Heading North

Black Bears make first trip to Canada since 2019.

After playing nine out of their last twelve at home, the Cowlitz Black Bears embark on their
longest road trip of the summer, starting Tuesday night in Victoria against the HarbourCats.
The Black Bears are coming off a dramatic late inning win on Sunday afternoon in Game Three
against the Bend Elks. After Cowlitz had stranded the bases loaded in the bottom on the ninth
Saturday, the Black Bears were able to take the lead in the sixth and had Bend trying to come
from behind.

Going into the seventh inning, the Black Bears lead, 3-2, when Aaron Parker (UC Santa Barbara)
stepped to the plate already working on his best day at the dish as a Black Bear.

With Nick Hovland (Washington) standing on second, Parker laced his third single of the day
bringing in Hovland to double the Black Bears advantage. Parker would finish Sunday 3-for-4
with a pair of RBI.

Leading by two heading to the eighth, the Elks were able to push across two, tying the ball
game at four. Instead of rolling over, the Black Bears continued to battle as they have done all
season.

After two quick outs in the bottom of the eighth, the Black Bears started to string together a
two-out rally.

Leadoff man, Sam Canton (Gonzaga), ripped an opposite field double putting himself in scoring
position as the go-ahead run. Then the West Coast League’s leader in RBI, Calyn Halvorson
(Utah Valley), stepped in, and delivered.

Halvorson, on the first pitch he saw from Jack Slominski, lined one back up the middle to bring
in Canton from second, giving the Black Bears the lead once again, 5-4, heading into the final
frame.

After allowing two runs on Friday in Game One, Alan Embree went to Alex Brady again out of
the bullpen looking for his first save this summer.

The southpaw was able to get the heart of the Elks order to go down in order, securing the
Game Three victory for the Black Bears.

After the Sunday afternoon victory at home, Cowlitz now makes their first trip to Canada since
2019, as a three-game set kicks off a nine-game road swing for the Black Bears.

The Black Bears last won a series in Victoria in 2015, taking two of three from the HarbourCats.
As the season approaches the halfway point, the Black Bears are in search of their fourth series
win this season.

Victoria comes into the series winners in four out of their last ten, dropping their weekend
series against the Ridgefield Raptors. The HarbourCats are being led offensively by Grady
Morgan, who is hitting .356 to lead them.

All three games in Victoria start at 6:35 p.m. with the Voice of the Black Bears, Brendan Reilly,
on the call. Fans can find the radio broadcast on cowlitzblackbears.com under the ‘Listen Live
Online’ tab.

Following the three-game series in Victoria, the Black Bears travel even more north to
Kamloops, for a weekend series with the NorthPaws starting on Friday.