VANCOUVER — A four-run fourth inning and yet another superb day on the mound led the UBC Thunderbirds (22-9, 27-18) to a 7-2 win over the College of Idaho 'Yotes (10-22, 16-35) to complete the series sweep Sunday afternoon at Tourmaline West Stadium.
Nolan Weger hit a two-run homer in the fifth to help secure the lead while freshman starter
Daniel Sereda went six and two-thirds with just one earned run and six strikeouts for his third win of the season.
The victory gives the T-Birds a five-game win streak to head into the post-season while finishing a remarkable 15-4 overall at home.
"Overall I thought we prepared well before the game today," said UBC head coach
Chris Pritchett. "I thought our approach at the plate was the best it's been in a couple weeks and we pitched and defended very well. I thought it was one of our better complete games of the year which is what we were looking for."
For the first time in the series, the 'Yotes opened scoring on a Chase Labbe sacrifice fly. After earning a leadoff walk, Alec Hopkins made his way to second on a sac bunt and then stole third which put him in position to score on the tag up.
Brandon Hupe followed up his massive Saturday with a leadoff single in the bottom of the fourth.
Jaxon Valcke then placed the ball into left for his second hit of the day to bring Weger to the plate. The third baseman laid down a bunt but reached first on a 'Yotes throwing error that also allowed Hupe to score, tying the game at one.
After C of I starting pitcher Austin Van Horne walked
Jordan Dray to load the bases with no outs, 'Yotes head coach Shawn Humberger went to his bullpen bringing in right hander Nathan Pena.
Pena did get UBC pinch hitter
Nathan Shute to strike out but with
Liam Vulcano at the plate, a wild pitch allowed Valcke to score. Vulcano then hit a single up the middle scoring two more UBC runs as the 'Birds took a 4-1 lead.
In the bottom of the fifth, Penner hit his second home run in as many games, this one launched over the right-centre wall for a solo shot to give the T-Birds a four run lead. The freshman has now registered a hit in four straight games with five hits in the season-ending series.
Not to be outdone, Weger hit his two-run blast to left three batters later, his second home run of the series and sixth of the season.
With two down and two men on for the 'Yotes in the top of the seventh, the 'Birds brought
Barry Caine in from the pen to replace Sereda who allowed just the one earned run on four hits with three walks and six strikeouts.
Caine used just a single pitch to get Keaton Elledge to ground out and bring the 'Birds to their half of the inning.
Eerily similar to the second game Saturday, 'Yotes centre fielder Matthew Clay hit a late game solo home run, this time in the top of the eighth with one down, cutting the visitors' deficit to five runs.
Unfortunately for C of I, Caine struck out his next two batters while
Brendan Logan went three-up, three-down in the ninth to clinch UBC's fifth straight victory and the season series sweep over the 'Yotes.
The 'Birds now set their sights on the upcoming California Pacific Conference Championship tournament which begins next Sunday, May 5
th in Mesa, Arizona. UBC will be looking to earn a berth in the opening round of the NAIA World Series for a second straight year.
