Bells Win 12th-Inning Thriller

In tonight's game, the Corvallis Knights were like a fly that the Bells had to keep swatting away. Annoying, aggressive, and it seemed like the guys couldn't smack it hard enough for it to leave.

Good news is, even though it took 12 innings, Bellingham beat Corvallis to open this three-game series with a 3-2 victory.

Bellingham was leading the Knights 2-1 heading into the ninth inning when Corvallis scored a run of their own, sending the game into extra innings. The teams duked it out pitch-for-pitch, but it was Bellingham second baseman Junnior Dishmey-Perez who stroked a line-drive up the middle to win the 3-2 ballgame.

In his last day in a Bells uniform, starting pitcher Brandon Andreini threw a gem: 8.1 innings, 6 hits, and only one run; he also escaped four jams with multiple runners in scoring position, including two bases-loaded, inning-ending double-plays. J.J. McLeod made his second appearance in as many games, but Ben Ruff, in his first time on the mound as a Bell, came away with the win when he retired the side in the 12th.

All but two Bellingham batters produced hits in the victory, including Frank Desico who went 2/5 and singled to load the bases for Perez in the 12th inning. Desico has compiled three RBIs and a .250 average. Looking at stats after the game, it's clear that defense and pitching have saved the team thus far: no regular player has a batting average over .275...so thank goodness for the unbelievable efforts from starters Tyrell, Cordell, and Brandon (tonight).

It was strange looking at the Bells on the field today, since most of them weren't in their usual positions. Coach Matthews said that today was "our fill-in, fill-in lineup," since many of the players returned to their respective schools to take finals...Bellingham had Dishmey-Perez at second, Desico at short, Sam Richter at third in his first game, and Markson, a CF, out in left.

The Bells improved their record to 2-1 and tied the Kitsap Blue Jackets for first place in the West Division of the West Coast League, while the Knights stayed in third with a 1-3 record. Bend and Cowlitz have yet to play.

I'll be broadcasting tomorrow night's game, 6:30, at Joe Martin Field, on www.bellinghambells.com. Make sure to tune in to the Cascade Radio Group pregame show, where we'll interview a Coach Matthews and a player. See you then!