BOX SCORES – GAME #1 | GAME #2

SALEM, Ore. – Sophomore Trevor Winsor (Troutdale, Ore.) went a combined 4-for-7 at the plate with two runs scored, but it was not enough as Corban's baseball team fell to the NAIA's No. 7-ranked Thunderbirds of British Columbia, 10-2 & 2-1, Friday afternoon at Warrior Field.

In the opener, British Columbia scored first thanks to six unanswered runs in the second and third innings. The visiting Thunderbirds amassed six hits over the two frames with the daggers coming off the bats of Bob Foerster, Sammie Starr, Jon Syrnyk, and Mike Elias. Foerster drove in a pair of runs thanks to a RBI single in the second and another run-scoring fly out in the third to make the score 6-0 in favor of UBC.

Corban answered in the bottom of the third when Winsor led off with a single through the left side before advancing to third on a double by junior Cameron Meier (Salem, Ore.). One batter later, junior Josh Warner (Independence, Ore.) grounded out to second allowing Winsor to score from ninety feet away and cutting the deficit to five runs (6-1).

Neither team scored again until the bottom of the seventh inning when Corban added another run to the score board off one hit. Winsor registered a one-out single to center field before advancing to third following back-to-back walks that loaded the bases for the host Warriors. Warner then drove home his second RBI of Game #1 with a sacrifice fly to right field that allowing Winsor to score Corban's final run of the opener.

In the top of the eighth inning, British Columbia tacked two more runs on the board thanks to one hit. Pinch-hitter Steve Bone singled through the left side to bring home pinch-runner Eric Brown, who replaced Foerster after he reached to lead off the inning via an error. One batter later, Ben Chan was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to make the score 8-2 in favor of the visiting T-birds.

During their final at-bat, the Thunderbirds added two more runs via Bone's double that was part of the three-hit ninth inning for British Columbia. Starr scored the game's final run to make the tally 10-2 in favor of the nationally-ranked T-birds.

Along with Winsor's performance at the plate, four other Warriors – Warner, sophomore Tony Salamone (Medford, Ore.), Meier, and sophomore Nate Hiebert (Lebanon, Ore.) – all recorded one hit. Senior Jason Braun (Dallas, Ore.) went the opening 6.0 innings allowing six runs (three earned) on nine hits to go along with a game-high nine strikeouts before turning the ball over to a pair of relievers – freshman Mike McKay (Almira, Wash.) and sophomore Kyle Lamson (Medford, Ore.) – for the game's final three innings.

British Columbia was led offensively by Syrnyk and Bone, who registered three hits each to go along with Bone's three RBI off the bench. UBC's Mark Hardy went the opening 7.0 innings allowing two earned runs on six hits en route to picking up his team-leading 10th win of the season, while Jeff Hall pitched the game's final 2.0 innings for the Thunderbirds.

In the finale, British Columbia scored single runs in the first and third innings. UBC's Scott Webster collected the first of his two doubles in the opening frame to drive in White before Syrnyk was thrown out at home attempting to score British Columbia's second run.

Webster's second double of Game #2 drove in the visiting Thunderbirds' final run of the game in the third inning, which allowed Syrnyk to score from second.

British Columbia's starting pitcher Taylor King had a no-hitter going through 5.2 innings before Winsor broke it up with a single to right field. One inning later, Warner collected the Warriors' second hit thanks to a single up the middle before junior Matt Schmidt (Corvallis, Ore.) and senior Craig Spicer (Vancouver, Wash.) collected back-to-back singles with the final base knock driving in Warner for Corban's lone run that cut the deficit in half (2-1).

Corban had a chance to tie or end the game in the bottom of the seventh inning when sophomore Kyle Taylor (Clackamas, Ore.) registered a one-out double to deep left field before advancing to third on a ground out by Winsor. Unfortunately, a game-ending ground out back to the mound ended the Warriors' threat and handed the T-birds the one-run victory.

Five different Warriors – Warner, Schmidt, Spicer, Taylor, and Winsor – collected hits in Game #2, while senior Derek Stokes (Anchorage, Alaska) went the distance on the mound allowing two earned runs on six hits to go along with a game-high eight K's.

British Columbia got a team-leading 2-for-3 performance from Webster, while Taylor King went the opening 6.0 innings allowing one earned run on four hits before turning the ball over to Shawn Hetherington for the game's final inning en route to registering his team-leading eighth save.

With today's results, Corban is now 10-30 overall and 8-18 in NAIA West play. Meanwhile, British Columbia improves to 30-8 overall and 24-6 in NAIA West action. These same two teams will return to the diamond on Saturday, April 18th, in a mid-morning double header beginning at 11:00 a.m. on Warrior Field.

NOTE: In between games, Corban's baseball program will honor four players that will be stepping onto Warrior Field donning the navy and gold for the final time during their collegiate career.