NANAIMO, B.C. — Early home runs made it look promising. One inning halted those hopes.
The Nanaimo NightOwls surrendered an inning to forget, giving up 11 runs in a sixth inning that seemed to have it all in a tough way, in a 14-8 loss to the Wenatchee AppleSox to conclude a three-game series at historic Serauxmen Stadium on Sunday.
Wenatchee takes the series 2-1 and improves to 22-11 overall, while the NightOwls remain right in the playoff chase at 13-16.
A ball that hit the knob of a Wenatchee bat was ruled a hit-by-pitch and after a bases-clearing triple, some walks, a few more hits, and a would-be double play not completed, the AppleSox had exceeded the numbers possible on the Serauxmen Stadium scoreboard.
The NightOwls pounded out 14 hits, three fewer than the AppleSox. The game had so much promise after Nevan Noonan hit a home run in the first inning, his third, and Drew Rutter, who was 4-5, doubled home two runs for an early 3-0 lead — made 4-0 when David Draayers hit a solo shot in the second inning, his first of the season.
A 6-0 Nanaimo lead had the strong crowd feeling good on a blue-sky scorcher on Sunday afternoon, but the sixth inning happened — and seemed to go on for 45 minutes.
Adison Mattix was dominant as the starting pitcher. He went five innings with four hits and five strikeouts, and was barely touched by Wenatchee hitters. The bullpen will want to file this game under “learning experience” — combining for 13 hits allowed, four walks, and three plunked batters.
Catcher Kurt Felix was 2-3 with a double and three runs driven in, Deshon Thomas was 3-4 with four runs scored, and Aaron Marsh, a night after his walk-off three-run home run led to a dramatic 9-6 victory, was 2-6 to raise his average to .313.
The Kelowna Falcons arrive for a Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday set at Serauxmen, all 6:35pm starts.
At these games against Kelowna, ticketed fans will all get a chance to win highly valued concert tickets for the Taylor Swift Eras Tour, arriving in Vancouver in December. Each person entering, after showing their ticket, gets an entry to win two concert tickets.
Tickets are available online, at the gate, or get general admission vouchers at all Save On Foods locations in Nanaimo, Ladysmith and Parksville. The NightOwls are in a busy homestand after setting a franchise record on Monday with 3,127 in attendance for the Canada Day Classic doubleheader and fireworks show.
