UBC sweeps Bushnell in doubleheader
Abbotsford Cardinals alum David Draayers (Abbotsford, B.C.) had three hits - including a home run - to help UBC to a doubleheader sweep of Bushnell on Saturday. Photo: Jacob Mallar/UBC Thunderbirds
April 6, 2024
By Jake McGrail
UBC Communications
VANCOUVER – It was a successful outing at Tourmaline West Stadium for the UBC Thunderbirds (24-13, 9-5) as they earned 8-1 and 6-3 victories over the visiting Bushnell Beacons (19-16, 6-4) to complete the Saturday afternoon sweep.
David Draayers had a terrific day at the plate with a combined three hits and three RBIs in the two games, including his fifth home run of the season, but it was a team effort up and down the T-Birds lineup. Every player that took an at-bat on the day had at least one RBI or one run scored.
"I think there was a couple innings where they tired the pitcher out," said UBC head coach Chris Pritchett. "By the time we got late in the inning we were able to push some runs across. So I was real proud of their approach."
Game 1 – British Columbia 8, Bushnell 1
Both pitchers were bringing the heat early on in the first game, with neither UBC's Sean Heppner nor Bushnell's Kai Keamo surrendering a hit in the first two innings.
However, the T-Birds broke the game open with a monstrous fourth inning. Trent Lenihan started things out with a leadoff double. A walk, sacrifice bunt and hit by pitch loaded the bases for Draayers who stepped up and delivered an RBI single straight up the middle to open the scoring.
Not to be outdone, Jackson Boomer, Aidan Rose and Russell Young followed up with three consecutive hits to stretch the lead to 5-0. Aaron Marsh knocked a sacrifice fly into right field to make it six runs in the inning for the Thunderbirds before the Beacons finally ended the onslaught.
Bushnell got on the board with a run scored off a wild pitch in the top half of the fifth, but that would be as close as they got for the rest of the game.
Jonny McGill extended UBC's lead in the seventh, first with an RBI double to left, before he then stole third base and promptly came home with the help of a sacrifice fly from Mitchell Middlemiss. James Brock closed it out on the mound for the T-Birds with two scoreless innings. He and Heppner combined to give up just five hits, none of them for extra bases.
Game 2 – British Columbia 6, Bushnell 3
Looking for some revenge after a blowout loss in the first game of the day, the Beacons started out hot in the second. The visitors opened scoring with a sacrifice fly in the first inning, before a two-run double in the third made it an early 3-0 lead.
The Thunderbirds got one back in the bottom half of the third, as after Boomer advanced to second on a Bushnell throwing error, Keegan Lott brought him home with an RBI single. UBC kept the pressure on in the following couple innings, and took the lead with an explosive five-run fifth.
Marsh started things off with an RBI double, followed by McGill bringing him home with a double of his own. Lenihan then scored off a fielder's choice before Draayers smashed a two-run homer over the right field wall.
That proved to be enough, as no runs were scored the rest of the game, finishing 6-3 in favour of the hosts. Evan Hoegler was lights out on the mound in relief for the T-Birds, retiring all 13 batters he faced while striking out four.
The Thunderbirds and Beacons will clash in another doubleheader on Sunday. While enjoying their wins, coach Pritchett knows his team needs to stay locked in on the task at hand in this four-game series.
"We've talked about consistent energy," added Pritchett. "It's not easy to get to that fourth game. All these games are so important these last few weeks, so we've talked about sustained energy this whole time…that's the goal."
First pitch in Sunday's doubleheader is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. at Tourmaline West Stadium.