VANCOUVER - The College of Idaho Coyotes have taken the first three games of their four-game set against the UBC Thunderbirds down in Caldwell, sweeping Saturday's doubleheader by scores of 7-3 in game one and 7-6 in an 11-inning game two.
BOXSCORE - GAME 1
BOXSCORE - GAME 2
The Coyotes' big guns did their damage early on in game one, as Izaac Garsez had an RBI double and Jerel Lewis smacked a two-run double of his own in a four-run third inning off UBC starter
David Otterman.
Although the 'Birds were able to grab two runs back in the top of the fourth courtesy of a
Blake Carruthers RBI single and a sac fly from
Andrew Firth, that four-spot proved too much to overcome.
Coyotes starter Joshua Orr gave UBC hitters a tough time at the dish. He went 6.1 innings, allowing just four hits and striking out five. Michael Garza had another strong relief outing, finishing off the last 2.2 innings, striking out four and allowing just one hit.
Otterman lasted seven innings for the 'Birds but he didn't have his best stuff on the mound, and the Coyotes did get to him for three more runs before
Markus Fergusson took over.
The one bright spot for the T-Birds was Carruthers, who had three of the five UBC hits in the game.
Game two started out with a similar pattern, as the Coyotes put up a three-spot in the third inning to take the lead.
However, the T-Birds managed to find some offence this time, and looked destined to earn a split on two seperate occasions.
Jerod Bartnik's two-run triple in the seventh brought them to within one, and Carruthers was front and centre again to help them take the lead in the ninth. His RBI single tied the game up, and he later came around to score on a wild pitch to give them their first lead.
Starting pitcher
Danny Britton-Foster was still on the mound in the ninth and came within an out of getting his second complete game win in as many starts, but again it was Garsez and Lewis raining on the T-Birds' parade. Lewis smacked a double into the right-centre field gap to score Garsez from first, sending the game into extras.
After a scoreless 10th, Carruthers led off the 11th with a single and Bartnik took advantage of an error to reach base, setting up a big chance for the 'Birds to go ahead once again. After
Brody Hawkins moved them over with a sac bunt,
Sebastian Wong cashed them both in with a two-run single up the gut, putting UBC up 6-4.
But Garsez still wasn't done spoiling things for the 'Birds, as his two-run single in the 11th off
Conor Lillis-White tied the game up once more. He then came across to score the game-winning run on a Tanner Hodges walk-off single.
Garsez and Lewis combined for six hits, six RBI and six runs scored in the doubleheader for Idaho.
Carruthers had another three-hit game, giving him six total for the day, and Firth also posted three hits in game two, but the rest of the T-Bird offence struggled to get out of the starting gate. Carruthers and Firth accounted for 10 of UBC's 13 hits in Saturday's doubleheader.
Britton-Foster had to settle for a no-decision despite putting up a great line in his second straight start to make it into the ninth inning. He lasted 8.2, striking out nine and allowing four runs, just one of which was earned.
The T-Birds and Coyotes finish the series with a single game on Sunday. First pitch is at 11 a.m.
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