UBC’s season ends with loss to Vanguard
The UBC Thunderbirds' 2023 NAIA season came to an end following a 10-2 loss to the Vanguard University Lions on Wednesday. Photo: UBC Athletics
May 17, 2023
By Jeff Sargeant
UBC Communications
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The UBC Thunderbirds' 2023 NAIA season has come to an end following a 10-2 loss to the Vanguard University Lions Wednesday in an elimination game at the Opening Round tournament in Santa Barbara.
A tight battle throughout the majority of the game in which both teams needed to win to extend their season, the 'Birds and Lions were tied up 2-2 through seven innings. But the California based Lions put up four runs in each of the final two innings to take a commanding lead with proved insurmountable for the T-Birds who came up short of their goal of getting back to the NAIA World Series.
The T-Birds got another tremendous start on the mound from Ryan Heppner who went seven innings strong allowing just two runs on five Vanguard hits while striking out four.
Heppner's only real blemish came in the second when Marco Lopez hammered a two-run homer to left.
UBC managed to get those runs back with a pair of Aaron Marsh RBIs, one via a single in the fourth and another in the sixth when the second baseman hit a sacrifice fly to once again score Kyle Anderson.
Still tied in the eighth, a pair of T-Bird errors proved to be their undoing. With two down and a runner on first, instead of ending the inning, a fielding error kept the Lions at-bat alive while putting the go-ahead run on third. A subsequent error scored Christopher Famolaro which proved to be the game winning tally.
Second baseman Fred Buckson promptly vaulted the Lions into a four-run lead with a three-run homer before Daniel Sereda struck out Lopez to end the inning.
A solid relief effort from Jackson Webber ensured the 'Birds never got a sniff of a comeback as he allowed just three hits through 3 2/3 innings of work.
The Lions essentially put the game out of realistic reach in the top of the ninth with four more runs, including another three-run bomb, this time courtesy of Oscar Diaz.
Down to their final three outs, the 'Birds got a pair of runners in scoring position with two down but were unable to cash in as Webber forced Jonny McGill to fly out to end the game – and UBC's season.
The T-Birds will certainly be greatly disappointed at not reaching their goal of advancing to the World Series, but time should provide a positive look back at a tremendous season full of growth which should also prove valuable come this time in 2024 when UBC will take another run at getting to the big dance.