The Nanaimo NightOwls earned their first win of the season to end home-opening weekend on a positive.
Nanaimo defeated the Bellingham Bells by a 6-2 score on Sunday, June 1, at Serauxmen Stadium, after losing the first two games of the West Coast League season 6-3 and 5-4.
The NightOwls got behind 2-0 in the series finale, but batted around for six runs in the seventh inning and were able to make the score hold up.
"We had a lot of fight," said coach Cody Andreychuk. "I think we had a lot of fight [in the second game] as well, we were just one hit away from winning that one and the series could have gone either way."
Nanaimo was opportunistic in the win when Bellingham pitchers had trouble finding the strike zone.
"[Our hitters] were very patient, they were looking for their pitches, they weren't trying to expand their zones … and it led to that big inning for us that kind of sealed the victory," Andreychuk said.
NightOwls infielder Easton Mould said the team knew it was close to breaking through after a few line drive outs with runners on base.
"We kind of put everything together from the first two games," he said, adding that players have a better idea of what it will take to win now.
"The guys are fired up. All it takes is one to start something big and we got that one out of the way … I know a lot of the guys are happy and hopefully we get more moving on."
Andreychuk said good teams don't get swept in series and earn sweeps themselves. He thinks the NightOwls are a very talented group that can win innings more often than not when they execute.
Players and coaches are now looking forward to their first road trip of the season.
"When you get to go on the road, the guys are going to be around each other for pretty much 24/7 as far as the hotel and the field and the travel and the weight room and everything that we do," Andreychuk said. "I think the road trip's going to be really good for the guys getting to know each other even a little bit more than they already do."
Mould went 2-for-3 in Sunday's win, Spencer Sullivan had two RBIs and Dawson Schultz was the winning pitcher, throwing two scoreless innings of relief while striking out three batters.
GAME ON … The NightOwls travel to play the Port Angeles Lefties this Tuesday to Thursday, June 3-5, then return home to face the Wenatchee AppleSox from Friday to Sunday, June 6-8, at Serauxmen Stadium. Friday and Saturday's games are 6:35 p.m. starts, with Sunday's series finale at 1:05 p.m. For ticket information, visit http://nanaimonightowls.com.
