Bells News
The Bells slugged their way into the next round of the West Coast League Playoffs yesterday.
Bellingham clobbered the Nanaimo NighOwls 17-4 to win the decisive Game 3 of their first-round series.
Nanaimo walked off the Bells in Game 1 Friday before Bellingham edged them 3-1 on Saturday to set up the win-or-go-home Game 3 yesterday.
The NightOwls scored the first run of the game in the second inning, but the Bells responded with three runs in each of the next three frames as their offense exploded. Left fielder Rominic Quiban led the way with three hits, highlighted by a 3-run homer in the fourth inning.
The Bells are now set to take on the AppleSox in Wenatchee tomorrow for the North Division title. If they win tomorrow, they’ll return to the West Coast League championship, which would take place in Bellingham on Thursday night.
The Bells are hosting a watch party at Larrabee Lager for tomorrow’s game against the AppleSox, starting at 6:15. You can also livestream the game on YouTube.
Mariners News
The Mariners have the day off today as they look to regroup from a nightmare end to their homestand.
Their free fall continued over the weekend with a sweep at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rays. Seattle’s struggling offense managed just four runs over three games as they slid to seven games under .500 and four games out of first place in the AL West.
On the bright side, the team announced during their 50th anniversary celebration that radio play-by-play man Rick Rizzs will be inducted into the Mariners Hall of Fame.
The M’s will look to snap their skid tomorrow as they kick off a nine-game road trip in New York against the Yankees. Coverage begins at 3:00 and first pitch is at 4:05 on KPUG with Bryan Woo taking the mound.
Sounders/Reign News
The Sounders were able to snap a skid of their own over the weekend.
They blanked Queretaro 3-0 in the Leagues Cup yesterday to end their seven game losing streak.
Sebastian Gomez scored his first goal for the Sounders and added an assist on Albert Rusnák’s late goal. Danny Musovski also scored and Paul Rothrock had a pair of assists as the Sounders won their first match in nearly three months.
Seattle will face Chivas de Guadalajara at Lumen Field on Wednesday night in the final match of group play for the tournament.
Meanwhile, the Reign played Angel City FC to a 2-2 draw last night.
Storm News
The Storm are back home tonight for the first time in nearly two weeks. They’re hosting the Chicago Sky with a chance to snap their 11-game skid.
Seattle wrapped up their road trip with a seven point loss to the Portland Fire on Saturday. Jade Melbourne had 23 points for the Storm, who are now the first team in WNBA history to have two double-digit losing streaks in the same season.
Another defeat tonight would set a new franchise record for consecutive losses. Tonight’s game tips off at 7:00.
NBA News
The basketball community is mourning the loss of a coaching legend.
Hall of Famer Don Nelson died yesterday at the age of 86 while surrounded by his family, they said in a statement.
Nelson won Coach of the Year three times over three decades in the NBA with the Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks. He stepped down in 2010 as the winningest coach in league history, a mark that was broken by Greg Popovich in 2022.
Nelson also won five NBA titles as a player with the Boston Celtics.
