VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds got another strong effort from starter
Connor Noble but couldn't get any run support in a 3-0 loss to the College of Idaho Saturday afternoon as the 'Yotes finish round-robin play 2-0 and advance to Sunday's NAIA West Grouping North Division championship final.
Just as in their tournament opener a few hours earlier the 'Yotes opened scoring early against UBC. With two men on, Dominic Conigliaro hit an RBI single down the left field line as Johnny Hyland scored from second. Noble got out of the inning without any further damage getting his next two batters to strike out and fly out to centre.
Noble then really got into a groove retiring 14 straight batters through the end of the fifth. But the 'Yotes managed four straight hits while tacking on another run in the sixth thanks to an Austin Van Horne RBI single. But yet again Noble limited damage getting Sam Grise to ground out ending the inning with the 'Birds down 2-0.
UBC remained off the board while the 'Yotes added another run in the bottom of the eighth. Hyland hit a lead off single but advanced to third on a 'Birds fielding error. Dalton Ridgway followed up with a base hit to bring Hyland across the plate making it a 3-0 C of I lead.
The 'Birds looked for the ninth inning rally with
Kyle McComb hitting a one out single before stealing second but the comeback attempt fell well short as UBC failed to score a run for just the second time in conference play this season.
"We've always known we've had this potential, lately we've been putting it together," said 'Yotes starting pitcher Riley O'Brien who struck out 10 UBC batters through seven and a third innings picking up the win.
"I was just trying to throw strikes and let my defence work. The mechanics felt smooth. I kind of ran into trouble in a couple innings but later on I just tried to slow things down and it worked out."
Miles Bigelow pitched the final inning and a third for C of I earning the save.
Noble pitched a complete game for the 'Birds finishing with seven strikeouts while allowing just one earned run on eight hits but failed to get the necessary run support.
UBC now needs to pick up a win in their final game Saturday against Oregon Tech to earn the second berth in Sunday's championship game which would give them a chance at revenge over the 'Yotes.
First pitch against the Owls in the final round-robin game is set for 4 p.m. PT at Thunderbird Park.
