Welcome back to Weekend Rundown, your place to stay up to date with all of the different Thunderbirds teams!
UBC Baseball split weekend series against the Idaho Yotes
Friday night, the T-Birds opened the bottom half of the first inning with some momentum. Starting pitcher for the Yotes, Dimick Wood, allowed for the 'Birds to see singles from Mike Fitzsimmons and Noah Or.
Ty Penner moved up to the plate going for an RBI single towards the right field.
After drawing a few walks and Aidan Rose driving in a run for the birds, a failed pickoff attempt by Woods allowed for the T-Birds to score two more runs, taking a 5–0 lead.
This would be maintained until the top of the ninth inning where a few walks allowed for the bases to be loaded in the Yotes favour. Completing two RBI doubles allowed for them to take the lead in the game 8–7. Holding on till the end of the night to secure the win of the series opener.
The next morning, the first game of the double header for the day was a close matchup between the Birds and the Yotes.
The T-Birds maintained a 2–0 lead until the fifth inning where the Yotes capitalized on a run from Ben Gaff who got an RBI single through the middle making the score 3–1 in the T-Birds' favour.
With a bounce back in the sixth inning, where the Yotes tied the game both teams battled hard to secure the win, but the Yotes came on top in the ninth inning after a small-ball play helping them take the game 4–3 over the T-Birds.
With the sun still bright in the sky, the T-Birds took to the pitch for their second game of a double header on Saturday evening.
Still looking to secure their first win of the series, the T-Birds came in ready to fight till the end. The game remained even until the top of the second inning where the Yotes scored a run from an RBI double by Tanner Leaf and another run due to a T-Birds error.
The T-Birds didn’t give up as the Yotes pitching changes in the bottom of the sixth inning allowed for them to secure a few runs due to Rose driving an RBI single up the middle making the score 3–4.
Although, the T-Birds' starting pitcher Cole Alguire sustained an injury early in the game, Matt Shewfelt came in after the eighth inning only allowing for two hits in the final two innings.
Hoping to take this game, the T-Birds capitalized off an Yotes error tying the game and with the bases loaded due to a few walks, Noah Or was able to secure the winning run of the game, giving the T-Birds there first conference win of the season.
Sunday morning was the last matchup of the weekend series between the T-Birds and the Yotes, and the rainy conditions really came in the birds’ favour. The Yotes had five errors while the Birds had none but the game was more of a pitching battle than anything else.
The only run secured during the game was by Or in the bottom of the seventh inning, helping the T-Birds get their second win of the weekend series.
The T-Birds will be on the road this weekend to play against Lewis-Clark State College and they will be back at Tourmaline West Stadium on April 2 to take on Eastern Oregon University.
Men's hockey team swept in Canada West finals
Over the weekend, the UBC men’s hockey team took on the University of Alberta Golden Bears in the Canada West finals, looking to take home their first championship banner since 1971. Unfortunately, the Golden Bears stopped the red-hot T-Birds in their tracks, sweeping the best of three series 2–0.
On Friday night, the two teams traded chances and goals early in the series opener, finding the score tied 2–2 with half a game left.
However, an ill-advised play up the middle from UBC defenceman Jonathan Smart directly resulted in Alberta forward Luc Smith giving his team the 3–2 lead.
After that, the Golden Bears’ rock-solid defence shut down a demoralized T-Birds squad. UBC managed just one shot on goal in the third period, failing to make any sort of comeback and ultimately losing 4–2.
Heading into Saturday’s do-or-die game, the T-Birds had quite the hill to overcome. Not only were they outworked in game one, but their systems were completely ineffective.
Unfortunately, game two was perhaps UBC’s worst outing of the season.
The T-Birds took to the ice with a sluggish and unmotivated start the following day, and netminder Rylan Toth was unable to pull off a miracle.
Though UBC looked more like themselves in the third period, launching 18 shots on goal and controlling the play, it was far too late.
The T-Birds were humbled by a score of 7–0 and had to watch from the sidelines as the Golden Bears celebrated their fifty-sixth Canada West championship.
Thankfully, the T-Birds’ historic season is not yet finished, as the team will still partake in the U Sports men’s hockey championships beginning in just over a week’s time.
This year, the tournament is taking place in Wolfville, Nova Scotia and UBC will look to remind everyone that they are one of the top teams in the country as they pursue the University Cup.
