CALDWELL, Idaho – British Columbia pounded out 17 hits against seven College of Idaho pitchers, as the Thunderbirds spoiled the Coyotes Senior Day with a 14-6 victory at Wolfe Field.
UBC (31-14, 21-11 NAIA West) scored five first inning runs and jumped to a 12-0 lead in winning the rubber game of the five-game series.
The T-Birds chased C of I (21-28, 14-18) starter
Jake Eddy in the opening frame after two hit by pitches and two walks – with UBC scoring runs on a John Whaley walk, an Anthony Cusati sacrifice fly, a Brendan Rose single and a two-run double from Nick Spillman. After scoring single runs in the second and third, UBC batted around for five runs in the fourth, including a Tyler Yorko two-run double to extend the lead to 12-0.
C of I tried to chip away at the deficit – as
Hunter Hanson and
Devon Pogue lined RBI singles in the fourth,
Sam Grise ripped a two-run single in the fifth and
Caleb Nunes delivered an RBI ground out in the sixth to cut the gap to 12-5. However, UBC stopped the rally with a Rose two-out, two-run single in the seventh to put the game out of reach.
James Bradwell grinded through five innings to earn his first win, working around eight hits. Anthony Olson finished 3-for-5 with three runs scored, Rose went 3-for-5 with three RBI and Vinny Martin, Yorko, Spillman and Zach Prisciak each recording two hits.
Hanson, Pogue and
Johnny Hyland all had two hits for the Coyotes in the loss – as 13 senior student-athletes played their final game at home.
Both teams advance to the NAIA West North Division Championships next weekend in Vancouver, B.C. – as C of I opens the tournament Friday morning against Oregon Tech.
