FRESNO, CA - A seven run outburst in the bottom of the fifth inning propelled the top-seeded UBC Thunderbirds to a 9-3 victory over the fourth-seeded University of Houston-Victoria Jaguars and a spot in the Championship Game in their 2010 NAIA National Baseball Championship Opening round grouping hosted by Fresno Pacific University.
UBC meets Point Loma Nazarene at 7:00 p.m. with a spot at the 2010 Avista-NAIA World Series on the line. The T-Birds must defeat PLNU tonight and then again tomorrow if they wish to advance as they lost their opener to UHV on Tuesday in the double-elimination tournament. PNLU clinches a spot at the Series with a single victory and can end UBC's second with a win tonight.
Alex White led off the bottom of the fifth with a single and UBC took their first lead of the game when
Sammie Starr faked a bunt and slashed a single through a drawn in Jaguar infield to score White from second.
Nic Lendvoy laced a single in UBC's next at-bat, scoring
Sean Pisarski who had earned a walk earlier in the inning.
"When you execute the play that Sammie did, it can really deflate the other team and it was a great job by Sammie sparking that big inning," said UBC boss
Terry McKaig.
Bob Foerster added a sacrifice fly for the T-Birds second out and a run later in the inning before UBC took advantage of a pair of UHV miscues.
With runners at second and third,
Keaton Briscoe laid down a bunt which handcuffed UHV starter Pete Ontiveros and cashed in another run. UBC added a pair when the Jaguar shortstop missed a throw to first and then White capped off the scoring with an RBI double.
UHV went to pitcher Brock Haymon, who shutout the 'Birds on Tuesday, to get out of the inning but the damage had been done.
Sheldon McDonald earned the win, giving up three runs and six hits over six innings while striking out seven.
Danny Britton-Foster retired nine straight Jaguars in relief to close out the contest.
UHV opened the scoring in the first courtesy of a John Longoria sacrifice fly. Longoria made it 2-0 for the Jaguars in the third with a home run to left-centre before
Blake Carruthers tied the game with one swing in the fourth.
Carruthers made the most of just the T-Birds third hit, launching a two-run home run to left-centre that also scored
Nick Senior who had doubled earlier in the inning.
"Blake's home run was really big because again it seemed like we were lost at the plate early on. That gave us the lift we needed . With this team once you score, they really relax. Against Point Loma, we won't have that luxury," observed McKaig.
David Baker rounded out the scoring with a solo home run in the top of the sixth for the Jaguars.
Last season, PLNU was the top seed in UBC's opening round which they went on to win. The Sea Lions then lost in the 2009 World Series final.
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