VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds bombarded the Concordia Cavaliers with 17 hits on Sunday on their way to a 9-7 win and four-game series sweep at Thunderbird Park.
 
It was a tough day for UBC pitchers, giving up 10 hits as well as 10 combined walks and hit batters. But the sticks came to the rescue, with nine different batters getting hits for the 'Birds to hold on for the sweep.
 
"To get the sweep against Concordia is big," said UBC head coach Terry McKaig. "There's a lot of parity in the league this year, so getting the wins when you can is important and you'll take a four-game sweep any time. It was another game dictated by our bats and getting that lead. We needed every run with the way it worked out, but Conor Lillis-White came out and did a really good job for us."
 
Lillis-White came on to get the final out of the eighth after the Cavs had cut UBC's five-run lead down to two, and he also pitched a scoreless ninth to earn the save.
 
The Cavs managed to chase UBC starter Sean Callegari after three innings, taking a 3-1 lead on five hits and two walks, but the Thunderbirds responded with a huge third inning to seize control.
 
The first five batters of the inning either singled or walked, with the runs coming in on RBI singles from Sebastian Wong and Jerod Bartnik, as well as a passed ball that scored Andrew Firth. But the big blow came from Brody Hawkins, who tripled down the right field line to score two more, making it a 6-1 UBC lead.
 
The T-Birds added what turned out to be some crucial insurance runs over the next three innings, with RBI singles from Bartnik, Greg Densem and James Stewart in the fourth, fifth and sixth.
 
The Cavs got one back in the sixth on a Jared Young RBI single to make it 9-4, and then got to UBC reliever Connor Smith in the eighth, loading up the bases for Ryne Briley, who unloaded them with a three-run double down the left field line.
 
Lillis-White then took over with two outs and the tying run at the plate. He walked the first batter he faced before bearing down to record four straight outs to close out the game.
 
McKaig was concerned about the number of free passes his pitching staff has been issuing lately, which played a big part in allowing the Cavs back into the game on Sunday between the six walks and four hit batters.
 
"The walks are killing us, but the bats have been bailing us out. The last couple years with the way we'd been swinging the bats, these would be losses piled up. In the past we've won with pitching so this is a different way of winning, but in the end they are wins and we'll take them."
 
Cleanup hitter Andrew Firth and leadoff man Tyson Popoff led the UBC offence with huge numbers this weekend. They each added two hits on Sunday to finish with nine hits and seven RBIs apiece in the series.
 
But the 'Birds also got some great at-bats from some other spots in the lineup. Turner Spears racked up six hits over the weekend, and backup catcher Hawkins went 5-8 combined in his two starts.
 
The Cavs fall to 11-15 overall and 3-5 in conference play.
 
UBC improves to 12-8 overall with the win. They are 6-2 in NAIA West Grouping play, moving them into a tie for second with the College of Idaho, who they host next weekend for a four-game series at Thunderbird Park. The teams will play doubleheaders starting on Saturday, March 23 at 12 p.m., and Sunday, March 24 at 11 a.m.