VANCOUVER, B.C. – Three Warriors homered to support strong pitching by Evan Canfield and Jackson Cloud in No. 7 LC State’s 8-3 victory over No. 24 British Columbia on Friday. Warrior pitching did not walk a batter to help earn the victory in the first game of the Cascade Conference series.
“Good team win today,” coach Jake Taylor said. “Dugout energy was present, and it carried over to the field. Good start to the series and another big day tomorrow.”
LC State improves to 5-5 on the season and 3-1 in CCC play.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Warriors got on the board with a run in the top of the first. Brandon Cabrera and Charlie Updegrave tallied back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners. Jack Sheward put LC State up 1-0 with a sacrifice fly.
Canfield worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the first and struck out one in the second. A double play turned by Anthony Karagiannopoulos, Izzy Madariaga and Abe Affholter erased a leadoff single in the bottom of the third and another punchout by Canfield ended a two-out threat to keep the Warriors in front.
UBC took the lead in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run homer, but the Warriors answered quickly in the top half of the fifth. Spencer Zeller singled to lead off the frame and took second and third on passed ball, but it did not matter as Cabrera belted a two-run shot to left to put the Warriors back in front 3-2.
The Thunderbirds tied things up once again with a solo shot in the home half of the fifth before a two-run blast by Bulla Ephan gave LC State back the lead in the sixth. Canfield struck out two in the sixth to get the Warriors out of a jam and keep the lead at 5-3.
Cloud came out of the bullpen in the bottom of the seventh and struck out the side to work around a two-out double.
Affholter was hit by a pitch and stole second in the top of the eighth. He scored on a pinch-hit double by John Paul Avila, his first hit as a Warrior, to grow the margin to 6-3.
Madariaga launched his first home run as a Warrior in the form of a two-run shot in the top of the ninth. Dominic Signorelli walked to start the inning before Madariaga made it 8-3 with one swing.
Cloud closed out the contest in his three-inning save without allowing a run.
STAT RECAP
Signorelli led LC State with three hits including two doubles and Cabrera had two hits. Cabrera, Ephan and Madariaga each belted a two-run home run to combine for six RBI.
Canfield earned his third win of the season after six strikeouts in six innings. Cloud collected his second save after striking out four in three scoreless innings. The pair did not walk a batter.
