The University of British Columbia Athletics

VANCOUVER – Most of the numbers didn't favour the UBC Thunderbirds on Saturday, as they were outhit 11-5 and committed three errors compared to one for Corban, but some clutch hitting and strong work by the bullpen put the tournament hosts on top in the only category that counts, as the 'Birds won 4-3 against the Warriors in a rain-soaked affair at Thunderbird Park.

UBC was behind 3-2 heading into the eighth, with just two hits for the team up to that point. Tyson Popoff got things started right with a solid single to left, and head coach Terry McKaig's gamble to have his top hitter, Bruce Yari, lay down a sac bunt paid off big time, as Kevin Biro drove Popoff home with a single through the right side.
 
McKaig then went to the well one more time with Brody Hawkins dropping down a sac bunt to move Biro into scoring position, and again it worked out perfectly for the 'Birds, as Tyler Enns ripped a single to left field to bring him around for the go-ahead run.
 
"As a coach you prepare ahead of time, and I knew with Yari on deck it would be a lefty-lefty matchup so if we got Popoff on we knew we were going to bunt in that situation," said McKaig. "Yari's our best hitter, so a lot of times you might think of letting him swing the bat, but with the lefty-lefty matchup in the eighth we needed that runner in scoring position, and then Biro and Enns get the big hits."
 
That allowed closer Matt Thornton to come in and seal things up for the 'Birds with a one-two-three inning and one strikeout. The bullpen was crucial for UBC on Saturday after starter Sean Callegari's outing was cut short from a combination of early struggles and a rain delay. Curtis Taylor was credited with the win, going 3.1 innings and allowing one unearned run on five hits, with two strikeouts.
 
"Curtis Taylor did a great job, and Matt slammed the door, which is what we needed," said McKaig.
 
Callegari went 4.2 innings, allowing two runs on six hits, with four strikeouts.
 
For Corban, Austin Guzzon also worked through some early difficulties, but he really found a groove starting in the fourth inning, and he held UBC hitless over his final four innings of work. He ended up going seven strong, allowing two runs on two hits and three walks, with seven strikeouts.
 
McKaig was impressed with the way his squad stayed calm and stuck to the game plan after Corban went ahead late, eventually pouncing on the Warriors' bullpen to retake the lead in the eighth.
 
"We were down late in the game and there wasn't any panic. They have a lot of confidence in themselves, and that's what I'm excited about because come playoffs, all you ask for as a coach is to have confidence in what you've been doing all year," said McKaig. "The process is no different in the playoffs. Trust what got us here and believe in ourselves, and we did that today because we had to come from behind to get a big win."
 
The T-Birds got their first run in the second inning on a Mackenzie Parlow RBI single. They added another in the third on Yari's double deep into the left-centre gap, but that was the last hit for UBC until the eighth inning rally. Four of UBC's five hits in the game produced an RBI.
 
The Warriors tied the game up twice, first in the third inning immediately following a rain delay, when Jordan Johansen smacked a single to left-centre to score Jon Mercer. Then after UBC went up 2-1, they evened things up again in the fourth on a William Koenig RBI groundout.
 
Corban took it's only lead of the game in the seventh, when an attempted pickoff throw at first base went wide, allowing Marc Gallegos to advance all the way to third with one out. The next batter grounded a ball to Kevin Biro at third base, who came home with the throw and appeared to have Gallegos by a step, only for the ball to be bobbled at the plate, allowing him to score.
 
Johansen and Gallegos both went 2-for-5 for the Warriors. Stockton Taylor led the team with  3-for-4 day at the dish.
 
Enns was 1-for-3 with a run scored, an RBI and a walk for UBC. Yari and Parlow were both 1-for-3 with an RBI each. Biro was 1-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.
 
The Warriors now have to win on Sunday at noon to keep their season going. They will play the winner of Saturday afternoon's Concordia-Menlo contest, and the winner on Sunday will go on to play UBC in the finals.
 
UBC is off until the finals start at 3 p.m. on Sunday, and because they are still undefeated at this point, they will have two chances to win the tournament. If they lose on Sunday there will be a second game between the finalists on Monday at noon.
 
The tournament winner moves on to the NAIA World Series Opening Round.
 
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