Nick Adams was shattering the ball, not his bat, tonight with two home runs in Victoria’s 15-3 victory over the Port Angeles Lefties. (Photo by Christian J. Stewart) 

BOXSCORE

PORT ANGELES, Wash. — Gus Wilson had three RBI in his first start of the season, and Nick Adams chipped in with two home runs and three RBI of his own from the nine spot in the order as the Victoria HarbourCats (16-6/34-15) routed the Port Angeles Lefties 15-3 in the series opener Tuesday evening at Civic Field.

Wilson, who has appeared in four other games this summer mostly as a pinch runner, made the most of his opportunity at the top of the Victoria lineup.

The infielder from the University of Science and Arts Oklahoma helped to ignite a HarbourCats rally in the top half of the first.

After Nick Plaia led off the game with a walk, Wilson also drew a walk to put two men on without an out in the game. Griffin Paxton then smacked a single to load the bases, but as Port Angeles starter Nathan Bonck got back to back strikeouts to put two outs on the board, Lefties catcher Carson Jackson allowed a passed ball that brought Plaia home from third to give Victoria an early one run lead.

In the second, Ty Schindel reached after being hit by a pitch and Nick Plaia drew his second walk in as many innings to put two men on for Wilson. The shortstop then smacked his first hit as a HarbourCat to score Schindel and Plaia and make it a 3-0 game.

On the mound, meanwhile, Hunter Omlid made his first start for Victoria and proved to hold his own as the HarbourCats offence provided him with early run support.

Omlid allowed just two walks in the first two innings, and a two-run home run in the third proved to be the only blemish on the righty’s evening. Omlid allowed just two hits after Gavin Rork’s homer in the third, scattering four hits over five innings and collecting three strikeouts in the process.

The one run would be as close as Port Angeles would come on the night, with Adams leading off the fourth with a solo home run for his first of three RBI on the night—giving the HarbourCats a 4-2 advantage.

One inning later, with two men on base, Adams launched his second home run of the game to propel Victoria ahead by five.

The ‘Cats offence wouldn’t stop after the three-run fifth, scoring twice in the seventh, and three more times in both the eighth and ninth to put the game well out of each with a bullpen giving the Lefties offence trouble.

After Omlid exited in the fifth, reliever Zach Swanson collected a season-high four strikeouts in two scoreless innings, and Mikey Callia and infielder Griffin Paxton on the mound combined to hold Port Angeles to one run over the final two innings to preserve Victoria’s 34th victory on the year.

With the win, the HarbourCats kept pace with the Wenatchee AppleSox (16-6/28-21) — who won earlier in the night — atop the Second Half North division standings. Victoria has already clinched a postseason berth by winning the First Half division, however, and will host games two and three (if necessary) next week at Wilson’s Group Stadium.

Victoria will look to clinch the series against the Lefties, and extend their win streak to four, tomorrow night at 6:35 in Port Angeles.