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If the story of the Western Oregon game was stolen bases, the story of this one was double plays; the Thunderbirds got five of them, and they played a major role in keeping the Birds in this one all the way.
The Birds got the early lead this time, on a home run in the third inning by 1B Scott Webster. This held up for 1 1/2 innings. The Warriors evened it in the fourth with an RBI double by Kyle Greene, and scored the rest of their runs in the fifth. The first of those two runs was set up by a particularly bad error. With a runner on first, LF Nic Benton put down a very good bunt. Benton had beaten it to first base, but 2B Alex White threw to first anyway, and the throw went over the head of Webster. The result was a run scored, and Benton on third base. He scored on a sacrifice fly by SS Brent Wyatt.
The Birds managed only five hits against the Warriors. L-C State used four pitchers, and the last one, Mike Guerrero, was especially effective. He put the lights out for the last three innings, allowing one hit, and striking out six of the 11 batters he faced. He struck out the side when he came on in the seventh, and struck out two in the ninth.
The Thunderbirds' best chance to score came in the second, when they had runners on second and third with two outs. LF Nic Lendvoy opened the sixth inning with a double, but he was thrown out when the next batter flied out to right field, and Lendvoy didn't get back in time.
Starter Mark Hardy went six innings, allowed ten hits. (The box score says two earned runs, but it probably should have been one.) Former Warrior Ashton Florko went the rest of the way, and was sharp; one hit and two strikeouts in two innings of work. Hardy got the loss, and reliever Brian Hibbs got the win. Lendvoy got three of the Thunderbirds' five hits. DH Zach Adam was 3-4 for the Warriors, but the Thunderbirds shut down CF Paul Martin, who terrorized opposing pitchers in the two games the Warriors played the previous day.
The Thunderbirds went 0-4 in the Guardian Plumbing, Heating, and Air Conditioning Tournament.
Box score and play-by-play
Interview with UBC LHP Mark Hardy
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