VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds baseball team surrendered the first two games of its final regular season NAIA West series to the host Lewis-Clark State Warriors 8-1 and 9-6 in Lewiston, Idaho, on Friday.

With the pair of losses, the Thunderbirds fall to 35-14 overall and 18-8 in NAIA West Grouping, while Lewis-Clark State improves to 38-10 with a 22-4 conference mark.
 
The Warriors dictated the pace of the Game 1, exhibiting the kind of offence that has them recognized throughout leagues across the United States. In the bottom of the first, leadoff hitter Cabe Reiten doubled to left field with the first of many hard hits to come Brendan Rose's (Calgary, Alta.) way that evening. On a subsequent wild pitch, the notorious slugger was able to steal third. Left-handed ace Conor Lillis-White (Toronto, Ont.) then notched the first of his seven strikeouts of the game. No. 3 hitter Seth Brown followed with a sacrifice fly to center field, allowing Reiten to tag and score, and the inning ended with pitcher Ty Jackson going down swinging.
 
After striking out three consecutive UBC batters to end the first and begin the second inning, Jackson's streak was spoiled by catcher Cam Firth (London, Ont.), who knocked a solo home run, his sixth of the season, over the left field fence. Unfortunately for the Thunderbirds, it would be their only tally of the matchup.
 
Lewis-Clark State opened up the bottom of the second just like they did the bottom of the first. Max Whitt, whose offensive contribution would earn the Warriors seven out of their 17 total runs in the doubleheader—popped a double out to left fielder Rose again. Allen was then hit by a pitch, and after catcher Bryan Arthur (Abbotsford, B.C.) caught a pop foul for the first out, Chadwick Kaalekahi stroked the inning's second double into left center, driving Whitt home for Lewis-Clark's second run of the game. With Willie Allen at third, Kaalekahi at second, Zach Holley, batting ninth, was walked and UBC found themselves in a sticky situation. Lillis-White ended the inning with back-to-back strikeouts, though, minimizing the potential offensive damage Reiten and Raymond Pedrina, with seven and five home runs to their name, respectively, could have done with the bases loaded.
 
The Warriors scored additional runs in the fourth, sixth, and eighth over the span of 12 hits. Jackson struck out eight batters and kept the 'Birds to five hits en route to pitching his third straight complete game for Lewis-Clark State.
 
In the sixth, UBC found themselves with the bases loaded again. Holley had singled up the left field line but had been caught stealing by Firth and his Herculean throw down to second baseman Justin Orton (Essex, Ont.) for the first out. Pedrina singled to shortstop for his first hit of the evening, and advanced to third on Brown's following single. Brown stole second and Jackson was intentionally walked to load the bases and force an out. Whitt's single drove two runners in and right-handed reliever Tyler Gillies (London, Ont.) closed the inning.
 
Gillies pitched the seventh inning, facing only four batters. Southpaw Brad Smith (North Vancouver, B.C.) relieved him in the eighth. Reiten was walked but Smith battled back, striking No. 2 batter Pedrina out swining. Reiten stole second and Brown was walked. Jackson's following single loaded the bases and Whitt pushed in a run when he was hit by a pitch. A fielder's choice would eliminate the threat of a grand slam, but two more runs would cross the plate to finalize the Warriors' victory 8-1.
 
The Thunderbirds would not go quietly into the night, though, earning the first runs of the Game 2. Left fielder Tyler Enns (Winnipeg) opened the game with a single through the left side, and was able to advance to second on designated hitter Rose's fielder's choice thanks to a Warrior bobble at shortstop. First baseman Bruce Yari (Waterloo, Ont.) then singled to left field, loading the bases, and with another fielding error, shortstop Kevin Biro (Deep Bay, B.C.) drove in Enns for the game's first run. Hawkins followed with another single, driving in Rose, and the 'Birds bats began to look alive, producing two runs in the first frame.
 
The Warriors wouldn't allow for UBC to keep the lead for long, though. With two outs in the bottom of the first, Whitt hit a home run to right field, driving in two runs and giving his team a 3-2 advantage.
 
The next three innings saw only 10 UBC batters at the plate, while Lewis-Clark State added another run in the bottom of the second.

The 'Birds roared back in the fifth, scoring four times to go ahead 6-4.

Orton reached first on a throwing error from third base and then UBC third baseman Anthony Cusati (Burnaby, B.C.) tripled to the warning track, pushing Orton home. Enns then singled to left field—a favourite spot this doubleheader—and earned another RBI. Two outs later, Biro's single to center field advanced Enns to second, and then catcher Brody Hawkins (Delta, B.C.) doubled out to left, to plate Biro and Enns.
 
But the final momentum swing went the Warrriors' way in this back-and-forth matchup. The home side earned two runs in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game.

Then in the bottom of the eighth, Brown hit a three-run home run to right centre to give Lewis-Clark State the lead, and eventually the victory, 9-6.

Enns was 4 for 5 at the plate in the second game, and had five hits in total on Friday. His hit streak is now at six games.
 
The Thunderbirds will return to Harris Field on Saturday for the third of four games this weekend. The first pitch will cross the plate at 1 p.m. PST