British Columbia Takes Two From Corban

With the losses, Corban falls to 7-20 overall, 4-11 in NAIA Region I action.

Freshman Kyle Taylor extended his hitting streak to seven games Friday, as the Warrior first baseman has gone 11-for-22 over that stretch to raise his batting average from .189 to .305. Photo courtesy: Corban Sports Information

VANCOUVER, B.C. - Junior Craig Spicer (Vancouver, Wash.) and freshman Kyle Taylor (Clackamas, Ore.) each collected a combined three hits in the doubleheader, as Corban's baseball team dropped a pair to the University of British Columbia, 5-3 & 7-6 in 10 innings, Friday at Nat Bailey Stadium.

Returning to NAIA Region I play after taking a mini one-game break, Corban traveled north for a four-game series in Canada that included a make-up game from eight weeks ago.

Game #1 - British Columbia 5, Corban 3

In the opener, Corban scored the game's first three runs in its first at-bat as senior Jamie McGraw (Gaston, Ore.) began the game with a walk before advancing to second on Spicer's single down the left field line. The very next batter -- senior Daniel Flores (San Jose, Calif.) -- brought both runners home with a double to center field before scoring the Warriors' third and final run of the inning on an RBI single by fellow senior Scott Flux (Salem, Ore.).

British Columbia got on the board in the bottom of the first inning, as Jon Syrnyk singled down the left field line to score Mike Elias.

Locked in a pitcher's dual over the next five frames, the host Thunderbirds got within a mere run (3-2) when Fletcher Vynne led off the inning with a double to left center. Two batters later, Vynne came home on Bob Foerster's double play ground out for UBC's second run of the opener.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Scott Webster put the T-birds up for good with a two-run home run to right field that scored Matt Chester to give British Columbia a 4-3 lead.

The Thunderbirds added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning, as Ryan Pilgrim led off the frame with a double to center field before coming around to score on Ben Torrie's single to left field for the game's final run.

Offensively, Spicer and Flores each recorded a pair of hits while senior Jordan Emery (Salem, Ore.) went the distance for the Warriors on the hill. The senior right-hander allowed five runs (all earned) on 11 hits, while striking out a game-high five T-bird batters.

For British Columbia, Vynne went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate to go along with Mark Hardy's six-inning pitching performance that included three Warrior runs (all earned) on six hits. Andrew LaFleur took the ball for the seventh and final inning, allowing a mere hit to earn the save.

Game #2 - British Columbia 7, Corban 6 (10 innings)

In the night cap, British Columbia got on the board in the bottom of the second inning when Syrnyk led off the frame with a walk before coming home on Jordan Pandoff's sacrifice fly to center field.

After being held scoreless over the first four innings, Corban plated a pair of runners in the top of the fifth inning as Kyle Taylor brought his brother, junior Rondie Taylor (Clackamas, Ore.), home via a bunt single to tie the game at 1-all. The very next batter -- McGraw -- brought sophomore Josh Warner (Independence, Ore.) home via a sacrifice bunt back to the pitcher, which gave the visiting Warriors a one-run lead (2-1).

British Columbia tied the game in bottom of the fifth inning when Sean Everest double to left field, allowing Pandoff to score following his lead-off walk.

The T-birds then added three unanswered runs in the bottom of the sixth inning before Corban added two more runs to pull within a single run (5-4), as senior Darren Johnson (Vancouver, Wash.) led off the inning with a walk before being lifted for a pinch runner in freshman Nathan Hickok (Sherwood, Ore.). Then, with the bases loaded, Hickok and Warner scored on a throwing error by UBC's third baseman that allowed McGraw to reach safely.

UBC scored a much-needed sixth run in the bottom of the eighth inning to go up 6-4 before Corban tacked on a pair of runs in the top of the ninth inning, as Rondie Taylor opened the stanza with a walk before his younger brother, Kyle Taylor, singled up the middle to advance both runners. McGraw then proceeded to load the bases with a single up the middle before Spicer brought Kyle Taylor and McGraw home via a single to center field to tie the game at 4-all.

After holding the T-birds scoreless in the bottom of the ninth, Corban came to bat in the first extra frame and proceeded to load the bases with two outs. Johnson, who walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch, was the runner on third following a hit by pitch to Kyle Taylor and a walk to Rondie Taylor. UBC's head coach Terry McKaig called to the bullpen and brought in LaFleur, who proceeded to induce McGraw into a inning-ending fly out to left field that ended the Warriors' threat in the extra frame.

In the bottom of the tenth inning, UBC's game-winning hit came off the bat of Vynne, who stroked a game-ending single to left field that scored Elias with two outs.

Corban was led offensively in the night cap by Kyle Taylor, who went 2-for-3 at the plate with a run scored and an RBI.

Pitching-wise, junior Brandon Wolters (Gresham, Ore.) took the hill for the Warriors at the beginning and went 5.1 innings allowing five runs (two earned) on three hits before being lifted for a trio of Warrior relievers. Freshman Kyle Lamson (Medford, Ore.) pitched 2.0 innings, junior Jason Braun (Dallas, Ore.) took the hill for 0.2 innings, and Flores pitched the final 1.2 innings en route to suffering the heart-breaking loss.

Offensively, Chester, Vynne, and Everest led British Columbia's bats with a combined seven hits, as Everest drove in a team-high two RBIs. On the mound, Josh Brink began the game for the T-birds going 6.0 innings in which he allowed two earned runs on two hits before giving way to a quartet of relievers. LaFleur, who saw action in his second straight game, earned the win after getting the final Warrior out in the top of the tenth.

With the losses, Corban falls to 7-20 overall, 4-11 in NAIA Region I action. Meanwhile, British Columbia improves to 18-15 overall, 12-3 in NAIA Region I play. The Warriors and Thunderbirds will return to action on Saturday, April 12th, for the final two games of this weekend's four-game series beginning at noon at Nat Bailey Stadium.

NOTE: The night cap of Saturday's doubleheader will be a single nine-inning make-up game from the March 1st encounter that was postponed due to rain at Warrior Field in Salem.

Source: Corban Sports Information

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