VANCOUVER - After losing a 2-1 heartbreaker in 15 innings in game one, the UBC Thunderbirds rebounded to grab a 3-1 win over the Corban Warriors in game two behind a complete game from
Sean Callegari.
GAME 1 BOX SCORE /
GAME 2 BOX SCOREIn game one, the 'Birds trailed 1-0 until the fifth inning, when
Tyler Enns doubled and
Bruce Yari brought him home with an RBI single. But that was just about the end of the story offensively, as the teams remained deadlocked at one for the next nine and a half innings.
The 'Birds and Warriors combined for just four hits over the final 10 innings of the game, but Corban didn't really end up needing a knock to get the wining run in the bottom of the 15th anyway.
After they loaded the bases up with a single, a walk and a UBC error, Ryan Rosas was hit by a pitch to drive in the game-winner.
Bryan Pawlina went four innings to start for UBC, allowing just one run on three hits, with three walks and three strikeouts.
Curtis Taylor worked the next four, allowing just two hits and striking out two. Then
Matt Thornton put in another four scoreless innings, allowing two hits and three walks with one strikeout. Finally,
Alex Webb worked the last 2.1 innings allowing just the one unearned run on one hit and one walk.
For Corban, Tony Davidson had the start. He went seven innings and gave up one run on five hits. Daniel Aranda was outstanding over the next seven innings, holding UBC scoreless on one hit and three walks. And Eli Driessen earned the win for pitching a scoreless 15th inning.
UBC's top four hitters in the order -
Matt Spillman,
Tyson Popoff,
Kevin Biro and Yari - combined for five of the T-Birds' six hits in the game. Enns had the sixth, and their only extra-base hit.
Corban slugger Daniel Orr led the way for the Warriors with a 2-for-5 game with two walks.
Game two was another pitchers' duel, but it required a lot less innings and a lot less pitchers. Just one, in the case of UBC. Callegari went the distance, allowing only one run in the second inning. He gave up seven hits and just one walk, and struck out one batter.
Rilyn Lewachuck just missed out on a complete game for the Warriors too, going 8.1 innings and giving up two earned runs on five hits. Austin Reames finished off the ninth inning.
UBC tied the game up in the fourth on a sac fly by Biro. Some more small-ball put them ahead in the fifth, when
Sebastian Wong singled and advanced on an error, and
Jerod Bartnik cashed him in with an RBI groundout. They added an insurance run in the ninth on an RBI single from Enns.
Again it was the top of the order doing most of the damage for the 'Birds, as Spillman, Popoff and Yari had four of the six hits in this one. For the series, Spillman led the way offensively, going 4-for-14 with four walks and an RBI.
The T-Birds are now 25-11 overall and 16-8 in the conference, maintaining their one-game lead over the Warriors in the NAIA West standings. They were also one game up on the College of Idaho entering this weekend, and they have a doubleheader on Saturday and Sunday against Concordia still to come.
Next week is the regular season finale back at Thunderbird Park against the Simpson University Redhawks. If the 'Birds can keep their lead over Corban and College of Idaho through next week, they will host the NAIA West Tournament beginning on May 2.
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