UBC Rallies for One-Run Wins over C of I
VANCOUVER, B.C. - No. 10 ranked British Columbia rallied twice to top No. 23 ranked College of Idaho, sweeping today's key NAIA West doubleheader, 4-3 and 3-2, at Thunderbird Park.
With the wins, the T-Birds (27-7, 21-5) take a one and a half game lead on the Yotes in the race to host the grouping's post-season tournament - with just six games remaining.
In the opener, a pair of stellar defensive plays kept the Yotes (24-12, 19-7) at bay - including a diving catch by Jon Syrnyk on a Brad Carlsen drive that turned into an inning ending double play. The Coyotes would build a 3-0 lead, getting RBI singles from Bryan Champ and Kyle Douglas in the fifth, and an Alex O'Brien RBI base hit in the sixth, but squandered a bases loaded, no out chance in the seventh - as UBC used a 5-2-3 double play and a strikeout to escape trouble.
The Birds, who were limited to just four hits through seven innings by Andrew Brock, delivered the knockout punch in the eighth, as Ryan Pilgrim laced a one-out RBI single, followed by a three-run homer by Scott Webster.
Douglas went 3-for-4 in the loss for C of I, while Syrnyk, Pilgrim, Webster, and Ben Torrie each had two hits for UBC.
The nightcap was a pitchers dual between UBC's Mark Hardy and the Yotes Jared Arehart. The C of I took advantage of a pair of errors in the second to plate a pair of runs, but opportunities were few and far between from there, as Hardy limited the Yotes to just three hits. The hosts would tie the game in the bottom of the inning on a ground out and a Torrie RBI single, then tack on the winning run in the fifth on a Ben Chan RBI double.
The two teams, who have split six games this season, conclude the season series with a doubleheader tomorrow at 11 a.m., at Thunderbird Park.