Drifters Erupt for 18 Runs in Nine-Run Victory at Victoria

(Photo by Adon Eccles)

By Knight Jarecki

VICTORIA, British Columbia — Struggling to score in the final two games in Wenatchee, the Springfield Drifters (4-9, 1-5) offense was looking for a fresh start north of the border in Canada on Friday. After just three combined runs in the last two games in central Washington, the Drifters' offense exploded in Victoria, scoring 18 runs and recording 15 hits in an 18-9 series-opening victory against the HarbourCats (5-8, 4-5) at Royal Athletic Park. 

“The offense started strong. And obviously that makes a big difference because it set the tone for the night,” Pitching Coach Dean Stiles said. “I liked the aggressiveness on the base paths, the stealing, the fake stealing. I think we're ahead of the game there, so to speak. So we'll see if it carries over for tomorrow.” 

Springfield jumped out to a 5-2 lead after two innings, scoring more runs in those two frames than the previous two games combined. Victoria, however, would answer back with one run in the third and two runs in the fifth to tie it. The score would remain tied until the seventh inning when the Drifters scored four runs on two hits and three Victoria errors. 

Rice catcher LJ Layhew hit a grand slam in the top of the eighth, his first home run of the season, in a five-run eighth inning to stretch the lead to nine. Victoria would respond with a four-run eighth inning, but a two-RBI double by Cooper Mullens and a two-run home run for Peyton Tyner would deliver the final blows, solidifying the nine-run Springfield victory.

“When we got punched late in that game, we could have started to play to just hold on, and instead we turned around and punched them right back with a four,” Stiles said. “That shows a lot of character and a lot of growth.”

Mullens, Peyton Tyner and Broderick Buhr each recorded three hits, with eight different Drifters picking up hits and 11 reaching base safely in the nine-run victory. 

“You can feel it become kind of infectious in a dugout where it starts to spill over. I think everybody played, everybody contributed, which is kind of my philosophy to try to get as many guys in as possible,” Stiles said. “It makes other guys understand, too, that they're probably going to play. So they take that energy, and instead of just sitting there and checking out, they're ready when their number is called.”

Portland first basemen Nolan Miller, Buhr, Mullens and Tyner batted two through five in the order and combined to go 11-for-19 with eight RBIs, four doubles, one home run and two steals.

Tyner’s three hits were a season high as the uncommitted prospect from Lane Community College finished 3-for-4 with the home run, one double, five RBIs and two walks to stuff the stat sheet. 

“He's just a competitor, and he's putting great swings on it,” Stiles said. “What was really kind of neat tonight was that he watched Coop (Mullens) late in the game there, take that two-strike pitch and slam it down the left field line. And we had talked about it. ‘I said, you got to go the other way. They have a huge six hole. And sure enough, he went the other way like Coop and lifted it out too, so that was a really great growth piece to see from him.”

On the mound, Kaden Harris, Sonny Pena, Jack Klee and Michael Klein pitched in the win for the Drifters. Klee, who pitched 2.2 innings and struck out two batters, picked up his first win of the season for the Drifters.

 “I think Harris finished really strong. Sonny’s obviously been a little dinged up, but he was able to come out and throw an inning to give him the confidence he needed, and he actually felt pretty good. Jack was Jack. He probably could’ve finished the game, but I thought it was time to make a move and bring Mikey in, and when you bring Mikey in, it’s pretty much lights out.”

The Drifters and HarbourCats will meet again for game 2 of the three-game series on Saturday at 6:35 p.m. Ethan Athcley, a right-handed pitcher from Rice, will get the nod for Springfield.

The game will be streamed on the Victoria HarbourCats YouTube Channel. The Drifters will return home for five games beginning on June 17 with a non-league game against the Cascade Collegiate League Showcase Team. Tickets are now available at Driftersbaseball.com