The Cowlitz Black Bears continue their extended road trip this week into the Rose City to take on the Portland Pickles.
Fresh off a roller-coaster week that included a sweep of the Kamloops NorthPaws at home and being blanked on the road by the Springfield Drifters, the Black Bears look to return to their winning ways against the Pickles.
The Black Bears just found ways to win last week at David Story Field against the NorthPaws; taking game one 9-3, coming from behind late in game two with two runs in the seventh and one in the eighth to secure the series. The Black Bears finished strong in game three to shut out the ‘Paws 8-0, limiting Kamloops to four hits and giving up only two walks as a pitching staff.
The Black Bears struck first in the opener on Friday night against Springfield with two runs in the top of the second inning but the Drifters would cash in during the bottom of the second inning off a solo home run and four walks that turned into four runs. The Black Bears made things interesting in the top of the ninth inning with three runs on four hits yet fell 9-5 in the opener.
The Black Bears opened up the scoring again on Saturday in game two with a run in the first inning but just like the night before, the Drifters responded and took the lead in the bottom of the first with two runs on two hits. Springfield would add runs in the fifth and seventh on their way to a 4-2 victory.
On Sunday, the Drifters flipped the script and scored first with two runs in the bottom of the first inning that was jumpstarted by a hit-by-pitch with one out and followed with two hits and two errors. The Black Bears countered with three hits that turned into three runs, including a sacrifice fly to center field off the bat of Rees Hall to bring in Noah Malone (Loyola Marymount) to give the Black Bears a 3-2 lead.
The Black Bears added runs in the third, fourth, and seventh innings to lead 6-4. However, in the home half of the seventh inning, the Drifters’ Andy Miller dropped a bleeder into shallow left-center field to put Springfield on top 8-6, which would be the final score.
The Pickles caught fire out of the gates, starting the season 6-0, defeating Ridgefield twice, and taking the first four games of their series against the Sweets. Since their undefeated start, the team is 2-5 in their past seven games, including being swept at home by Corvallis.
The Black Bears won the season series over the Pickles 4-2 in 2023, including a road sweep of the Pickles in late July. It’s shaping up to be an intriguing series with both teams vying to keep pace in a competitive West Coast League South division first-half race.
The Black Bears-Pickles series will begin on Tuesday at 7:15 p.m. at Walker Stadium. Game 2 on Wednesday is scheduled for 7:15 p.m., and the series finale will also begin at 7:15 p.m. on Thursday. For more information about upcoming games, stats, or tickets, follow us on social media: X (Twitter) (@CowlitzBBears), Facebook, and Instagram (@cowlitzblackbears). To watch, listen live, or view the 2024 promotional schedule, go to our website cowlitzblackbears.com.