Vancouver, BC – The UBC Thunderbirds (18-11, 3-3) combined for 38 runs over two shutout games against the Corban University Warriors (6-21, 1-5) at Tourmaline West Stadium on Saturday. Each half of the doubleheader saw tons of contact for the home side, solidifying the sweep on the day with 39 hits while only giving up seven – something Head Coach
Chris Pritchett was hoping to see, coming into this matchup.
"I thought it was good when we got out in front," said Pritchett. "I thought the guys didn't let up at all and we kept putting runs up which is really important. This puts our pitcher in a good spot for tomorrow as well."
Game 1 – British Columbia 22, Corban 0
After a quick top of the first, the 'Birds started strong with a leadoff double in the bottom half.
Aaron Marsh took to the plate next and, on the first pitch, shot the ball over the fence in deep right centre for the two-run shot. The 'Birds would go on to hit through the order, tallying five runs before Marsh stepped up for another crack, this time with the bases loaded and two outs. He connected for a deep, off the wall, bases clearing double. A few more hits in the frame earned more runs, swelling the T-Bird lead to double digits to end the first.
Marsh continued his hot hitting in the second stanza by squeezing a single passed the second baseman. This sent yet another runner home, adding to their lead while totaling 12 hits ahead of reaching the third inning.
After increasing the score to 15-0,
Jonny McGill stepped up in the fourth and followed in his teammates' footsteps by crushing a two-run homerun of his own, netting four RBIs to his stat sheet for the day.
The 'Birds never let up. Keeping their foot on the gas resulted in five more runs in the final two frames to complete the dominant victory. The game came to a close at 22-0 for the home side, who reached an impressive 26 hits in the series opener.
"I was proud of them," added Pritchett. "We have a tendency, when we do get out in front, to kind of hit cruise control, and I don't think anybody did that."
UBC pitcher
Will Anderson earned the win on the mound, throwing five shutout innings with five strikeouts along the way.
Game 2 – British Columbia 16, Corban 0
Game two saw a quick three-up-three-down first inning for both teams. In the second, the 'Birds were able to get runners on base and, due to two fielder's choice plays, the Warriors had no option other than giving up two runs for the early T-Bird lead.
Things remained stagnant in the third, but life was injected into the 'Birds in the fourth when
Russell Young sent the first pitch deep, clearing the left field wall for the solo shot.
With the three-run T-Bird lead in the fifth,
Trent Lenihan looked to double that with one swing as he homered with baserunners on, increasing the lead to 6-0.
It appeared momentum carried over into the sixth inning, as UBC would proceed to score 10 runs in a frame for a second-straight game. This was led by consistent contact through the lineup but was emphasized when Kade Zarowny stepped into the box. With the bases loaded, and the game already out of hand, Zarowny added insult to injury as he demolished a homerun of his own over right field for the grand slam.
While it seemed to be an offensive showcase, UBC's pitching delivered another stellar performance.
Sean Heppner, last year's Conference Pitcher of the Year, was commanding the strike zone, throwing nine strikeouts through six innings to earn his team the win.
"It's just momentum, you know, when you have a quick inning, it just helps with the rhythm", concluded Pritchett. "He was really good again, that's three starts in a row he's been really good."
The Thunderbirds return to Tourmaline West Stadium on Sunday for another doubleheader against the Corban University Warriors. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. PT. with game two set for 2:00 p.m. PT.
