SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The UBC Thunderbirds now face a do-or-die situation at the NAIA National Championship Opening Round tournament in Santa Barbara, California after a 7-6 extra innings loss to the host Westmont Warriors Tuesday morning.
Trailing much of the game, the T-Birds took a 6-2 lead in the top of the eighth as part of a six run inning including a Kyle Anderson three-run homer.
But the No. 6 ranked Warriors answered back in their half, tying the game and eventually pushing it to extras where Robbie Haw's RBI single in the tenth handed UBC their first loss of the postseason.
The loss means the T-Birds will now face Vanguard University Wednesday morning in a bid to keep their season alive.
Westmont's win, meanwhile, advances the hosts to Tuesday's late game against Benedictine-Mesa with a berth in Thursday's final on the line.
After a three-up, three-down top of the first for Westmont starting pitcher Bryan Peck, the Warriors scored the game's opening run in their half of the opening frame when Bryce McFeeley drove in Brady Renck.
In the bottom of the third, the T-Birds threatened to tie the game, or better, after Russell Young was issued a free pass to first after being struck by Peck. Aaron Marsh advanced courtesy runner Luciano Letteri to second on a ground out to put the tying run for UBC in scoring position. But Letteri was picked off at second as the Warriors ended the inning unscathed.
The Warriors doubled their lead in the bottom of the fifth when Haw made it home from third on a fielder's choice. After a McFeely base hit put runners on first and second with one down, T-Birds ace Sean Heppner managed to get the hosts to ground out into an inning-ending double play to keep UBC within striking range.
After keeping the Warriors to just the two runs through five innings, Heppner retired as James Brock came in to pitch the sixth and promptly sat down his first three batters.
The T-Birds gutted out a tremendous top of the eighth where with two down and on a full count, Mike Fitzsimmons made it to first on a Westmont fielding error, scoring UBC's first run of the day as Aaron Marsh made it home from second.
After UBC cut the lead in half, the Warriors went to their bullpen as Peck's day was done after seven and two thirds having allowed just four T-Bird hits with seven strikeouts as Carlos Moreno headed to the mound.
But the pitching change didn't work out in the Warriors' favour as Brandon Hupe hammered a two-run blast over the centre field wall to give UBC the 3-2 lead.
Moreno's outing went from bad to worse when he walked Jonny McGill and then plucked Trent Lenihan to put two runners on for Anderson. The rookie outfielder then promptly hit a three-run bomb, his second home run in as many games, vaulting the 'Birds to a 6-2 eighth inning lead.
But just as quickly as UBC staked out their lead, it evaporated as the Warriors plated four in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game 6-6. After cutting the T-Birds' lead to two, Trey Dunn tried to score another by attempting to steal home on a wild pitch, but he was tagged in time for UBC's second out of the frame. But at the same at bat, Renck singled to right field to score two more, tying the game before Brendan Logan got Ryan DeSaegher to ground out.
The 'Birds were held in check by Warriors' reliever Gabe Artega in the 9
th and 10
th giving the hosts the opportunity for some extra innings dramatics which they ended up providing thanks to Haw's fourth hit of the day which got pinch-runner Daniel Patterson home from second, keeping Westmont undefeated at the double-elimination regional tournament.
Now facing elimination from the playoffs for the first time in 2023, the T-Birds will be back at Russell Carr Field Wednesday for their must-win game against Vanguard who have already staved off elimination once with a victory Tuesday afternoon over Antelope Valley. First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. PT. The game will be streamed live
HERE.