VANCOUVER – A combined 25 hits powered the UBC Thunderbirds (12-7, 18-17) to a doubleheader sweep over the visiting College of Idaho Yotes (3-16, 10-25) Saturday afternoon at Thunderbird Park.
Game one saw the 'Birds take a 5-0 lead by the third inning only to have the Yotes claw their way back within a single run by the seventh. But
Braeden Allemann completed the six-out save as UBC took it by a 5-4 margin.
The second half saw UBC dominate from start to finish in a 6-0 victory that included 14 hits and another solid pitching performance from
James Bradwell who earned his second win of the season.
Anthony Cusati had a terrific day at the plate for the 'Birds finishing with a combined four hits and five RBI while both
Mitch Robinson and
Jaxon Valcke had four hit days.
"We're just sticking pitch to pitch, fouling pitches off and every pitch on defence we're anticipating what we're going to do with the ball," said Cusati who feels the 'Birds are doing all the little things right. "I feel good at the plate, I'm seeing the ball well but that also comes from my teammates. They pass the bat to me, and pitch to pitch we grind out the at bats and everybody gets better pitches because of that."
"Today we definitely came out and swung the bats a little better," said UBC head coach
Chris Pritchett. "In the first game we got out to a big lead but almost gave it up. We were able to hang on and get some key pitching at the right time. I thought we really swung the bat well in the second game."
UBC has now won eight in a row to remain perfect at home this season.
Game One
Cusati hit his seventh double of the season to become UBC's first base runner in the bottom of the first. After a Robinson walk,
John Whaley hammered a two-RBI double to deep left as the 'Birds took the early lead.
Nolan Weger hit a leadoff double in the second followed by a
Justin Orton single. Both were advanced on a
Kyle McComb sacrifice bunt. Then with two down, Cusati appeared to have crushed a three run homer that was originally ruled fair. But after the umpires conferenced the decision was reversed bringing Cusati back to the plate. After a couple more fouls, the senior catcher hit the ball to the left field wall for a two-RBI stand-up double to make it a 4-0 UBC lead through two innings.
With the 'Birds up 5-0 after three, the Yotes made things interesting with a three-run sixth inning. C of I put up a pair of RBI singles and then Chase Labbe scored on a double steal.
After the 'Birds went three-up, three-down in the bottom of the sixth, the Yotes pulled within one in the seventh when Austin Van Horne grounded out allowing Nate Hundley to score.
Allemann headed to the mound to pitch the eighth replacing
Adam McKillican who allowed four runs on seven hits while striking out seven for his fourth win of the season. The Yotes managed to load the bases with two out threatening to tie the game or take the lead, but Allemann got Johnny Hyland to ground out and held strong in the ninth picking up his first save.
Cusati finished the game 2/4 with two RBI while Weger was a perfect 4/4 as UBC's designated hitter.
Game Two
The 'Birds opened scoring in the second half of Saturday's doubleheader in the bottom of the second. Valcke hit a one-out stand-up double and later advanced to third on a throwing error that saw Weger make it to first.
Anthony Olson followed that with an infield single to make it 1-0.
Cusati increased the lead to 3-0 with a two-RBI single and
Lichel Hirakawa-Kao made it 4-0 on a Yotes throwing error, their second of the inning.
Valcke hit his second straight double of the afternoon the next inning and ended up scoring from third on an Olson infield single as the 'Birds found themselves up 5-0 after three innings for the second straight game.
Cusati added to the lead with his third home run of the season, a solo shot over the left field wall to make it 6-0 UBC in the bottom of the fourth.
Jack Caswell made his second appearance of the weekend coming out of the bullpen to pitch the eighth inning after Bradwell put up a tremendous outing limiting the Yotes to no runs on five hits striking out seven while issuing no walks. Caswell and
Nick Virdo each put in an inning of work with neither giving up a hit to preserve UBC's first shutout win of the season.
"I thought today continually we made it hard on them, we were hitting balls hard and making them work," said Pritchett who was pleased with his team's effort both at the plate and on the field. "I thought we were pretty consistent and I was really happy with that."
The T-Birds can make it nine in a row and a second straight series sweep on Sunday with the finale against the Yotes. First pitch at Thunderbird Park is set for 11:00 a.m. PT.
