Hawkins earns first conference win as UBC ‘Birds take season beginning series over LC State

VANCOUVER —

The UBC Thunderbirds (three-1, 8-nine) were given every other stellar overall performance by a rookie pitcher Sunday in a four-three win over the Lewis-Clark State Warriors (1-3, 5-7-1) at Tourmaline West Stadium. The victory clinched the collection for the ‘Birds as Garrett Hawkins pitched a entire sport earning his first NAIA convention win at the mound. Hawkins allowed simply four hits and a unmarried walk even as hanging out five batters throwing a complete of one hundred and one pitches.

UBC’s prevailing run came as part of a big 3-run fourth inning that chased LC starter Kade Woods. Mike Fitzsimmons become credited with the sport-prevailing RBI on a sacrifice fly. “Usually, in case you need to come to be on pinnacle within the division, it goes thru Lewis-Clark State maximum times, so we realize that, and we’re happy to get the win and the series,” stated UBC head instructs Chris Pritchett. “I think it will be a heck of a series while we cross down there, but every time you win a sequence towards Lewis-Clark State, we experience desirable approximately it, absolute confidence approximately it.”

The T-Birds wasted no time getting at the board Sunday. After a three-up, three-down first inning for Hawkins, Fitzsimmons earned a leadoff stroll and superior to second on a wild pitch and were given himself to third on a thieve with one down and Ty Penner at the plate who hit a sacrifice fly to right. Hawkins retired his first ten batters earlier than the Warriors got a person on base with one down within the fourth pinnacle. The ‘Birds limited the harm, and Hawkins got the final batter of the inning to pop out as the sport entered the bottom half tied at one. With two on and nonetheless just one down, LC tied the sport while AJ Davis scored from 1/3 on a Darren Trainor floor out play.

UBC failed to take longer to repair their lead, but Nolan Weger drove a double all of the ways to the center discipline wall to score Austen Butler from second. It was Weger’s second hit of the day and fourth of the weekend. Weger later scored on a fielding error as a Zach Prisciak fly ball dropped to give the ‘Birds their first multiple-run lead of the sport. Reliever Anthony Toribio came in and inherited base runners with just one out. UBC tacked what proved to be the identifying run on Fitzsimmons’ sac fly to offer the home facet a 4-1 advantage through four. The Warriors got right back inside a run within the top of the fifth while Jeff Bart hit a two-run homer with none out. But Hawkins sat down his subsequent three batters to maintain the ‘Birds beforehand and in no way allow Lewis-Clark to get a danger at tying the sport once more.

Facing a sturdy group in the Warriors for the primary time is not any smooth feat, but Hawkins seemed as cool as ever in the top of the 9th, in no way giving the visitors a sniff as he pitched some other three-up, three-down inning to earn the entire sports win. “He wanted the ball and to complete it in a hard state of affairs towards a difficult team, and that’s pretty staggering for a primary yr child,” Pritchett stated in reward of his freshman starter. “All weekend our pitching, in particular, our beginning pitching, the ones guys without a doubt set the tone and I think that simply furnished a few self-assurance to the relaxation of the group, particularly the young guys and I idea that changed into actually vital.”

The series victory is the first for the ‘Birds over LC State in seasons, while UBC has now gained 4 in their five collections at Tourmaline West Stadium since it opened the remaining spring. The only series at domestic the ‘Birds have not received the remaining seasons changed into a break up against the LC Warriors last April. Weger led the ‘Birds on the plate, going 2-for-4 with an RBI simultaneously as every crew managed simply four hits. The Warriors are on the street once more subsequent weekend when they go to the College of Idaho Yotes for a four-game collection. The T-Birds live in Vancouver to host the Corban Warriors for a pair of doubleheaders subsequent Saturday and Sunday. Legendary former Thunderbird and long-time MLB pitcher Jeff Francis can be accessible to have his #16 jersey retired at Tourmaline West Stadium between video games Saturday.