VANCOUVER - UBC starting pitcher Alex Graham outbattled Point Loma Nazarene starter Kellen Sheppard to help the Thunderbirds record their first win of the 2014 NAIA baseball season with a 4-2 victory on Saturday in San Diego.

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North Vancouver, B.C.'s Graham (1-0) went the first six innings allowing six hits and two runs while walking one to keep UBC in the game. He bested Sheppard who was charged with the loss after allowing 11 hits and four runs in seven innings while striking out four.

With the score tied 2-2 in the top of the sixth inning, designated hitter Bruce Yari doubled to left center to bring home shortstop Tyson Popoff for the game-winning run.

Popoff also scored the insurance run in the eighth when third baseman Kevin Biro singled to left field to make it 4-2.

PLNU rallied to load the bases with one out in the bottom of the eighth but UBC turned to its closer Curtis Taylor who got a fly out and a ground out to end the threat. He would come back and pitch a perfect ninth inning to earn his first save of the season.

UBC opened the scoring with two runs in the second inning. After consecutive singles from left fielder Brendan Rose, catcher Cam Firth and centre fielder Sebastian Wong to load the bases, rookie Vinny Martin, the first baseman, hit a two-RBI single up the middle.

PLNU replied with runs in the bottom of the second and fourth innings.

Wong 3-for-4 at the plate on Saturday, while Popoff was 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Martin was 2-for-4 with two runs batted in.

Tyler Gillies made his debut for UBC and pitched 1.1 innings in relief of Graham.

The team improved to 1-2 and will face St. Katherine College at 1:30 p.m in Encinitas, Calif.

On Saturday, UBC and PLNU also finished off the game that began on Friday but was suspended because of fog.

PLNU's Mike Marcoux singled in the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning to give his team a 3-2 victory.

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The game was resumed in the bottom of the ninth with the score tied 2-2. PLNU had runners on first and second base with two outs.

Reliever Bryan Pawlina got the final out of the ninth when the game resumed but gave up two walks to lead off the 10th inning. Both runners were advanced by a sacrifice bunt before Marcoux's single won the game for the home side.

An RBI-single by Martin, his first hit as a collegiate player, in the top of the seventh inning brought home Tyler Enns to give UBC a 2-1 lead.

Jerod Bartnik's double down the left field line in the third had opened the scoring before PLNU tied the proceedings with a run in the bottom of the sixth, which was the only run charged to UBC starter Jeremy Newton in six innings of work.

Biro was the only Thunderbird with multiple hits, going 2-for-5 at the plate. Enns and Matt Spillman scored the runs for UBC. Pawlina took the loss to fall to 0-1.

- with files from Point Loma Nazarene Sports Information