UBC sweeps Saturday doubleheader at College of Idaho

Langley Blaze alum Jonny McGill (Richmond, B.C.) went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run for UBC in their 11-1 win over the College of Idaho in the second game of a doubleheader on Saturday. Photo: Vamsi Nadella, UBC Athletics

March 8, 2025

By Jeff Sargeant

UBC Communications

CALDWELL, Ida. – The UBC Thunderbirds completed a Saturday doubleheader sweep over the host College of Idaho Yotes at Caldwell, Idaho's Wolfe Field with a clutch extra innings win followed by an 11-1 blowout to clinch their second series victory of the Cascade Collegiate Conference season.

Russell Young (Surrey, B.C.) managed a collective five hits and three RBIs for the 'Birds who have now won five straight games heading into Sunday's non-conference affair with the Yotes.

The T-Birds staked out a two-run lead in the top of the second in game one Saturday thanks to a two-RBI single from David Draayers (Abbotsford, B.C.). UBC added another run in the fifth with White Rock, B.C., native Trent Lenihan's sacrifice fly bringing home Jackson Boomer (Vancouver, B.C.) for the 3-0 advantage.

C of I cut the lead to just a single run in the bottom of the fifth, Pete Bacon's sac fly plating Chandler Stocking who led off the inning with a single followed by a Ben Gaff RBI single to centre.

Lenihan hammered a triple to score Boomer in the seventh, restoring UBC's two-run lead.

The 'Birds ran into trouble in the eighth, the Yotes loading the bases with two out when Connor Olsen was hit by a pitch to bring in a run and closing the gap to 4-3.

With pressure again mounting in the ninth, Chandler Stocking earned a bases loaded walk to tie the game before Lucas Huynh (Vancovuer, B.C.) got Trevor Watkins to strike out, avoiding any further damage as the game headed to extras.

Young came through in the 10th with a two-run double to right field scoring Kaden Zarowny (Strathmore, Alta.) and Mitchell Middlemiss (Chilliwack, B.C.) for the 6-4 lead. Owen McConnell (Vancouver, B.C.) spelled off Huynh on the mound and did his job for a three-up, three-down bottom half to secure the win for the 'Birds.

The second half of the double dip proved to be anything but a tightly fought affair, the T-Birds rattling off 14 hits for the 11-1 mercy rule invoking win through seven innings.

Jonny McGill (Richmond, B.C.) got things off to a solid start for UBC, launching a two-run homer in the top of the first.

Jackson Boomer's sac fly in the second added to the early lead while Middlemiss added another two runs with his first home run of the season in the third to put the 'Birds up 5-0.

Stocking produced the Yotes' only run of the game in the bottom of the third on a sac fly.

UBC scored five times in the fifth on a combination of College of Idaho throwing errors and strong at bats with Draayers hammering a two-RBI triple.

Ryan Heppner picked up his first win of the season allowing just the one run on four hits with four strikeouts through six innings of work.

The T-Birds will look to extend their season-long win streak to six games with a non-conference series finale Sunday at Wolfe Field. First pitch is set for 11:00 a.m. local time.