Giving up six runs in an inning is never advisable, especially to start a road trip.
Following a day of bus-ferry-border and more bus from their home base in the mid-Island, the Nanaimo NightOwls started their first US-based road series with a 11-3 loss to the Pickles in Portland.
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Portland got off to a quick start with a run scored after just two hitters in the bottom of the first, then added six more in the second inning on five hits and three walks. Three more runs in the third inning left the NightOwls chasing the game.
David Draayers drove in a run, after a wild pitch had broken the goose egg, with a single to score the second Nanaimo run. Deshon Thomas drove home Kurt Felix with the third and final run in the ninth for the NightOwls.
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Catcher Clark Springs, from Dallas, Texas, had two hits to push his batting average to .320 on the season.
Nathan Buchan took the loss, giving up five hits, five runs and three walks in 1.2 innings. Moosa Nonomiya, Landon Welter, Jake Schumacher, Fareed Ahmed and Kai Hanasaki also worked on the mound, with Hanasaki striking out three in 1.2 innings.
The NightOwls will stay in Portland for games Saturday night and Sunday evening, before getting a day off on Monday after the trip.
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The NightOwls are home Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday to the Island-rival Victoria HarbourCats at Serauxmen Stadium, a key series as both teams seek the first-half crown in the North Division.
