VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds baseball team (12-5) scored in just two innings on Friday afternoon, but they were explosive enough to power the club to an 8-2 road win over the California State San Bernardino Coyotes (6-8) at the Inaugural JetHawks Collegiate Baseball Classic in Lancaster, Calif.
 
Curtis Taylor (Port Coquitlam, B.C.) threw four strikeouts and allowed just two runs in six innings of action, while at the plate, it was senior Bruce Yari (Waterloo, Ont.) who took center stage – the outfielder notched three hits, including a two-run home run, and a walk in four hat bats, accounting for two runs himself, while picking up three RBIs.
 
The game got off to an inauspicious start for the visitors from Point Grey, as the Coyotes jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, adding another run to make it 2-0 in the third.
 
The 'Birds responded in a big way just shortly after the Coyotes' second run of the contest, as the Blue and Gold turned in a six-run fourth inning to turn the game on its head.
 
Braeden Allemann (Surrey, B.C.) led off the barrage – with Anthony Olson (Edmonton), Yari, and Anthony Cusati (Burnaby, B.C.) on base, the catcher singled, allowing all three to score (though he did get some help from a throwing error out in right field). Alleman made his way to third on the mistake, and scored on the next batter up, as Geoff Ehresman (Vancouver) popped a single.
 
Later in the inning, Lichel Hirakawa-Kao (Vancouver) drove in Griff Goyer (Burnaby, B.C.) from third base, and Kyle McComb (Surrey, B.C.) took full advantage of a mistake from the Cal State San Bernardino second baseman, capping off the inning's scoring with a run of his own.
 
After some stellar pitching from Taylor and reliever Christian Botnick (Brampton, Ont.) kept the game at 6-2 for the 'Birds, Yari put it to bed in the eighth, as the outfielder went yard on a two-run blast that not only scored him and McComb, but stretched the T-Birds advantage to six.
 
The 'Birds get right back at it tomorrow, February 20, as they are set to take on the California State, Los Angeles Golden Eagles, with the first pitch to be tossed out at 11 a.m. (PT).