At Vancouver, BC. First game: Lewis-Clark State 3, British Columbia 1. All three Warriors runs were from solo home runs; Dominic Signorelli and Charlie Updegrave in the top of the fourth, and Jake Gish in the top of the sixth. The Thunderbirds missed two good chances to score during the first eight innings. The bottom of the sixth ended when Ardan Berg hit a single to left field, and Aaron Marsh tried to score from second. He was out at the plate, the result of a perfect throw from left fielder Nick Seamons. In the bottom of the eighth, the Thunderbirds had runners at first and second with two out. Berg hit a sharp ground ball in the direction of second baseman Magnum Hofstetter, and Hofstetter made a great play to keep the ball from getting into the outfield, and threw to first to get the out and end the threat.
Both starters were still in the game in the ninth inning. Warrior starter Shane Spencer came as close as a pitcher could get to a complete game shutout without actually getting one. He struck out Kaden Zarowny for what should have been the final out of the game, but the ball got away from the catcher, and Zarowny got to first base to keep the Thunderbirds alive. Zarowny then stole second, then scored to end the shutout on a single by Jonny McGill. The Thunderbirds then had Trent Lenihan at the plate representing the tying run. The Warriors brought in their closer, Cameron Smith, who has not had a blown save this season. Lenihan worked the count to 3-and-2, and fouled off two pitches, but struck out swinging at a changeup.
Spencer’s numbers were 8 2/3 innings pitched, one run on seven hits, eight strikeouts. Thunderbird starter Daniel Orfaly pitched 8 1/3 innings, allowed three runs on seven hits, struck out three. Gish and Brandon Cabrera each had two hits for the Warriors. McGill finished 3-for-5 with two doubles. Box score and play-by-play
Second game: Lewis-Clark State 8, British Columbia 6. Charlie Updegrave hit a two-RBI double in the top of the first inning, and a home run in the top of the fifth for the winning run. Nick Seamons hit a three-run home run in the top of the second. The Thunderbirds tied the game 6-6 in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI single by Trent Lenihan and a two-RBI single by Jonny McGill. The Thunderbirds were held scoreless the rest of the way by reliever Jace Hanson, who allowed six hits, and struck out six. However, the pitching story of this game was Vicarte Domingo, who took over from starter Sean Heppner in the fifth inning, after Heppner gave up eight runs on ten hits, and struck out eight. Domingo allowed two hits, and struck out eleven of the 15 batters he faced. Russell Young and Mitchell Middlemiss both finished 3-for-5 for the Thunderbirds. Box score and play-by-play recap