The Kamloops NorthPaws suffered their worst loss of the season, losing their seventh straight game on Sunday afternoon in Edmonton. The Riverhawks scored 18 runs on the way to a weekend sweep, winning their fifth straight game. Kamloops made the game close after third baseman Matthew MacDonald hit a three-run home run in the sixth to put the NorthPaws within two. The Riverhawks exploded for eight runs in the bottom half as they cruised to victory.
The Riverhawks got off to an early 1-0 lead and remained that way until the third inning. A pair of walks put two men on for Edmonton designated hitter Kyle Yip. The DH drove one over the fence in left field, making it 4-0. The Riverhawks added a fifth run in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI double.
Before the NorthPaws scored in the sixth, they had just one hit but left six runners on base. MacDonald’s second home run of the summer put Kamloops within two and gave them hope heading into the final third of the game. The Riverhawks had other plans.
Edmonton sent 12 men to the plate and scored eight runs on six hits. It was an inning that seemed to never end, and for the NorthPaws, it was exactly what they didn’t need. The Riverhawks had been hitting well against Kamloops all weekend long, and the sixth inning was the cherry on top.
“I think we were more defensive on the mound this weekend, we were behind in the count a lot this weekend and gave them too many free runners, and they put some good swings on some baseballs,” said Pitching Coach Jack Slominski.
After the offensive outburst by Edmonton, they score two more in the seventh and three in the eighth to put up a season high 18 runs. The NorthPaws couldn’t get anything going after the MacDonald homerun, and the game was all but over.
With the sweep, the NorthPaws have seen their record drop below .500 for the first time this season, but have a chance to get redemption this week as they play five of their next six games at Norbrock Stadium.
“We can’t look at it like we have to win this many this week, we just have to try and win the first one and build off that,” said Slominski.
The NorthPaws will begin a three-game home & home set with the Kelowna Falcons before playing host to the Nanaimo Nightowls on the weekend.
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