CALDWELL, ID – The UBC Thunderbirds (7-9, 2-1) put up five runs in the fourth inning and never looked back in a convincing 15-4 win over the College of Idaho Yotes (8-11, 1-2) Sunday afternoon at a chilly Wolfe Field.
After splitting a doubleheader Friday, the 'Birds and Yotes waited out a storm on Saturday and then had to wait to clear a snow-covered field Sunday morning before finally getting underway around 2:00 p.m. PT.
A wild fourth saw a combined eight runs cross the plate, five of them from the Thunderbirds. With the bases loaded and none out,
Austen Butler hit a sacrifice fly scoring
Mitch Robinson from third tying the game at one. Back-to-back doubles from
Anthony Cusati and
Zach Prisciak drove in two more runs as the 'Birds took their first lead of the game.
Kyle McComb and
Jake Lanferman kept the 'Birds rolling with back-to-back singles scoring two more UBC runs as the visitors staked out a 5-1 lead.
C of I managed to get back within one run by the end of the inning, however. After scoring three times and threatening more with the bases loaded and two out,
Adam McKillican came out of the UBC bullpen and got Austin Van Horne to ground out.
After chasing Yotes starter K.J. Strickland by loading the bases in the top of the fifth, the T-Birds put up six more runs over the next two innings. As C of I reliever Miles Bigelow's first batter faced in the fifth, McComb reached first on a fielder's choice that saw Butler score from third followed by Cusati who made it home on a throwing error to make it a 7-4 'Birds lead.
Things only got worse for the Yotes in the seventh as UBC put up four more on the board to break open a seven-run lead. With two down and the bases loaded, Prisciak hit his second double of the game driving in two UBC runs. McComb followed up with a double of his own driving in two more as the 'Birds scored 11 runs on 12 hits through seven.
All told, the 'Birds scored ten runs in the final four innings with one in the eighth and another three in the ninth, for good measure.
McComb finished the game 2-for-4 with four RBI and a walk. Prisciak earned three RBI while six different Thunderbirds had multiple hits with every batter getting on base at least once.
McKillican picked up the win in relief for the 'Birds allowing no runs on three hits while striking out five through three and a third innings of work.
Braeden Allemann and
Patrick van den Brink pitched the eighth and ninth innings, respectively, neither allowing a hit. UBC starter
James Bradwell went three and two-thirds allowing four runs on eight hits, striking out seven batters.
Due to the snow issues in Idaho, the final game of the T-Birds' series with the Yotes will be played prior to the start of their series in Vancouver in late March.
The 'Birds will now return home for the first time in several weeks following the snowy weekend in Idaho and a sunny trip to California prior to that. But UBC is right back on the road next weekend for a four-game set against the Lewis-Clark State Warriors in Lewiston, Idaho starting Friday, March 2.
