VANCOUVER, B.C. – British Columbia rallied three times in extra innings of Game 2, outlasting the College of Idaho, 6-5, in 16 innings, to complete a doubleheader sweep at Thunderbird Park.
The Thunderbirds (19-8, 9-5 NAIA West) erased a 2-1 Coyote lead in Game 1 to win 4-2, while getting a Griffy Goyer walk-off RBI single to win the over four hour nightcap.
The 16 inning marathon was the second-longest game in C of I (14-18, 7-9) history and the longest since the Yotes dropped an identical 6-5 decision at Hawaii Pacific during the 1990 season.
The Coyotes took a 2-1 lead in the second inning of Game 1, getting one-out RBI singles from
Sam Grise and
Johnny Hyland. However, UBC turned double plays to end both the second and third innings to stop further damage.
Mitch Robinson tied the game in the third with a two-out RBI single and scored the go-ahead run in the seventh on a Mackenzie Parlow sacrifice fly. Tyler Gillies got the win, working six innings of seven-hit ball, while relievers Pat Van Den Brink and Christian Botnick combined for three innings, allowing just one hit and fanning four.
Grise and
Dominic Conigliaro each had two hits for the Yotes, while Robinson was 3-for-4 for the 'Birds.
C of I had their chances in Game 2 – taking leads of 2-1, 3-2 and 5-3 – but could not hold off the T-Birds.
The visitors got back-to-back RBI doubles from
Ryan Murkle and Grise in the fifth to grab a 2-1 lead, but UBC tied the score in the seventh on a Brenden Rose RBI knock. The score would remain deadlocked until the 13th, when Grise was hit by a pitch, was sacrificed to second and scored on a
Bobby Wright RBI single. However, UBC took advantage of a catchers' interference call to prolong the bottom of the frame, as Braeden Allemann extended the game with a sacrifice fly.
In the 14th, the Yotes looked to be in position to win, as with two on and two out, Grise beat out an infield single, scoring
Austin Van Horne from second base to give C of I a 4-3 lead. After a stolen base, Grise stayed in a run-down long enough for
Hunter Hanson to score an insurance run. The T-Birds, though, remained resilient in the bottom half, as the first two hitters reached base and after a sacrifice, Robinson lined a two-run single to right to tie the score.
UBC would win it in the 16th, loading the bases with one out and Goyer ending the game with a flare into left field that scored Tyler Yorko with the winning run.
The loss overshadowed a stellar relief performance by the Yotes
Riley O'Brien, who worked six-plus innings, allowing just one earned run and striking out nine. Grise went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI to lead the C of I offense.
Five different UBC hitters had two hits, part of a 14-hit attack, with Brad Smith earning the win, despite allowing three runs.
The two teams close out the series tomorrow with an 11 a.m. tilt.
