VANCOUVER - It was another split for the UBC Thunderbirds in Atherton, California on Saturday, with the Menlo Oaks winning game one 8-2 and the 'Birds taking game two 8-5 to wrap up their first conference series with a 2-2 record.
The Oaks manufactured one run in both the first and second innings of game one with aggressive baserunning and some timely hits, but UBC starter
Jeremy Newton managed to keep his side within striking distance until Menlo got to him in the fifth. Corey Metoyer drove in two runs with a single, and he later scored on a sac fly to make it 5-0 Oaks.
The 'Birds had their chances to get back in the game offensively before that big inning, but they stranded two runners in the first inning and threatened with the bases loaded in the third before a double play ended that opportunity. After that, scoring chances were tough to come by against Menlo starter Joey Webb, who went seven innings and struck out seven batters, allowing five hits and one run.
UBC finally got to him in the seventh when
Tyson Popoff hit an RBI double, but Menlo came back with two runs in the bottom of the inning to extend their lead to 7-1.
Austin Fruson hit a sac fly in the eighth for UBC, but again Menlo came back with a run of their own in the bottom of the eighth for an 8-2 final.
Newton went five innings for UBC, striking out four and allowing five runs.
Tavis Bruce allowed two runs in two innings of relief work, and Gabrielle LaPierre threw the eighth, allowing one run.
Popoff and catcher
Greg Densem were the two offensive bright spots for UBC, batting one-two in the lineup. They each got on base three times and accounted for five of the team's eight hits.
They also got UBC off to a great start in game two, with Popoff hitting a single and moving up to second when Densem walked.
Andrew Firth hit an RBI single to put them on the board in the first inning.
Menlo came right back with a three-run homer from Metoyer off
Conor Lillis-White in the bottom of the first to put UBC behind again, but after the teams traded runs in the second and third innings to make it 4-2 Menlo, it was the Thunderbirds' turn to come up with a big inning to break the game open late.
UBC took advantage of two Menlo errors in the sixth inning and got RBI singles from
Mike Hole RBI and Popoff, as well as a sac fly from
Sebastian Wong, on their way to a five-spot. Hole also homered in the seventh inning to make it an 8-4 game.
The Oaks fought back in the eighth against Miles Verwheel, loading up the bases for James Threw, who hit a single to move everyone up a station and make it 8-5. But Verwheel got Daniel Comstock to ground out to end the inning, and he shut the door in the ninth to earn UBC a split in the four-game series.
Bryan Pawlina was excellent in relief for the 'Birds. He replaced Lillis-White in the third inning and threw four innings of one-hit ball, striking out four and allowing no runs to pick up the win.
Popoff had two more hits in game two, giving him five for the day to lead the UBC offence, along with two RBIs. Hole had three hits and two RBIs. Firth had three hits and one RBI.
UBC is 8-8 overall and 2-2 to start conference play. Next up after a week off is the home opener on Friday, March 15 at 2 p.m. against Concordia.
