PORTLAND, Ore. – Abbotsford, B.C., native Bryan Arthur's three-run home run in the top of the eighth inning gave the UBC Thunderbirds a 6-3 victory over the host Concordia Cavaliers in the semifinal of the NAIA West Grouping Baseball Championship tournament in Portland, Ore.
 
"We're playing really good baseball right now," said UBC head coach Terry McKaig. "We're playing defence, we're pitching well, and this has been two of the best offensive games, complete nine-inning outings, that we've had this year."
 
The win puts defending champion UBC in the final for the second straight campaign. The title game will be played at 3 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. A second matchup will be played Monday at 12 noon, if necessary.
 
With the Thunderbirds holding a slim 3-2 advantage in the eighth inning, first baseman Bruce Yari (Waterloo, Ont.) led off with a walk and then stole second. A bunt from shortstop Kevin Biro (Deep Bay, B.C.) moved Yari over to third. The next batter, catcher Cam Firth (London, Ont.) was issued an intentional walk to set the stage for Arthur.
 
The UBC centre fielder nailed a pitch from Concordia hurler Jason Snodgrass over the right field fence and out of Porter Park for his first home run of the season. It gave his team a 6-2 lead, which was closed out by reliever Curtis Taylor (Port Coquitlam, B.C.), who earned his 11th save of the year.
 
"It was pretty awesome feeling and the coolest home run I've hit in my life," said Arthur.


 
For the second straight game, the Thunderbirds fell behind 2-0 and overcame the deficit to triumph.
 
The host Cavaliers got a pair of runs in the third off UBC starter Alex Webb (Surrey, B.C.) on an RBI single from Cole Crosby and an RBI double by Nate Esposito.
 
But once again, the T-Birds displayed poise and patience, producing a three-run reply in the top of the fifth.
 
Right fielder Griff Goyer (Burnaby, B.C.) led off with a walk. Then pinch hitter Brody Hawkins (Delta, B.C.) knocked a double to left centre to put two runners in scoring position.
 
"Brody Hawkins was ready to go and probably had the biggest at-bat of the game because we were down 2-0 at the time," remarked McKaig.
 
Left fielder Tyler Enns (Winnipeg) followed up with an RBI single to plate Goyer and get UBC on the scoreboard at 2-1. On the ensuing play, designated hitter Brendan Rose (Calgary) leveled the score at 2-2 with an RBI groundout that allowed pinch runner Justin Orton (Essex, Ont.) to touch home plate. Biro then capped off the rally with a single to centre to bring home Enns.
 
Webb got the victory for UBC to improve to 9-3. The third-year hurler gave up three runs in 7.1 innings, while striking out six Cavaliers.
 
"Yes, he gave up a couple of runs early, but to put up the rest of the zeros and throw really well shows there's more than just his fastball, breaking ball and change-up developing," said McKaig. "The mental and emotional part of his pitching is also coming along."
 
The Thunderbirds (37-16) will wait to see who they will take on in Sunday's final at 3 p.m. Concordia will play the Corban-College of Idaho victor in a crossover game, on Sunday morning with the winner advancing to the championship, and needing two wins over UBC to claim the NAIA West crown.

Saturday's triumph was also the 500th for the Thunderbirds as members of the NAIA, which they joined in 2000.