UBC extends win streak to eight games with doubleheader sweep

Vauxhall Jets alum Kyle Yip (Calgary, Alta.) belted a home run in each of UBC’s wins over Oregon Tech on Saturday. Photo: UBC Athletics

March 15, 2025

By Ian French

UBC Communications

VANCOUVER — The UBC Thunderbirds' hot streak continued after collecting a pair of victories over the Oregon Tech Owls at Tourmaline West Stadium on Saturday, extending the team's win streak to eight.

The T-Birds took game one of the doubleheader, 9-6, before following up with a 9-4 win in the evening. T-Bird Kyle Yip (Calgary, Alta.) highlighted the matchups with two home runs, one in each game.

"We've got a full lineup of guys that can hit, so I wasn't trying to do too much," said the sophomore following his three-hit, five-RBI day. "Just pass it on to the next one."

Game One

After a quick first inning, the Birds went to work in the second. With one out in the bottom half of the frame, Yip stepped into the box and demolished an inside fastball to deep left field for a no doubt solo shot. One hit and two batters later, Kaden Zarowny (Strathmore, Alta.) took his turn at the plate and drilled the ball over an outstretched glove at the wall in left field for a home run of his own, this time scoring two.

Heading into the top of the third, the Owls looked to dig into the three-run T-Bird advantage. Small ball led the charge, as a handful of singles and a sac fly garnered a couple of runs, cutting the deficit to 3-2.

With two outs in the third, UBC's Aaron Marsh (Nanaimo, B.C.) shot a single into centre field before Mitchell Middlemiss (Chilliwack, B.C.) took to the plate and blasted one over the left field wall once again, restoring the three-run lead.

With two outs in the top of the fourth, Oregon Tech's Dane Bradshaw crushed the ball to the deepest part of the park. However, Zarowny chased it down in centre field, leading to a leaping catch at the top of the wall, ending the frame and holding momentum on UBC's side.

After UBC added another run in the bottom half, Oregon looked to respond in the fifth where, with two outs and a runner on second, Tyler Horner smashed the ball off the right field wall for an RBI double. A subsequent walk and stolen base led to an opportunity to make it a one-run game with runners on second and third, but UBC starter Will Anderson (Delta, B.C.) settled things down by firing an inning-ending strikeout.

The Owls continued to chip away in the sixth when Keanu Mizuta belted the fourth and final home run on the day, narrowing the UBC lead to 6-4. However, the 'Birds continued to fire back with runs of their own, scoring three more before the ninth inning.

With their final three outs, the Owls managed to tack on two more runs but couldn't overcome the UBC advantage, falling 9-6.

Game Two

Like the day's opener, the first inning was quick for both clubs until the T-Birds grabbed their bats in the second. Leading off the frame was Middlemiss who belted one over the wall in right, handing his team the early 1-0 lead. The Owls responded in the top of the third as Oregon's Matthew Ortiz stepped up with a runner on and shot a liner to the gap in right centre to tie the game.

Still tied 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth with two outs and a runner on second, Yip stepped into the batter's box. Taking a page out of game one, he demolished the first pitch he saw to deep centre field, drilling the middle of the batter's eye, for the two-run home run.

The lead was short-lived as, in the top of the seventh, the Owls began to catch fire. A combination of two singles, a double, walk and a sac fly, garnered three runs for OIT, handing them their first lead on the day, 4-3.

With two outs gone in the following half inning, the Birds had the bases loaded. A passed ball scored the runner from third, evening up the game at four apiece. A subsequent walk loaded the bases once more, when Middlemiss took to the plate. This time, the T-Bird outfielder smoked a worm-burner down the left field line. As the third baseman lined it up, the ball ricocheted off the bag and soared high into the air. As it landed in shallow left, two runners made it home. Next up was the scorching hot Yip who looked to pile on. He quickly crushed a double into left centre, scoring another two runners. Russell Young (Surrey, B.C.) followed suit with a double of his own, capping off a six-run, T-Bird seventh, propelling them to a 9-4 lead, which is where the game would finish.

The T-Birds and Owls will return to Tourmaline West Stadium on Sunday as they look to face off for more doubleheader action. First pitch for the day's opener is set for 11:00 a.m.