VANCOUVER – UBC and Lewis-Clark State played two tight games on Saturday, each winning one amid off and on rain at Tourmaline West Stadium.
Ryan Beitel pitched eight scoreless innings for the 'Birds in a game one 2-1 extra inning victory while Decker Stedman fired six shutout innings for the Warriors' in their game two, 3-1 win.
"I think we have to score some more runs, we didn't score very many today," said UBC head coach
Chris Pritchett. "But I think we played well, we battled and we pitched. They're a good team but we are too and we're starting to play like it."
GAME 1
UBC (16-15) picked up where it left off Friday, dominating on the mound against division-leading Lewis-Clark State (19-5) en route to its second straight win to begin the weekend series. A crucial error by the 'Birds in the ninth inning let the Warriors tie the game at one and send it to extra innings before Lewis-Clark returned the favour with an 11th inning error to hand UBC a 2-1 walk-off victory.
Both starting pitchers,
Ryan Beitel for the T-Birds and Jace Taylor for the Warriors, were cruising early on, allowing just a single each over the first three innings.
Fortunately for the 'Birds, their first hit cashed the first run of the game.
After reaching on a walk in the third inning,
Kyle Anderson advanced to second on a
Noah Or groundout before
Aaron Marsh laced a line drive single to center to bring him home.
UBC held that 1-0 lead deep into the game thanks to consistent pitching from Beitel and some spectacular defence.
The 'Birds ended the second inning on a crisp double play started by a sliding stop at second by Marsh. UBC also had a strike 'em out, throw 'em out double play to finish off the fourth inning thanks to a perfect throw to second from behind the plate by Or.
The T-Birds threatened to add to their lead in the sixth. Marsh reached base by being hit by a pitch, advanced to second and third on a pair of passed balls and appeared sure to score on a blast by
Jonny McGill to right-center. However, Lewis-Clark center fielder Carter Booth made an improbable sliding grab on the warning track to keep the visitors' deficit at one.
Beitel continued to dominate the Warriors lineup deep into the game, facing the minimum number of batters through seven inning and throwing an incredibly efficient 69 pitches to get there.
In the eighth, the Warriors got their first runner in scoring position. Lewis-Clark's Isaiah Thomas hit a line drive single, advanced to second on a groundout, and moved to third on a passed ball. The T-Birds then brought their infield in and Beitel came through again, inducing two easy groundouts to end the threat.
UBC closer
Vicarte Domingo replaced Beitel in the ninth, looking to preserve the shutout and pick up his first save of the season. After retiring the first two batters he faced, Booth reached for the Warriors on an infield single before Nick Seamons smacked another single to right-center to put the tying run at second. Domingo then got Lewis-Clark three-hitter Pu'ukani De Sa to roll over on a grounder to second. Marsh made another nice sliding stop, but instead of ending the game with a short putout first basemen
Trent Lenihan failed to squeeze a low throw, allowing De Sa to reach and Booth to scamper home from second and tie the game.
In the bottom of the ninth, UBC immediately put the winning run on first as
Brandon Hupe drew a leadoff walk. He reached second on a groundout, but got no further, and the game went to extra innings.
The T-Birds escaped trouble by turning another slick double play in the top of the 10th, holding the Warriors scoreless. Lenihan then got his redemption by smoking a slicing double into the right field corner to begin the bottom of the 10th. Hilo Yamomoto then came off the bench for the 'Birds and laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move Lenihan to third. However, Lewis and Clark escaped escaped the inning by drawing two groundouts while holding Lenihan at third.
Brendan Logan took the mound for the 'Birds in the 11th and mowed down the Warriors, striking out two in a scoreless inning. Hupe then reached base again in the bottom of the 11th with a solid single through the right side. It appeared he would be stranded there as, with two outs,
Brett Corbeth hit a routine fly ball to right field. Just as the fans at Tourmaline West Stadium began to groan about the missed opportunity, the ball popped out of Lewis-Clark right fielder Noah Weintraub's glove and dropped in play. To his credit, Hupe never stopped running and managed to score the winning run all the way from first before the Warriors could recover and relay the ball home.
"I thought we pitched and defended really well," said coach Pritchett. "I was so impressed by our pitchers, I think they really kept us in it."
GAME 2:
Lewis-Clark briefly found its offence in the second game of the day, starting it with a double off the wall by Booth. De Sa knocked him in with a single through the right side before Dominic Signorelli blasted a two run homer to right-center field to give the visitors a quick 3-0 lead.
The 'Birds tried to cut down the deficit in the second as a pair of singles put a runner in scoring position, but a deep flyout to right by
Kellen Bourne ended the threat.
In the third, the Warriors loaded the bases with one out thanks to a single and a pair of walks. As hail began to pelt Tourmaline West Stadium, UBC starter
Brett Corbeth buckled down and induced a strikeout and pop-up to hold Lewis-Clark at three.
The offences for both teams dried up as rain began to soak the field.
Playing through the drizzle, UBC had two runners reach base in the bottom of the fifth on a pair of walks.
Aaron Marsh then stroked a rising line drive to center field, but it held up long enough for Booth to run it down and end the inning.
In the seventh, Lewis-Clark loaded the bases again on a pair of walks and a hit by pitch. However, the 'Birds wriggled out of the jam once again as reliever
Cole Alguire struck out pinch-hitter Eric Mast on a full count to hold the Warriors scoreless for a sixth consecutive inning.
After Lewis-Clark starter Decker Stedman was pulled following six scoreless innings of his own, UBC picked up its first hit since the second inning on an infield single to second by
Russell Young. A walk by Bourne pushed pinch-runner
Aidan Rose to second, before third basemen
David Draayers bounced one through the middle to score Rose and put the T-Birds on the board. A walk by Marsh loaded the bases for UBC and put the tying run in scoring position, but
Mike Fitzsimmons flew out to right, keeping the deficit at two.
With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Bourne reached for the 'Birds after getting hit by a pitch. He got into scoring position on a groundout, then tried to advance to third on a passed ball. However, the outfielder slid right past third and got caught in a rundown, ultimately being tagged out at home to end the ballgame.
"Corbeth gave up three in the first but then he just battled and kept throwing up zeroes," said Pritchett. "I thought
Cole Alguire did a good job, gave us a chance to win, we just couldn't get anything going offensively. Give their pitchers credit as well, but I really felt like we let one get away."
The two teams will meet again for the fourth and final game of their series at 11:00AM (Pacific) on Sunday, back at UBC's Tourmaline West Stadium.
