Pippins walk over 'Cats 12-3

The Victoria HarbourCats were glad to get on the bus and head back home Wednesday night after dropping their third game in a row to the Yakima Valley Pippins by a score of 12-3. It was a feast or famine, up and down road trip for the 'Cats who swept Kitsap in a three game series before this last game in Yakima.

It was a sloppy game that saw a combined seven errors - four by Victoria and three by Yakima. 'Cats starter Tim Peabody had some control problems that saw him issue eight free passes to give him an average of one an inning on the year. After walking the bases loaded in the fifth, Peabody turned a 3-1 deficit over to Dylan Stowell who gave up a couple of hits to clear the bases and leave Mr. Peabody tagged with six runs in his four and a third innings of work. Stowell later walked in two of his own runs in the seventh before Mark Marinch returned the favour by allowing a bases clearing triple - all Stowell's runs that do not show up the Marinch crime sheet - to put the game out of reach for good at 11-2. Overall, Victoria ended up walking twelve batters as compared to the Pippins two.

Bryce Greager knocked in a couple of runs in the losing cause going two for four. Gabe Clark was the only other 'Cat who had more than one hit, also ending up two for four.

The 'Cats are back on home soil tomorrow for a mini three game home stand against the Medford Rogues who won tonight but have been struggling of late (mostly because they have been playing the Corvallis Knights). The Rogue Waves break into town with a 15-12 record so it will be another tough test for the boys of Victown. Hopefully the 'Cats will dream of their Kitsap games and come out with the same smoking bats. Starting pitchers have not been announced yet but I'd like to see Lombana, Rogers and Nelson.

Whatever the case, man, is it ever baseball weather. No better three days to come down to the yard and watch your home team jump off the three game losing train. And tomorrow - Thursday - is World Record Pitch Day where the 'Cats need YOUR help. Starting at 8:30 AM the HarbourCats are attempting to set the record for most ceremonial first pitches so you - yes you - can come down and throw one (or more?!) of these pitches and become part of history. So get down to Royal Athletic Park any time after 8:30 AM and before game time and show them your deuce! Come on, it will be fun - before work, at lunch time, in between "The View" and "Young and the Restless", whatever!

Gus working on his ceremonial first pitch