Clutch hits, speed, strong pitching, and spotless defence.
The Nanaimo NightOwls opened the home portion of their schedule with a 5-1 victory on Tuesday night at Serauxmen Stadium, using seven hits to outscore the visiting Cowlitz Black Bears, in front of a crowd of 1,841.
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The NightOwls are now 3-1 to start their third West Coast League season. The squad won two of three on the road in Kelowna to start the campaign.
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The NightOwls and Black Bears will renew acquaintances on Wednesday night, the middle game of a three game series that ends on Thursday.
Nathan Buchan started for Nanaimo and went three scoreless innings, with five strikeouts. Grant Jakobson went three more innings and gave up a run, fanning three, followed by David Stewart’s two innings and four strikeouts. Venezuelan lefty Richtter Castillo struck out the side in the ninth inning.
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Hsu He-Chieh (Shaq) stole his fifth base of the season, and Mitchell Middlemiss and Nevin Noonan had triples for the NightOwls, who scored twice in the third, twice in the sixth and added an insurance run in the eighth.
The NightOwls wore new First Nations inspired jerseys with Snuneynuxw artist Noel Brown’s logo design, sponsored by the Kwumut Lelum Foundation — and they were a huge hit with fans, especially season ticket holders who will receive a pullover version free.
