UBC falls to Lewis-Clark State to end CCC tournament run
The UBC Thunderbirds lost 7-1 to the No.1 seed Lewis-Clark State Warriors at the Cascade Conference Championship Tournament on Monday, ending the T-Birds chance to repeat as conference champions. Photo: Chloe Green, Lewis-Clark State Athletics
May 6, 2024
By Toby Kerr
UBC Communications
LEWISTON, Idaho – The No.3 seed UBC Thunderbirds lost 7-1 to the No.1 seed and host Lewis-Clark State Warriors at the Cascade Conference Championship Tournament on Monday, ending the T-Birds chance to repeat as conference champions as they finish third in the CCC.
The game began on Sunday evening but was suspended due to rain in the top of the third inning with LC State leading 1-0, before picking up right where it left off on Monday afternoon.
UBC now awaits word on whether they will still qualify for the NAIA National Championships with a wildcard berth. The 'Birds did not finish the year in the NAIA Top 25, but did receive votes in the coaches poll, so they are likely on the bubble as far as earning a wild card spot.
The first part of this game on Sunday was a choppy affair, with several pauses to tend to the mound amid consistent rainfall. On that mound for the 'Birds was Vicarte Domingo, UBC's closer last season who became a highly effective multi-inning reliever this year. While not usually a starter, Domingo had a remarkable relief outing against the NAIA No.5-ranked Warriors in a regular season series just two weeks ago, throwing 4 2/3 scoreless innings and racking up an incredible 11 strikeouts against the potent Lewis-Clark State offence.
Domingo looked just as dominant early on, not allowing a hit and keeping the Warriors off of the board for the first two innings.
In the top of the third, LC State made their first hit count. Leadoff man Carter Booth launched a home run in his second at bat against the 'Birds flamethrower, his ninth bomb of the year. Nick Seamons followed that with a double. Domingo then picked up a strikeout before the game was suspended due to heavy rain.
When play resumed on Monday afternoon James Brock was on the bump for UBC and the Warriors got to him right away. A wild pitch sent Seamons to third and he subsequently scored on a sac fly. A walk and an RBI double later, the hosts had a 3-0 lead.
LC State kept at it in the fourth frame with catcher Bulla Ephan leading off the inning with a solo home run. Three more LC State players reached base, one coming around to score, and the lead was pushed to 5-0 after four.
The T-Birds, playing as the home team in this game despite being in the Warriors' ballpark, finally found their offence in the bottom of the fifth. UBC's lone graduating senior, Ardan Berg, slapped a single into centre field with one out for the 'Birds second hit of the game. After pinch-runner Jackson Boomer advanced to second on a groundout, Kaden Zarowny knocked him home with a single to left. Another single and a walk later the tying run came to the plate, but a strikeout ended the threat, and the inning, with LC State up 5-1.
Ryan Heppner had taken the mound to start the fifth for UBC and proceeded to throw three perfect innings on an absurdly efficient 25 pitches, 19 of them strikes, to keep his team in it. First-year hurler Evan Hoegler took over in the eighth and retired the first two batters he faced to make it 12 Warriors in a row set down by T-Birds’ pitching.
A two-out walk for Ephan broke the streak and LC State again made their first baserunner after the lengthy drought count. Pinch-runner Ike George managed to swipe second on a pitch in the dirt before Hoegler got the strikeout he needed to end the inning. However, the last pitch of the punchout was also in the dirt, with catcher Arden Berg then struggling to find the ball after blocking it, before rushing the throw down to first to secure the out and sending it in to right field. That allowed George to scamper home all the way from second and padded the Warriors' lead up to 6-1 despite the hosts not having a hit in the last four innings.
LC State strung together a two-out double and then a single to add another tally in the top of the ninth, leaving the 'Birds needing six runs in their half to extend the game.
Zarowny legged out an infield single to give UBC a glimmer of hope, but that was all they could muster as the game ended 7-1.
Timely hitting and the ability to cash in baserunners proved to be the difference as each team tallied seven hits in the contest, with the T-Birds consistently stranding runners and the Warriors capitalizing on most of theirs.
Lenihan and Zarowny led the UBC offence with two hits and a walk, each. Heppner and Hoegler combined to hold the Warriors without an earned run over the game's final five innings.