VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds (31-15, 17-9 NAIA W) will leave Idaho with at least a split of their four game series against the Lewis-Clark State College Warriors (35-7, 21-5 NAIA W). After winning the opener Friday night, UBC took the first game of a double header Saturday, fueled by a pinch hitting power source and another strong pitching performance by right-hander Connor Noble (Vancouver).
 
It was the second inning of game one when Thunderbirds opened the scoring as Anthony Cusati (Burnaby, B.C.) led off with a single and scored two batters later on a two-out hit by John Whaley (Oakville, Ont.).
 
The Warriros took the lead in the third when leadoff man Logan Griffin belted a three-run shot over the right field wall, to give his team a 3-1 lead.
 
UBC tied the game in the fifth with three singles, a sacrifice bunt, and an LC error, which ultimately plated pinch runner Lichel Hirakawa-Kao (Vancouver) and Anthony Olson (Edmonton, Alta).
 
It was in the sixth inning when Hirakawa-Kao decided to put the Warriors away. After walks to Tyler Enns (East St. Paul, Man.) and Braeden Allemann (Surrey, B.C.) the first-year infielder hammered a 1-2 pitch over the left field wall. The 'Birds were up 6-3 and never looked back.
 
UBC put one more across in the seventh and the ninth, while LCSC plated one in the bottom of the last frame to make the final score 8-4.
 
Noble (7-4) got the win, allowing four runs on eight hits in 8.2 innings with three walks and five strikeouts.
 
In the second game the 'Blue and Gold' ran into a very hot pitcher in Warrior hurler Connor Brodgon. Brogdon allowed a single to the second man he faced but then sat down the next 11 batters.
 
The Warriors got on the board in the fourth when third baseman Hayden Meier's double to right brought two runners across home plate.
 
Lewis-Clark tacked on some insurance in the fifth after single throwing error lead to three unearned runs. The score was 5-0 and it was more than enough run support for Brogdon, who cruised through 6.1 innings before giving way to the LCSC bullpen.
 
Vinny Martin's (Pender Island, B.C.) RBI single in the seventh was the only offence the TBirds could muster in the nightcap, making the final score 5-1.
 
Brogdon took home the win for LCSC, while Brad Smith (Vancouver) was on the wrong end of the decision for UBC.
 
The two teams will close out the series Sunday, April 17^th with the first pitch slated for 12pm.