VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds (8-7, 14-17) completed the series sweep over the Oregon Tech Hustlin' Owls (4-11, 12-22) Sunday afternoon to improve to a perfect 4-0 at the brand new Thunderbird Park.
The 'Birds needed extra innings for the second straight game but
Jake Lanferman hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the 11th to give UBC the 5-4 win while clinching their first series victory of the season.
UBC followed up with a convincing 13-2 win in the series finale that included an eight run second inning to improve to 8-7 in conference play.
"We worked hard all week and I thought the guys remained calm when we got in tough situations and then we really swung the bat well in the fourth game," said UBC head coach
Chris Pritchett. "It's good, I'm really happy for the way they came out and hopefully we can keep that going the rest of the way."
Game One
The 'Birds opened scoring in the bottom of the third when
Mitch Robinson hit his first home run in the new Thunderbird Park, just over the right field wall for a two run shot.
Up 3-0 in the top of the fifth, the Owls cut into the T-Birds' lead thanks to an Alex Poltz RBI single. Bradwell issued his third walk to load the bases with one out and then hit his third batter of the inning to bring Oregon Tech's second run across the plate while leaving the bases loaded. Austin Florez then hit a sacrifice fly to right tying the game at three before starter
James Bradwell got Justin Jordan to pop out to prevent any further damage.
UBC went back in front with a
John Whaley lead off home run in the bottom of the sixth, his third long ball of the season.
The Hustlin' Owls tied the game at four in the top of the seventh on a Poltz RBI double.
Braeden Allemann made his first mound appearance of the weekend for the 'Birds to start the eighth replacing Bradwell who allowed four runs on six hits through seven complete innings while striking out six for the no decision. Allemann held the Owls off the board in his two innings of work to keep the game tied at four headed to the bottom of the ninth and ended up picking up the win, his first of the season.
After a scoreless 10th,
Anthony Olson earned a lead off walk in the 11th for UBC.
Kyle McComb laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Olson to second. Lanferman then drove in the walk off single to centre field as the 'Birds took it 5-4 for a third straight win while clinching their first series win of the season.
Game Two
With two men on and none out in the bottom of the second,
Justin Orton laid down a perfect bunt while the Owls were unable to make a play, loading the bases. In his first at bat of the weekend, rookie
Nolan Weger found the right field gap for a two RBI single to put the 'Birds up by a pair.
Lanferman followed up with a bunt single to drive in another T-Birds run.
Austen Butler kept the runs coming with a single to right making it 4-0 UBC. The rout was on when Allemann hit a stand-up double to the right field wall scoring another pair followed by an
Anthony Cusati sacrifice fly that brought Robinson across the plate.
The 'Birds tacked on four more runs in the third to take an 11-0 lead.
"I thought we ran the bases far better this weekend than we have all year which I think helped our offence," said Pritchett after the 'Birds' first sweep of conference play this season. "That's as close as we've been to a complete effort. Obviously I think we can be better but I think we're definitely heading in the right direction."
Oregon Tech was able to cut into the lead with a two-run double by Austin Zavala in the top of the fifth. With one down,
Christian Botnick entered the game for
Finnigan Duffield who went 4.1 innings allowing two earned runs on four hits with four strikeouts.
Lanferman tripled to the left-centre wall in the bottom of the sixth driving home
Lichel Hirakawa-Kao followed by a Butler bloop single RBI that made it a 13-2 UBC lead. After holding the Owls off the scoreboard in the top of the seventh, the 'Birds hit the mercy rule with the 11-run differential completing the series sweep.
Lanferman finished the day 5-10 with four RBI and earned some praise from his head coach.
"You could see him really start to let it go and he got some big knocks," said Pritchett. "He'll be important for us. He's explosive, he's fast, and he's got a lot of energy so he can be a catalyst when he's going so that can be a really good shot in the arm to our offence."
Pitching the final two innings for the 'Birds without allowing a hit,
Anthony Olson earned his first win on the mound while walking one and striking out one.
The 'Birds will look to keep their perfect home record intact when they host the College of Idaho 'Yotes next weekend starting with a Good Friday doubleheader at 3 p.m. PT.
