VANCOUVER - The UBC Thunderbirds couldn't hold on to a slim lead in their conference opener on Friday, as the Menlo Oaks scored four late runs to take game one of a four-game series 8-6 on a rainy day at Thunderbird Park.
Kevin Biro put the T-Birds ahead in the fourth inning, smacking a two-RBI single up the middle and eventually coming home on a wild pitch later in the frame, making it a 5-4 game in favour of the home side.
UBC tacked on one more in the sixth, but the Oaks started their rally in the seventh inning. T-Bird reliever
Markus Fergusson got the first out of the inning before giving up two straight walks and a single to load the bases.
Nathan Kirby then took over on the mound and got the second out but couldn't escape the jam, hitting one batter to drive in a run before giving up a two-RBI single to James Threw, giving Menlo a 7-6 lead.
The Oaks added an insurance run in the eighth off a wild pitch. After threatening in the eighth but coming up empty, the T-Birds were quiet in the ninth against Menlo reliever Joey Webb, who was solid in his two innings of work to earn the save.
"The biggest problem was on the mound today. Our pitching was not very good at all," said UBC head coach
Terry McKaig. "Between walks and hit batters we gave up 11 free bases today, and you just can't give a team 11 free bases. It's hard to win like that no matter what."
Although they swung the bats well overall, racking up 12 hits in the game, the T-Birds did miss a couple opportunities to break the game open. They still had the bases loaded with just one out in the fourth after putting up the three-spot, and big sluggers
Nick Senior and
Blake Carruthers due up, but Senior popped out in foul territory and Carruthers struck out to end the threat.
"I think those are two at bats they'd like to have back," McKaig said. "That could have been a big turning point up by one at the time. We had a chance to break the game open there."
Senior still had a solid day at the dish with two hits including a double, and one RBI. He leads the 'Birds with four home runs after their non-conference tour of California.
Carruthers also had one single in the game.
The bats have been working well for UBC throughout preseason, but the pitching staff, which is much younger than last year's group that graduated four hurlers into the professional ranks, is still a work in progress.
"I thought coming out of California (preseason tour) our offence really swung the bats well and scored a lot of runs, and even today six runs isn't bad. We should have had more, but it wasn't like we got shut down either. We just have to find a way to pitch a bit better," said McKaig, "Even though we don't have a lot of overpowering guys on the mound like we've had in the past, you have to just put the ball over the plate and not give up those walks."
Menlo improves to 5-11 overall and 2-3 in conference play, while the T-Birds are 7-5 overall and 0-1 in the conference. They continue the series with a doubleheader beginning at noon on Saturday, wrapping up with a single game at 11 a.m. on Sunday. All games are at Thunderbird Park on the UBC campus.
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