CALDWELL, Idaho –
Jonny McGill and
Mitchell Middlemiss came through in the clutch with some key hits in the 10
th inning leading to the eventual winning run, allowing the UBC Thunderbirds (30-13, 15-5) to outlast the College of Idaho Yotes (11-20, 2-14 CCC) 10-9 on Sunday afternoon. The T-Birds swept the weekend series while extending their winning-streak to eight-straight outings.
Jordan Kelly's three run home run put the Yotes ahead 7-5 in the seventh but the 'Birds responded in the ninth inning when catcher
Russell Young hit a two-RBI single to left field to tie the contest at 7-7 and force an extra inning. Aided by a
Jonny McGill double and wild pitches by the Yotes, the T-Birds scored three in the top of the tenth. The College of Idaho was able to score a pair of runs in the bottom of the tenth but could not score the tying run.
The T-Birds showed why they are second placed in the Cascade Collegiate Conference all weekend and in today's game after breaking out for 21 hits against the Yotes. Designated hitter
Aaron Marsh earned four hits in the contest which he converted to scoring two runs.
Jonny McGill also contributed four hits which included an RBI and a pair of runs, while Middlemiss led the way overall for the visitors with two hits and three RBI on the day. For the Yotes, Jordan Kelly managed a pair of hits including the three-run homer and a double. Each of Jack Ingraham, Ben Gaff, and Trevor Watkins also tallied a pair of hits for the hosts.
The T-Birds relied on three pitchers Sunday afternoon in a total team effort that saw
Daniel Orfaly start the game, before exiting after 4.2 innings, giving way to
Tyson Kilbreath, who bridged a couple of frames ahead of handing the ball to
Adam Khan, who came in to clean things up and earn the win (1-1). Khan took the mound for the final three innings, allowing three hits, two earned runs while striking out two Yotes.
Next up, the Thunderbirds get set to close out the CCC regular season on home field next weekend when they welcome Lewis-Clark State College for a four-game series beginning Friday evening at 6:00 p.m. PT. at Tourmaline West Stadium.