Bells’ bats come alive against ’Cats

BELLINGHAM 12 VICTORIA 6

The Bellingham Bells gained a measure of belated revenge Friday night at Joe Martin Stadium as they beat the Victoria HarbourCats 12-6 and pounded out 17 hits in the first game of a three-game West Coast League series in Washington state.

The Bells had their chance against the HarbourCats in a winner-take all final game of the first half of the WCL season. The HarbourCats prevailed and earned the North Division playoff berth that goes with it. That would prove to be a missed opportunity for the Bells as Bellingham has struggled in the second-half race at 7-11 to fall to 23-22 overall.

Friday night, Victoria starter Mitch Lines got rung up by nine Bellingham hits and seven runs in just 2 23 ⁄ innings as the HarbourCats’ four-game winning streak came to an end.

The Bells led 10-1 before a five-run Victoria sixth inning brought the visitors back to at least within hailing distance, but it wasn’t nearly enough.

Harrison Spohn and Nate Pecota had two hits each for the HarbourCats with Spohn and Parker Bramlett recording doubles.

After Victoria (13-6 second half and 31-15 overall) is done in Bellingham, it will finish the regular-season with six consecutive games against the cross-strait rival Port Angeles Lefties, beginning with three games in the Washington state port city Tuesday through Thursday and concluding with three games at Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park beginning next Friday.