NightOwls slide past Knights in extra inning thriller

NANAIMO, B.C. — Never better timing from Andrew Nykoluk.

The shortstop from Hawaii Pacific slapped a single into right centre with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning on Thursday night gave the Nanaimo NightOwls a much-needed 3-2 victory over the visiting Corvallis Knights.

Nykoluk’s hit scored JJ Abner from second base, rescuing a win to cap the three-game series, the first-ever visit by the Knights to Nanaimo.

The result ends a Nanaimo losing streak as the team prepares for a road series this weekend against the Kamloops NorthPaws.

https://baseball.pointstreak.com/standings.html?leagueid=145&seasonid=34070

On Thursday, both teams scored twice in the seventh inning — nothing but zeroes on the board other than that until the NightOwls scored in the 10th.

Jacob Hayes was 1-1 with two walks for Nanaimo, Jayden Gabrillo was clutch for Nanaimo in weathering a storm in the ninth inning, holding the score at 2-2. Jaedeyn Edwards pitched the 10th inning to earn the win. Aidan Boice gave up just two hits and no walks in six innings, striking out five in a stellar start that Nanaimo sorely needed after dropping the first two games of the series.

Nanaimo pitchers limited the Corvallis bats to just five hits.