VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds split a pair of NAIA West Grouping baseball games on Friday afternoon against the Corban Warriors of Salem, Ore., losing the first contest 7-3 before rebounding to win 6-2.
 
UBC is 33-12 overall and 15-6 in the NAIA West standings. Corban is 10-12 in league play and 22-25 overall.
 
"It was a pretty complete effort in the second game. It was nice to see the offence break out a bit and get some multi-hit innings and then score more than once in an inning," said UBC head coach Terry McKaig.
 
"There were some line drives back up the middle, some things we've been working on the last couple of weeks. Our guys took some good swings against Henry, their starter, and that's a good sign. Kevin Biro had some good swings, Brody Hawkins and Brendan Rose, too. That was much better."
 
In Game 2, left fielder Brendan Rose (Calgary) led the way with three hits, three runs scored and a run batted in.
 
His triple was part of a three-run second inning that featured three extra-base hits and five in total.
 
Right fielder Griff Goyer (Burnaby, B.C.) started the hit parade with a one-out single to right. Shortstop Kevin Biro (Deep Bay, B.C.) then plated Goyer with a double down the left field line. Then came Rose's triple, which scored Biro. Third baseman Anthony Cusati (Burnaby, B.C.) followed up with a sacrifice fly to right to bring home Rose.
 
Corban replied with a pair of runs in the third, but UBC restored its original advantage with two scores in the bottom of the fourth.
 
Biro and Rose led off the inning with back-to-back singles. Cusati hit a single of his own to score Biro to make it 4-2. Three batters later, first baseman Bruce Yari (Waterloo, Ont.) lifted a sac fly to bring Rose across home plate.
 
Rose's third hit of the day was a double to left field in the sixth inning. He came around to score two batters later when centre fielder Bryan Arthur (Abbotsford, B.C.) singled up the middle for the last run of the game.
 
Starting pitcher Alex Webb (Surrey, B.C.) improved to 8-3 on the season, earning the victory by striking out 11 batters while giving up just one earned run.
 
The Warriors scored five runs in the ninth inning to earn the victory in the opener at Thunderbird Park. Corban got the runs on four hits and two walks in the ninth to take control of the game.
 
An RBI single by pinch hitter Goyer in bottom of the ninth brought UBC slightly closer. 
 
The T-Birds trailed 2-0 but rallied to tie the game with a pair of runs in the fifth. Second baseman Justin Orton (Essex, Ont.) led off with a single up the middle before getting to third on an ensuing error by Corban starter Austin Guzzon on a failed pickoff attempt.
 
Three batters later, right fielder John Whaley (Oakville, Ont.) reached on a fielder's choice, scoring Orton to get the hosts on the scoreboard. Whaley then stole second, and got to third on a Tyler Enns (Winnipeg) single. On the next play, Enns stole second and Whaley came home on the throw.
 
Orton went 2 for 2 at the plate, along with two walks and a pair of runs scored.
 
Tyler Gillies (Port Coquitlam, B.C.) took the loss after surrendering five runs in relief of starter Jeremy Newton (Toronto).
 
The two teams will wrap up their series on Saturday with a doubleheader at 11 a.m. UBC will honour its seven graduating players with a ceremony in between games at Thunderbird Park.