VANCOUVER, B.C. – The Corban University baseball team battled with the (RV) University of British Columbia on Friday afternoon across the border in Canada, and despite great pitching and defense, the Warriors lost a pair of one-run NAIA West Conference contests. After falling 3-2 in the opener, the Warriors dropped game two in 14 innings, 2-1.
In game one, the Warriors jumped on top in the first frame when Zach Penrod hit a sacrifice fly to score Tyler Reitz and take a 1-0 lead. Vince Gonzalez then laced an RBI single to left field to make it 2-0 and the Warrior offense looked to be grooving early on.
UBC took advantage of a Warrior error in the third inning, and then with two outs scored a pair of unearned runs on a two-out two-RBI double from Vinny Martin. The Thunderbirds then took their first lead of the game in the fourth via an RBI single, and from that point on, Connor Noble found himself in the zone, shutting the Warriors down all the way into the ninth. Tyler Gillies then came on in the ninth to earn the two-out save, getting out of a jam in that final frame.
For the Warriors in the loss, Jackson Smith, Vince Gonzalez, and Ethan Bragg each recorded two hits for the Navy and Gold. Rilyn Lewchuk went the distance for the Warriors on the mound, allowing just the three runs on six hits. Only one of the runs that was score was earned, and he struck out five on the afternoon.
In game two, it was once again a pitcher's duel, and the Warriors struck first, taking advantage of a passed ball to score in the seventh inning to nab a 1-0 lead.
The Thunderbirds answered, however, rallying with two outs in the eighth to eventually score the tying run.
The game would go to extra innings, and Corban was able to get runners on base in all but one of the five extra innings that were played, but the big hit never came. Then in the bottom of the 14th, UBC led off with a double, and after getting the runner over to third base, the Thunderbirds won the game on an infield single, completing the day-one sweep of the Warriors.
"It was another great day of pitching and defense, but we couldn't get the big hit to get over the hump," said Corban head coach Jeff McKay. "Lewchuk was outstanding in the first game. He is our ace and he pitched like it, but another game of not getting him offensive run support. It was very good to have Henry and Jackson back and pitch very well. We made some good decisions and plays defensively."
Drew Loera and Benjamin Liogon both tallied a pair of hits for the Warriors in the defeat. On the mound, Caleb Henry was fantastic, tossing 7.2 innings while allowing just five hits and one run while striking out five. Kris Jackson threw 5.2 innings for the Warriors in relief, dispersing eight hits while then giving up one run.
Corban (8-15, 2-8 NAIA West) returns to action tomorrow at UBC (14-4, 4-1 NAIA West) with games at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
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