HarbourCats shortstop Harrison Spohn had reached base three times tonight, and scored a run, but it wouldn’t be enough in a 7-6 loss to the Ridgefield Raptors. (Photo: Christian J. Stewart)

BOXSCORE

RIDGEFIELD, Wash — Seven of nine Victoria HarbourCats starters had at least one hit, however, it wasn’t enough in a 7-6 loss to the Ridgefield Raptors Thursday evening in Southern Washington State.

In their first game since the All-Star break earlier this week, which saw six separate HarbourCats help the North All-Stars defeat the South squad 14-1, Victoria (9-5/27-14) jumped out to an early three run advantage but slowly watched it slip away.

Harrison Spohn got the scoring started in the second with a RBI single, his first of two hits on the night, and one inning later the HarbourCats scored twice more to take a 3-0 lead.

On the mound, Calvin Turchin breezed through the first two innings — retiring six of the first seven batters to start the game — before the Raptors finally got to him in the third with help from the bottom of the order.

With the eight and nine hitters due up, Turchin allowed a leadoff single to Grayson Sterling, and Justin Boyd launched a two-run homer to bring the Raptors within a run.

As Turchin was able to avoid any further damage in the inning, his offence helped restore the two run advantage in the fourth. Spohn reached again with a one-out walk, and scored two batters later courtesy of a Ridgefield wild pitch.

In the home half, once again, Ridgefield responded with a run to keep the seesaw affair going and chase Turchin from the game. The University of Hawaii product finished with a pair of strikeouts and three runs in four innings.

With the HarbourCat starter out of the game in the fifth, Ridgefield loaded the bags in the fifth and took their first lead of the game with a pair of bases-loaded walks.

Down by a run in the seventh, Nick Plaia’s one-out single got a Victoria rally started. Griffin Paxton, one batter later, scored the speedy Plaia from first with a double that once again levelled the game. However, in the bottom of the inning, Ridgefield used a pair of solo home runs to retake the lead, and eventually the game.

Kyle Sherick brought Victoria within a run with a home run in the eighth, and Cincinnati university native Chase Stewart made his HarbourCat debut with a 1-2-3 inning in the home half, but Cameron Repetti shut down the ‘Cats in order in the ninth to preserve Ridgefield’s one run victory.

Despite the loss, the HarbourCats still own a one game lead in the Second Half division standings, and will look to get back in the win column in the series finale tomorrow night in Ridgefield. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35pm.