The Bellingham Bayhawks are taking a road trip to square off against the Lakewood Cougars at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Bellingham is coming into the contest hot, having won their last four games.
Bellingham proved they can win big on Thursday (they won by 13) and on Saturday they proved they can win the close ones too. They had just enough and edged out Marysville Getchell 8-7. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Bayhawks have posted since April 24, 2024.
Eric Helfield made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits over five innings pitched. Helfield was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with three RBI and one triple. That triple marked the first that he hit this season.
Alden Scott
| 04/05/25 vs Marysville Getchell | 2 |
| 04/03/25 @ Mt. Baker | 1 |
| 04/01/25 vs Nooksack Valley | 1 |
| 03/29/25 vs Marysville-Pilchuck | 1 |
| 03/27/25 @ Mount Vernon | 1 |
Helfield wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Alden Scott, who scored a run and stole two bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Scott has been hot, having posted at least one stolen base the last five times he's played. Another was Eli Goodbuffalo, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.
Bellingham always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .514. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .514 or higher in four consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Lakewood, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Thursday. They walked away with a 7-4 win over Sequim on Saturday. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Cougars as it put an end to their five-game losing streak.
Tejay Hoiland was a major factor no matter where he played. He pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. Hoiland was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
In other pitching news, Chase Sharpe looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He also tossed a walk, which is notable because Lakewood is 2-1 when he allows at most two walks, but 0-5 otherwise.
Back at the plate, Aiden Jones was incredible, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 3-for-3. Drew Egger was another key player, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 2-for-3.
Bellingham pushed their record up to 4-5 with the win, which was their third straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.0 runs over those games. As for Lakewood, the win was their first at home , bumping their record up to 2-6.
Bellingham's speedy runners might be the difference in Monday's game. The Bayhawks have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.2 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Lakewood, though, as they've been averaging only 1.2 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Bellingham continue to outrun the ball?
Bellingham was able to grind out a solid victory over Lakewood in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, winning 5-2. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Bayhawks since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
