After a split against Corban University, the Thunderbirds baseball team completed the weekend series against the NAIA’s top-ranked Lewis-Clarke State College Warriors with a win and two loses.
UBC played its first game of the weekend on Friday, coming out with a massive 12-1 victory and scoring more runs in one game than the rest of the weekend against Corban. Four T-Birds — Bruce Yari, Lucas Soper, Brendan Rose and Kyle McComb — each had two runs in the game. Pitcher Alex Webb earned an impressive seven strikeouts in seven innings to propel UBC to the win.
“The right-hander’s been once drafted already and he continues to improve. We’re extremely lucky that we got [Webb] back from the draft,” said Chris Pritchett, the T-Birds’ head coach.
After handing Lewis-Clark its biggest loss since 2013, UBC dropped a 5-2 decision in the second game. Lichel Hirakawa-Kao and Anthony Cusati scored the two runs for the T-Birds. Pitcher Curtis Taylor had a mixed performance, giving up five hits and two runs while striking out eight in five innings.
In the final game of the weekend, Lewis-Clark State had a dominant start to take an early 3-0 lead in the first frame. After UBC pitcher Connor Noble hit Robert Smith and walked Jacob Zanon, Warriors designated hitter J. J. Robinson sent a double to the right field to drive home the two batters. A single to the right field by Tyler McDowell on the next play allowed Robinson to add a third run.
“We were behind right from the get-go and just couldn’t get anything going. It was just a completely different flow from the first game,” said Pritchett.
It was not until the top of the eighth inning that the game saw more runs being scored. After successfully stealing the second base on a line out Robinson, Zanon earned his second run of the game on a ground ball to the right field by McDowell. Two plays later, McDowell gave the Warriors a 5-0 lead on a double by Hayden Meier to the left field.
Just as the Warriors looked to shut out the T-Birds, UBC notched its only point in the game during the bottom of the ninth on a solo home run by centre fielder Griffy Goyer down the right field, ending the game with a final score of 5-1 in favour of Lewis-Clarke.
“I think [Goyer] is starting to show signs that he is starting to tap into his power, which is only going to help us,” said Pritchett.
UBC now holds a conference record of 6-3. The team will travel on the road next week to take on the College of Idaho Coyotes.
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