February 22, 2025

By Ian French

UBC Communications

VANCOUVER, B.C. — Battling the elements, the UBC Thunderbirds kicked off their 2025 Cascade Collegiate Conference season at Tourmaline West Stadium with back-to-back wins over the Eastern Oregon University Mountaineers, exploding for a 14-4 game one victory before following that up with a nail-biting, 10-9 comeback win in game two.

"The pitchers were really gritty. Some of them lost command a couple times, but when they fought back, they got big outs when we needed it", summarized head coach Chris Pritchett, discussing the late game heroics from his club. "From a hitter standpoint, there was not one guy that gave up. There were so many two-strike at bats, extending at bats to put the ball in play. And when you put the ball in play, anything can happen, especially on a night like this."

GAME ONE

Despite rain falling in heaps, the Mountaineers needed little time to make an impact. In the top of the first, and with a runner already on, designated hitter Mario Landeros stepped up to the plate and delivered a two-out, two-run home run, deep over the left field fence to hand his team the early lead.

UBC didn't take too kindly to that as they responded heavily in the bottom half of the inning. With runners on first and second, T-Bird captain Trent Lenihan (White Rock, B.C.) connected on a careening inside pitch, firing it down the line and over the fence in right for the momentum-swinging longshot. The team managed to tack on an additional three runs heading into the second frame.

The top of the second was efficient, getting to the bottom half was not so much. Coaches and umpires came together and decided the rain was too much, leaving the game to enter what became a two-and-a-half-hour rain delay. When the sky cleared and play picked up again, the Thunderbirds looked to add on to their lead. UBC added runs in three out of the subsequent four innings, extending their lead to 9-4.

The bottom of the seventh is where UBC really found their stride. A double from Kyle Yip (Calgary, Alta.), followed by a triple from David Draayers (Abbotsford, B.C.) opened the floodgates as their team managed seven runs over the seventh and eighth to enact the mercy rule, ending the game 14-4.

"The team knew what this day would probably look like, they were just ready for it", said Pritchett, reflecting on the lengthy rain delay. "They knew it was going to take a lot of energy. And the real, real test will be tomorrow, because it's a quick turnaround to be able to do that again. That's a good team. So, we're going to have to bring the same type of energy."

GAME TWO

UBC needed little time to make an impact on the scoreboard in the second game of the day's doubleheader. Following some small-ball hits in the bottom of the first, the T-Birds managed to squeak a run across to take the early advantage. However, the lead was short-lived as the Mountaineers loaded the bases and managed to score two runs of their own in the following inning.

In the bottom of the third, UBC's Aaron Marsh (Nanaimo, B.C.) stepped up and delivered a double down the left field line, evening things up at two apiece. Just as things seemed to mirror the earlier game, the Mountaineers re-established their presence in the top of the fourth. Two singles, a double and an error led to a three-run inning, helping Eastern Oregon establish a 5-2 lead. UBC looked to respond in the bottom half but Mountaineer pitcher Shane Sinclair shut the door by striking out the side.

The Thunderbirds made it close once again by tacking on two runs in the bottom half of the sixth. However, Eastern Oregon aimed to squash any hope in the following frame by batting around and tallying four runs of their own, earning a 9-4 lead.

Looking for a spark, the T-Birds found it with inning leadoff hitter Jonny McGill (Richmond, B.C.) as he crushed one deep for the solo shot. The 'Birds gained momentum and, from a combined seven hitters, pinned two more runs on the board.

Now trailing 9-7 in the bottom of the eighth, UBC garnered a baserunner on second with Lenihan stepping into the box. With the count full, one swing of the bat sent the ball over the right field fence for the game-tying two-run blast. Yet, the 'Birds were not finished. Still with one out and now a runner on first, Kellen Bourne (Calgary, Alta.) shot a single into shallow left, and with a misplay in the field, the runner was able to advance all the way home for the lead-changing run.

Looking for the save in the top of the ninth, second-year pitcher Lucas Huynh (Vancouver, B.C.) took to the mound and proceeded to strike out two of the remaining three batters, shutting the door and earning the 10-9 win for UBC.

"When you see him fighting like that — that was another two-strike hit where he's not trying to do too much and still hits it out of the park." said Pritchett on Lenihan's second home run on the day. "He does that, then everybody else knows that ‘if he can do that and choke up and just try to put the ball in play, then I can do it too'. I thought it permeated throughout the lineup."

The Thunderbirds will return to Tourmaline West Stadium on Sunday as they look to face off against the Eastern Oregon University Mountaineers in more doubleheader action. First pitch for game one is set for 11:00 a.m. P.T. while game two is scheduled to kick off at 2:00 p.m. P.T.