record was an 11-4 loss to the Pippins on Saturday night. Victoria led the game 3-0 after 3-1/2 innings, but the home team jumped all over HarbourCats relievers in the sixth, scoring seven runs on six hits.

After downing Port Angeles on Thursday night, Victoria won Friday’s see-saw game in Yakima, 7-6, with pitcher Ethan Fox picking up the win in relief and knocking in the winning runs with a two-run single in the top of the seventh inning.

Tonight’s game gets underway at 6:35 p.m., with full lineups introduced at 6:20. Among the opening night festivities are the unveiling of the HarbourCats 2016 regular season champion banner, the throwing out of the ceremonial first pitch by Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps and Castle Building Centres’ Brent Cowling, an appearance by social media sensation and Zamboni snow removal man Marko Kardum, and a demonstration by a nine-member team from the Victoria Skydiving Club.

For schedule and ticket information, visit harbourcats.com.

editor@vicnews.com