LEWISTON, ID - After dropping a pair of one run decisions on Friday, the no. 7 UBC Thunderbirds split with their rivals from Lewis-Clark State on Saturday. The T-Birds won 8-1 in the day's first game before the host Warriors, ranked no. 18 in the latest NAIA poll, rebounded with a 6-1 victory in the nightcap. With the split, UBC is now 25-11 overall and 21-6 in conference play this season.
Blake Carruthers' five RBI performance in game one of Saturday's doubleheader was the difference as the sophomore centre fielder hit a pair of home runs in the T-Bird win, including a two-out grand slam in the top of the fifth to blow the contest wide open.
Three walks loaded the bases and Carruthers took advantage with a long ball over the wall in left field. In Friday's 7-6 loss to L-C, Carruthers stuck out swinging to end the game with the bases loaded. There would be no escape for the Warriors this time.
UBC jumped out to 2-0 lead in the second with some more two out magic. With nobody on,
Andrew Madsen singled up the middle before
Andrew Firth drew a walk. A wild pitch advanced both base runners into scoring position and
Bob Foerster took advantage, singling into right field off a full count to plate a pair of runs.
Carruthers and Madsen each added home runs in the eighth to make it 8-0 before the Warriors finally got to UBC starter
Brandon Kaye with an RBI single in the bottom of the inning. Kaye lasted eight innings, allowing only seven hits and the lone run while striking out six and walking none.
Andrew Ledger worked a perfect ninth inning in the T-Bird victory.
In the second half of the doubleheader, UBC managed only four hits off L-C starter Casey Edelbrock before Zach Arneson got the long save, allowing just one base runner (on a walk) over the final three innings. Gino Casini had a pair of RBI in the win for the Warriors.
The T-Birds actually jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning when
Kevin Nickel plated
Matt Spillman with two outs.
L-C State responded right away, taking advantage of a pair of miscues from UBC. Bryan Abrey led the inning off with a double that became a triple after a fielding error from the 'Birds and he scored on a Casini sacrifice fly. Garrett Patterson reached base with a single and then advance to scoring position with a balk from UBC starter
Miles Verweel. He would eventually score to put the Warriors ahead for good.
The Warriors put the game out of reach in the bottom of the seventh with three runs off UBC reliever
Tavis Bruce before adding a single in the eighth off
Dave Forbes.
Verweel took the loss, giving up four hits, three walks, and two runs over six innings. Four different T-Birds had one hit each.
Sunday's series finale, the fifth meeting between these two teams, is scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. start at LCSC's Harris Field.
-30-
