The Bellingham Bells got back on track in their July 14–16 series against the Nanaimo NightOwls, falling just short of a sweep in the final game at Joe Martin Stadium.
Bellingham (23-13) — coming off five losses to the Ridgefield Raptors (26-12) — won two against Nanaimo (18-18). The Bells remain in third place in the West Coast League North Division overall, but they are tied for fifth in the season’s second-half standings (3-6).
Despite the loss in the final game of the series, Bellingham preserved the season series win, going 5-1 against the NightOwls in the regular season.
After two consecutive series at home, Bellingham has just six home games remaining in the regular season. The Bells will be on the road for 10 straight days, first heading to Story Field to take on the Cowlitz Black Bears (18-17, 6-3 second half) July 17–19. All games begin at 6:35 p.m.
Here’s what happened in the Bells’ series with Nanaimo.
4-run fourth inning powers Bellingham to game 1 win
The Bells piled up four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning before holding the NightOwls’ offense in check to earn a 5-2 series-opening win on Friday, July 14.
Bellingham snapped a 1-1 tie with its fourth batter of the fourth inning, as second baseman Cole Yoshida’s two-out single to left field scored right fielder Coleman Schmidt.
Nanaimo made a pitching change — inserting right-hander Cooper Littledike — before Bells center fielder Dean West hit another two-out single that drove in left fielder Brady Reynolds. Third baseman Riley Parker kept the offense moving with another to bring home West and Yoshida, extending Bellingham’s lead to 5-1 at the end of the fourth inning.
The NightOwls picked up one more run in the top of the sixth, but a trio of Bellingham pitchers shut out Nanaimo for the final four innings. Right-hander Ryan Beitel earned the win, throwing the first five innings for Bellingham and allowing four hits, one earned run and no walks while striking out three.
Parker, Schmidt and designated hitter Andrew Valdez each went 2-for-4 batting, combining for three RBIs and a run scored. Nanaimo shortstop Elijah Ickes had three of his team’s seven hits, finishing 3 for 4 with two runs scored.
3 Bells pitchers combine for low scoring, shut-out game 2 victory
Right-handers Ryan Orr, Ty Saunders and Trevor Moore each pitched at least two innings for Bellingham in a 2-0 win over Nanaimo on Saturday, July 15.
Orr, the starter, earned the win after pitching four innings and allowing three hits and no runs or walks while striking out six. Moore didn’t allow a single hit in three innings pitched, while he and Saunders struck out two batters each.
The Bells connected on eight hits in the game, scoring once in both the fourth and eighth innings. Bellingham’s lone RBI came in the latter inning on a single from first baseman Daryl Ruiz that scored Yoshida.
Yoshida finished the game 2-for-3 batting with a run scored, while Bellingham’s other six hits were spread across five batters.
Nanaimo’s offense overpowers Bellingham to avoid sweep
The NightOwls doubled Bellingham’s hits while the Bells’ pitchers struggled in a 7-2 series-closing loss to Nanaimo on Sunday, July 16.
Bellingham struggled to get its offense going against Nanaimo left-hander Payton Robertson — a former Bells player and Lynden Christian High School standout. Robertson pitched six innings, allowing four hits, one earned run and a walk while striking out three.
The Bells were limited to six hits as a team while surrendering 12 to Nanaimo. Four NightOwls finished with two or more hits.
Nanaimo led 2-0 into the bottom of the fifth inning before Bellingham finally got on the board. The NightOwls added five more runs across the sixth, seventh and ninth innings — including a solo home run from catcher Aaron Marsh — to lead 7-1 entering the bottom of the ninth.
Yoshida added to his productive series with a two-out, RBI single that scored Ruiz, but that would be Bellingham’s final scoring play of the evening.
Right-hander Everett Swaim pitched four innings for the Bells, allowing three hits, two earned runs and three walks while striking out two.
