VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbird baseball team suffered a heartbreaking 4-3 loss to the Lewis-Clark State Warriors in 11 innings Saturday in Lewiston, Idaho. With the loss, the Thunderbirds fall to 0-3 in the final four-game weekend conference series of the regular season. Game 4 is Sunday.
 
Now 35-15 overall and 18-9 in NAIA West Grouping, UBC will be looking for a big win tomorrow to enter the playoffs on a high note. With the victory, the Warriors improve to 38-10 overall and 23-4 in conference.

The Thunderbirds loss, combined with a Concordia (Ore.) sweep today, means the NAIA West league championship tournament will be played in Portland, Ore., next weekend.
 
UBC collected all of their runs in the first, but couldn't hold on for the 'W'.
 
The game started out in the T-Birds' favour, as they capitalized on an uneasy start from Lewis-Clark State's defence. Designated hitter and No. 2 batter Brody Hawkins (Delta, B.C.) reached first on an error by shortstop Cabe Reiten, much like Game 2 the previous evening. Warriors pitcher Nick Sagendorf walked first baseman Bruce Yari (Waterloo, Ont.), advancing Hawkins to third, followed by a base hit from shortstop Kevin Biro (Deep Bay, B.C.). Catcher Cam Firth (London, Ont.) also drew a base on balls, Sagendorf's second ball four of the inning, and Hawkins scored for UBC's first tally. Left fielder Brendan Rose (Calgary) popped a fly out to center field that got caught in the wind blowing in from right field, preventing Warrior center fielder Raymond Pedrina from making the catch. The single allowed Yari and Biro to score, and then that would be it for offence from UBC for the remainder of the game.
 
Sagendorf hit his groove and retired 13 consecutive T-Birds batters at one point, a streak that was broken in the sixth.
 
Right-handed pitcher Alex Webb (Surrey, B.C.) would keep the Thunderbirds in it for the next six innings, striking out two batters a frame in the first four consecutive innings, and then again in the sixth for a total of 10 Ks. In his 100-pitch performance, the third-year hurler walked four, allowed only five hits and had two runs scored against him.
 
In the fifth inning, first baseman Seth Brown clobbered a two-run home run, his second of the series and 22nd of the year. Currently, he is sixth in Lewis-Clark history for career home runs.

The game was not all smooth sailing for Lewis-Clark State, though. After it was revealed Julian Ramon left yesterday's game with a concussion, second-string catcher Chadwick Ka'alekahi fouled a pitch off of what appeared to be his right leg in the seventh inning, and did not return. Kasey Chapan, usually a right-handed pitcher, would take his place and prove his mettle by gunning down Hawkins attempting to steal second in the eighth inning.
 
Curtis Taylor (Port Coquitlam, B.C.) entered the game in the seventh to try and close out the game. The right-handed pitcher led the conference with 10 saves and an impressive 0.94 ERA going into today.
 
Lewis-Clark tied the game in the bottom of the ninth after Taylor struck both left fielder Darren Kolk and Pedrina out. Reiten reached first on an error from third baseman Anthony Cusati (Burnaby, B.C.), and then Brown singled down the left field line, advancing him to second. Designated hitter Ty Jackson walked, loading the bases, and then second baseman Max Whitt was walked, forcing in Reiten for an RBI and extra innings.
 
UBC was close, but not close enough in the two extra fames. In the 10th, Tyler Enns (Winnipeg) got on base but Hawkins grounded into a double play. Taylor was able to throw a 1-2-3 inning, but the Thunderbirds ended the 11th with two men left on base and no additional scoring.
 
In the home half of the 11th, Reiten was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Brown was intentionally walked. An ensuing sacrifice fly advanced Reiten to third. Whitt was intentionally walked to create a force-out at the plate, but pinch-hitter Robert Smith ended the game with a two-out infield single to third base, stealing the win for the Warriors.
 
The Thunderbirds have one more chance to claim a victory before the post-season begins. Game 4 is tomorrow at Harris Field, and first pitch is at 11 a.m. PST.