LEWISTON, ID - The no. 7 UBC Thunderbirds closed out their five game trip to Lewiston, ID with a 7-1 victory over the no. 18 Lewis-Clark State Warriors, ending the journey with a 2-3 mark.
UBC is now 26-11 on the season and 22-6 in NAIA West conference action. L-C State drops to 24-13 overall and 13-8 in NAIA West play.
Austin Fruson had a monster afternoon for the T-Birds, going 3-for-3 with four RBIs and one run scored. The University of Calgary transfer smacked a three-run home run in the bottom of the second to stake UBC - the home team, as the day's affair was a make-up game for a postponed contest from earlier this season - to a 3-0 lead.
Kevin Nickel cashed in one more RBI for the T-Birds in the inning.
LCSC looked to respond in the top of the fourth. They scored once with one out and had runners on first and second but UBC starter
Sheldon McDonald induced back-to-back fly balls to get out on the inning. McDonald, who was making his first start since March 19 due to a shoulder injury, went five innings and allowed six hits and one run.
Shawn Hetherington got the long save, giving up five hits over the final four innings.
Fruson was at it again in the bottom of the fifth, adding one of two RBI singles in the inning for UBC.
Bob Foerster rounded out the T-Bird offence on the day with an RBI single of his own in the seventh inning.
The T-Birds close out the NAIA West regular season at home next weekend against the College of Idaho Coyotes (26-14, 16-8). First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. on Saturday and 11:00 a.m. on Sunday at Nat Bailey Stadium.
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