CU's Ben Rue pitched seven scoreless innings in a 4-0 win against UBC on Saturday.
Cavs Respond to Shutout with a Shutout for Split with UBC
Hardy Shuts Down Cavs in CU Home Opener
WILSONVILLE, Ore.—The Thunderbirds got all they needed offensively on the third pitch of the game as British Columbia defeated Concordia 7-0 in NAIA West Region action on Saturday.
With the result, UBC improved to 9-1 on the year and 5-0 in NAIA West Region play. Concordia dropped to 6-5. The game was the home opener and the league opener for the Cavaliers.
UBC’s Sammie Starr led off the game with a strike over the left-field fence to put the Thunderbirds up 1-0. The T-Birds would tack on two more in the top of the third after a pair of hit batters came around to score on an RBI grounder to shortstop from Bob Foerster and a single through the middle by Ryan Pilgrim.
Jon Syrnek tagged UBC’s second home run of the game with a two-run bomb in the fifth to make it a 6-0 contest. The Thunderbirds added two extra insurance runs in the eight for the 7-0 finale.
Outhit by just an 11-9 margin, Concordia had runners on base in all nine innings. The Cavaliers loaded the bases in the fourth after collecting singles from Brady Miletich, Brennan Ingram and Brad Himes but the threat was deleted after UBC starter Mark Hardy got Tyler Anderson to hit a dribbler to third base for the final out. The Cavs were also haunted by three double plays during the game.
Starr led the Thunderbirds after going 2-of-3 at the plate, scoring three runs and batting in two.
Along with Himes, Ben Lanier posted a multi-hit game for the Cavs.
Both starters went eight innings, with Hardy picking up the win and Ross Conway getting charged with the loss. Hardy allowed nine hits and struck out six in the process of now allowing a score. Conway allowed 10 hits and two walks while striking out a pair.
Rue Blanks UBC for CU Split
WILSONVILLE, Ore.—After falling behind 1-0 in the first inning of the opening game of the doubleheader against British Columbia, Concordia scored a single run in the home half of the first frame en route to a shutout of their own with a 4-0 win in the nightcap/
With the win, the Cavaliers evened its record to 6-6 overall and 1-1 in NAIA West Region action while UBC fell to 9-2 and 5-1 in the league.
After J.J. Berg pasted a two-out double down the left-field line, Brad Himes got the Cavs on the board with an RBI single to right field.
The Cavs sent eight batters to the plate in a three-run third inning to take a 4-0 lead. Jarren Hirasaki led of the stanza with a double over the head of the UBC centerfielder. Ben Lanier follow with a single to left to give the Cavs a runner at first and third with no outs to set up a Brady Miletich double down the left-field line to score Odie Hollingshed, who pinch ran for the Hirasaki, the CU catcher.
Jeff Hall would enter in relief of Thunderbird starter Matt Bannister and would quickly get the first out of the inning with a strikeout, but would return to hit Himes in the top of the helmet to load the bases. On the ensuing play, UBC’s Bob Foerster was charged with an error after letting a shot by Houts to the third-base side escape into left field, allowing Lanier and Miletich to score.
Hall would end the damage by inducing a groundball double play to conclude the inning.
UBC nearly got on the board in the fifth with a pair of walks and a short single to center loaded the bases with only a single out recorded, but followed with a grounder to CU shortstop Brennan Ingram who quickly stepped on second and fired to first for the inning-ending double play.
Rue would hold the Thunderbirds in check the rest of the way for a seven-inning shutout, striking out five and allowing six hits. Bannister was hit with the loss after allowing the four CU runs.
The two teams square off again on Sunday with another double header. Opening pitch for the first game is slated for 11 a.m. at the Wilsonville High School Sports Complex.