Vauxhall Hets grad RHP Garrett Hawkins (Biuggae, Sask.) was named the Red Lion Baseball Pitcher of the Week. The 6-foot-5 senior starting pitcher for the Thunderbirds shut down the offence of the NAIA's 25th-ranked team, Benedictine-Mesa (Ariz.). Hawkins recorded 11 strikeouts and gave up just two hits in six innings, didn’t allow up a run and walked one player.

RESULTS:

Win 3-1 Benedictine- Mesa (NAIA)

Win 6-0 Benedictine- Mesa (NAIA)

Loss 3-2 (7 Inn) Benedictine- Mesa (NAIA)

Loss 8-4 Benedictine- Mesa (NAIA)

Overall Record: 4-4 Conference Record: 0-0

TOP PITCHERS:

So Garrett Hawkins 6 Inn, 2 Hits, 0 Runs, 11 K’s, 1 BB (Win)

Jr Jared Spearing 6.2 Inn, 4 Hits, 0 Runs, 9 K’s, 0 BB (Win)

Fr Adam Maier 1 Inn, 0 Hits, 0 Runs, 1 K, 0 BB, (1 Save)

Jr Finn Duffield 5 Inn, 2 Hits, 1 Run, 1 Earned, 6 K’s, 2 BB

TOP HITTERS:

So Noah Or 5-for-11, 2 Runs, 5 RBIs, 5 BB, 1 HR

Fr Adam Maier 5-for-12, 1 RBI, 2 SB

Jr Jaxon Valcke 4-for-13, 1 Run, 1 R

Sr Jake Lanferman 6-for-17, 3 Runs, 3 RBI, 1 BB

So Mike Fitzsimmons 5-for-13, 2 Runs, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 3 SB

COMMENTS:

The Thunderbirds travelled to Mesa, Arizona this past weekend to take on the No. 25th ranked Benedictine – Mesa in their final preseason series of the year. Sophmore Garrett Hawkins was strong on Friday night, keeping the RedHawks off the board through six innings of work while striking out 11. The Birds got on the board thanks to an RBI single by Adam Maier, scoring Jake Lanferman in the top of the 6th. Lanferman would hit a sac fly in the seventh while Noah Or plated another with an RBI single, as the Birds would take a 3-0 lead. The RedHawks got one back in the bottom half of the seventh but freshman Adam Maier would then enter the game to close the door and earn the save to take game one, 3-1.

The two teams played a double header on Saturday as Jared Spearing started Game 1. Spearing cruised through six-plus scoreless innings allowing four hits and striking out nine. Spearing left in the seventh after getting two outs, but leaving two runners on. Sophmore pitcher Brendan Logan promptly shut the door on the Redhawks rally with a timely strikeout to end the threat. The Birds bats were hot, putting up 14 hits and plating 6, in the 6-0 Victory. Lanferman, Maier, Weger, Sanderson, Butler and Or all had 2 hit performances.

The back end of the double dip was a seven-iinning affair as Finn Duffield had one of his better outings in a T- Bird uniform. The lefty went five innings allowing just two hits, one earned run and six strikeouts. He left the game with a 2-1 lead going into the sixth. Things went south fast for the Birds, giving up two runs in the sixth, all started with a bad throwing error. The Birds never could recover in this one as they fall 3-2 in the shortened 7 inning game.

The Birds started game 4 with 3 straight hits, cumulated by a Noah Or three-run run home run. It looked as if UBC would have a strong offensive day at this point but the RedHawks would silence the bats for the rest of the game. The Birds were only able to plate one more run in this one as they would fall 8-4 in the series finale.

The Thunderbirds settle with a series split and now look forward to their conference opener this coming weekend in Lewiston, Idaho.

UPCOMING:

Friday, Feb. 21 Lewis-Clark State (NAIA) @ 2PM Lewiston, ID

Saturday, Feb 22 Lewis-Clark State (NAIA) DH @ 12 PM Lewiston, ID

Sunday, Feb. 23 Lewis-Clark State (NAIA) @ 11AM Lewiston, ID