ATHERTON, CA - The second-seeded UBC Thunderbirds claimed the 2011 NAIA West conference title and an automatic berth into the NAIA National Championship opening round next week with a 13-8 victory over the College of Idaho Coyotes in a back-and-forth, tournament finale in Atherton, CA.
The win sealed UBC's sixth NAIA West (regional) title in the last nine years and is their third in a row (2003, '05, '06, '09, '10, '11). The 'Birds now wait to see where they will travel for their opening round tournament, with the winner of that event heading to the AVISTA-NAIA World Series in Lewiston, ID at the end of the month.
A 7-2 victory by C of I, the no. 4 seed, over UBC on Friday setup today's winner take all contest and after seeing a chance to clinch the tournament slip away, the 'Birds wasted little time taking control of their destiny the second time around.
UBC relied on their pitching to carry them for long stretches this season but it was their offence that made the difference on Saturday, helping the T-Birds to a big early lead and then sealing the game with some insurance in the top of the ninth inning.
Greg Densem and
Keaton Briscoe led off the second inning with back-to-back singles with Densem coming in to count on a Coyotes error.
Andrew Madsen then doubled home Briscoe before a fielder's choice from
Matt Spillman cashed in
Kevin Nickel.
Madsen was at it agian in the third, this time swatting a two-out double to deep left-centre that brought in a pair of runs for UBC. Briscoe also knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly to centre.
The 'Yotes rallied in the bottom of the inning, getting a bases-clearing double from Izaac Garsez, a two-run homer by Kyle Douglas, and an RBI single from Jesse Dodd to tie the score and signal the end of UBC starter
Brandon Kaye's afternoon. Kaye gave up six runs and five hits while walking three over two and one-third innings before being replaced by
Andrew Ledger who pitched three innings of relief, allowing a pair of runs but striking out five.
Unfazed by their opponents ability to make-up deficits - C of I won their first two tournament games with huge come-from-behind efforts - UBC stormed back in front in the fourth with their third consecutive three spot in the fourth. A walk and a single had runners on the corners and then with two outs, Densem hit a triple to right-centre to cash in a pair before scoring himself on the play by virtue of a Coyotes throwing error.
A Tanner Hodges' two-run double in the sixth help draw the 'Yotes within one at 9-8 but a big defensive play from Madsen, gunning down a Coyote runner at home kept UBC in front. From then on, the 'Birds vaunted pitching staff stepped up and held C of I scoreless the rest of the way.
Over the final three and two-third innings,
Shawn Hetherington and
Eric Brown combined to throw shutout baseball and only allowed three Coyote hits.
Offensively, the 'Birds sealed the game with four runs in the top of the ninth thanks a two-RBI single from
Adam Quan, a Spillman RBI single, and an
Andrew Firth RBI hit.
At the dish it was Madsen leading the way with three RBI on a pair of doubles with Quan, a freshman hitting in the lead-off spot, chipping in a pair as well. Densem and Spillman also counted two RBI in the game.
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