Kelowna – The Kamloops NorthPaws failed to secure the series victory, losing 10-6 against the Kelowna Falcons. A five-run sixth inning from Kelowna put the game out of reach as the NorthPaws fell to 2-9 on the road this year. Camden Sanders and Kade Crawford each hit home runs. Crawford now leads the West Coast League in RBI’s and Home Runs.
“We weren’t making routine plays,” Head Coach Riley Jepson said. “I think that’s what allowed the game to open up, and it gave them a lot of life.”
The Falcons carried a 2-0 lead through the first four innings as the NorthPaws took a while to get the offence rolling. In the top of the fourth, the game started to shift. Camden Sanders led off the inning, hitting the first pitch of the inning over the left field wall, cutting the lead in half. Elijah Olaybal walked and advanced to second and was later driven in by an RBI single from Dylan Dekker.
Kade Crawford was next to the plate and wasted no time giving the Paws the lead with a two-run home run. Not only was it Crawford’s seventh home run of the summer, it was his second in as many days.
The Falcons responded promptly in the bottom half, loading the bases with nobody out. A past ball, single and a double steal brought home three runs as the Falcons took the lead right back.
The back-and-forth battle was in full swing in the sixth, starting with two more runs from Kamloops. The Paws loaded the bases with two outs as Kenner Lauterbach was at the plate. The NorthPaws shortstop clutched up and shot a single through the left side, scoring two more, giving Kamloops a 6-5 lead.
The bottom of the sixth was an eventful one for the Falcons. Five runs on five hits with one error in the field gave Kelowna the 10-6 advantage. The Falcons sent eight men to the plate before an out was recorded in the inning.
“That was a back breaker, especially that spread,” Jepson said. “We felt like if we were down one or two runs, we could come back.”
The NorthPaws managed just one hit the rest of the way as the Falcons cruised to victory. The two teams will be awfully familiar with each other as the NorthPaws will be back in Kelowna on Tuesday to start another three-game series.
The Paws are back at home for a weekend series with the Nanaimo NightOwls. The weekend features Jersey night on Friday and First Responders night on Saturday.
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