VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds (9-9) kicked off their 2023 home schedule with a pair of losses to the visiting Oregon Tech Owls (12-5).
 
Tyler Horner and Ian Peters both hit homeruns for the Oregon Tech Owls in a 9-5 victory in Game 1, and a four-hit outing from Julien Jones helped pace the Oregon Tech Owls to a 10 - 2 victory in Game 2.
 
Game 1:
 
The Oregon Tech Owls secured a 9-5 victory in Game 1 of the double-header. Tyler Horner and Ian Peters both hit homeruns for the visitors who received six solid innings of starting pitching from Patrick Arman who struck out four batters on 88 pitches while allowing just seven hits and one earned run. Mike Fitzsimmons responded with his fourth homerun of the season and a double for UBC while Noah Or added a pair of hits. Sean Heppner tossed six innings for UBC, surrendering six earned runs and seven hits, while fanning four batters on 84 pitches.


 
The visiting Owls put their first run on the board in the opening inning off a towering homerun to right centerfield off the bat of first baseman Tyler Horner. Horner would finish the day two-for-five.
 
The 'Birds responded in the bottom of the third inning with a pair of runs. Cameron Sanderson started by beating out a throw from the shortstop. Mike Fitzsimmons then landed a blooper into shallow centerfield which scored Sanderson all the way from first base. Fitzsimmons ended up at second with a double. Then with two on, and two out, Brandon Hupe delivered a timely base hit to left field to score Mike Fitzsimmons, giving the home side a one-run lead.
 
Oregon Tech regained the lead in the top of the fifth inning when Sean Tobin hit a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Ian Peters. Then with two outs, Korrey Siracusa laced a base hit up the middle to score Riley Cronin.
 
In the bottom half of the fifth, UBC had runners on first and second base with only one out and the top of the order threatening. Aaron Marsh drilled a line drive out to center field, but Riley Cronin made a spectacular diving catch for out number two. He then doubled off Cameron Sanderson back at second base to end the inning.
 
Tyler Horner and Julien Jones both reached base early in the sixth after back-to-back loud hits. But neither of the next two hitters were able to plate them. But with two on, and two men out, Ian Peters mashed a homerun to deep left field which pushed their lead to 6-2.
 
For a second straight inning, UBC was unable to cash runners in from second and third base with only one out.  Brett Corbeth hit a scorching line drive to the shortstop which was caught. Kyle Anderson was then doubled-off at second base.
 
The teams then traded runs in the seventh inning. In the top-half, Korrey Siracusa slid home safely off a wild pitch. Then in the bottom of the seventh, Mike Fitzsimmons notched a two-out solo homerun - his fourth of the season.
 
The UBC comeback bid continued in the bottom of the eighth inning when an Aaron Marsh walk and a Brandon Hupe double put runners on second and third with nobody out. Trent Lenihan drove in Marsh with a sac fly to left, and then Brett Corbeth snuck a two-out base hit up the middle of the infield to score Brandon Hupe, and the 'Birds were back within two, trailing 7-5.


 
But in the top of the ninth, as a result of Matthew Ortiz single, Korrey Siracusa illuded a Noah Or tag at home plate to extend OIT's lead to 8-5. A Julien Jones double then scored Ortiz, to make it 9-5 OIT.
 
In their half of the ninth inning, UBC had runners on first and second base with one out for Brandon Hupe. But Hupe struck out looking. Trent Lenihan then fouled out to first base to end the game.
 
 "They came out and put us on our heels right away. It felt like we were playing from behind the whole day," remarked UBC skipper Chris Prtichett. "I thought we fought back a little bit in the first game, but some poor baserunning cost us. Then the second game they just outplayed us in every aspect."
 
Game 2:
 
After a scoreless first inning, the Owls exploded in a big way in the top of the second for five runs – all of which came with two outs. The first two runs were posted when a Korrey Siracusa ground ball to third base resulted in a pair of UBC infielding errors. Siracusa ended up on second base as Sean Tobin and Ian Peters scored. Matthew Ortiz (single), Tyler Horner (double) and Julien Jones (single) then followed with a trio of hits, which increased the Oregon Tech lead to 5-0.
 
UBC starter Ryan Heppner's day ended one inning later after 72 pitches.
 
Julien Jones padded the Oregon Tech lead to 8-0 thanks to a one-out, three-run homerun that knocked in both Tyler Horner and Korrey Siracusa who had previously reached base.
 
Owls starter Lalo Barraza was razor sharp in his own right, as his first six innings were scoreless. UBC outfielder Mitchell Middlemiss finally broke up the shutout bid with a homerun to left-center field with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning.
 
The final two runs of the afternoon for Oregon Tech came in the top of the eighth inning thanks to a two-run single from Ka'ala Tam. UBC's Mike Fitzsimmons then rounded out the game's scoring with a two-out single that drove in Cameron Sanderson. The 10-2 lead for Oregon Tech would not change after each team posted a zero in their half of the ninth inning.
"The Owls played both games today with a lot of confidence," added Chris Prtichett. "We're going to have to try and grab momentum back tomorrow. We're disappointed with today but we're going to fight like heck and be better."


 
The 'Birds and Owls will wrap up their Sunday-Monday series tomorrow morning with another double-header. The first game is set for 11:00 am, with the rematch coming at 2:00 pm from Tourmaline West Stadium.