Deja Vu All Over Again
- Updated: June 5, 2016
The bats came to work for both clubs on Sunday as the Falcons beat the Bellingham Bells by a score of 9-8 in the series rubber match. The victory came thanks in large part to a 5-run inning in the seventh for the birds. The Bells took the season opener on Friday, but then the home side responded with victories on Saturday and Sunday.
The Falcons fell behind in the first inning by a score of 1-0, but starting pitcher Colby Nealy calmed down after that, giving up the single run and just 3 hits, with no walks through a solid 5 innings pitched.
After putting up a run in each of the fourth and fifth innings to take the lead, the fireworks really started in the top of the seventh. With a runner on and one out, outfielder Daniel Priwin made a highlight-reel worthy, run-saving grab up against the left field wall, then doubled off the runner, ending the inning and protecting the lead.
That spectacular catch seemed to give the Falcons a spark, they came out in the bottom of the seventh on a mission, with the first four batters making it aboard. It started with third baseman Jake Druce making it to first on a throwing error, followed by a single off the bat of second baseman Jace McKinney, and a base awarded to outfielder Joseph Shepherd for being hit by a pitch. Kelowna product Davis Todischuk then added to the lead by taking a bases loaded walk. A plate-patient Trevor Lofstrom earned himself a walk as well, adding another run to the board. Daniel Nist got the runners moving with a double, scoring two. Priwin followed that up with a single that scored another, bringing the lead up to 7-1.
The drama wasn’t over there though, as the Bells responded in a big way, adding 6 runs of their own in the top of the eighth inning, tying the game up and silencing the Falcons faithful in attendance. The heartbreak seemed like it was coming as the visitors completed the comeback and added a go-ahead run in the top of the ninth.
Not about to be outdone by Saturday’s spectacle, the Falcons found a little more walk-off magic in the bottom of the ninth. Lane Lacrone got himself to first with a single, his second hit of the night. Lofstrom then moved him forward on a sacrifice, before Lacrone trotted to third on a wild pitch. Priwin came to the plate after an outstanding evening that saw him make two run-saving catches in the outfield, and getting himself two hits earlier in the game. He worked his way into a full count before blasting a ball deep into the outfield and sprinting his way to third for a triple, scoring Lacrone along the way. It all came down to the Falcons’ catcher Brendt Citta, who won the game for his club with a well-hit single that scored the runner from third.
Falcons manager Bryan Donohue said he liked the way his team pulled out the last two wins. “You can already tell, they’re tough. We’re a scrappy team. That was a fun one.” Donohue added that despite giving up some tough runs late in the game, the Falcons were committed to making something good happen. “That would have been a really easy game to roll over and die, but we just said ‘No, we’re going to go out and get this one somehow.’”
The Falcons (2-1) will now go on the road for a 3-game series against the Walla Walla Sweets (3-0) before returning home to face off against the Victoria Harbourcats on Friday.
Story courtesy of Matt Inglis – Falcons Media
Photo courtesy of Cary Mellon – UBCO Athletics
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