Walks and errors. Errors and walks. Any way you slice it, those two things are a recipe for disaster if you commit too many of these over the course of baseball game. For the Park University Gilbert baseball team (3-7), eight walks and three errors helped contribute to a 12-5 loss to the University of British Columbia (3-2) at Bell Bank Park in Mesa, Ariz., this afternoon.
UBC, which hails from Vancouver, British Columbia has a good portion of its roster from the province. What the Thunderbirds don't see very often is an opposing starting pitcher who also hails from British Columbia. Zachary Swanson who is from Victoria, British Columbia, got the start on the mound for the Bucs. Swanson not surprisingly was excited to face the Thunderbirds as he knows and played with many of the players he was about to face. He was also excited to stand on the field as the starting pitcher with the Canadian National Anthem playing.
Swanson was on a pitch count and was not expected to throw more than one or two innings. He thew two scoreless innings allowing two hits. He battled out of difficulty in both innings. In the first with one out he walked and hit back-to-back hitters but got consecutive ground outs to get out of danger. In the second he gave up back-to-back hits with two outs before inducing a fly out to end the rally.
The Bucs then took the lead in the bottom of the second 2-0 on two singles and a double by Brendan Blakeman to score the first run. They scored the second run when the UBC second baseman dropped a pop up which allowed Travis Moore to score.
The lead would be short lived as British Columbia would answer in the top of the third. With relief pitcher DJ Martin on the mound, the inning started with Buc error to allow the leadoff hitter to reach. Two hit by pitches sandwiched a strike out and loaded the bases. A fielder's choice allowed the first unearned run to score. As the fielders choice would have been the third out in the inning, everything which followed led to unearned runs. A single scored the Thunderbirds second run and then a throwing error enabled the third run of the inning to score.
The Thunderbirds would tack on five more in the fourth as a Buccaneer error allowed the first hitter to reach base. After striking out a batter, four consecutive hits, a walk and another hit brought home four runs as the T-Birds increased their lead to 7-2. They would tack on one more and essentially have an insurmountable lead.
Park would respond with solo runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, while UBC added on more in the sixth. At 9-5, the Bucs would need a strong rally down the stretch, but could not string together enough hits to do so. UBC would tack on three in the ninth to extend the lead to what would end up being the final of 12-5.
Neither starter figured in the decision as both pitchers were replaced after throwing two innings. The first reliever for each team ended with the decisions as DJ Martin (1-1) took his first loss, while Cole Alguire picked up his first win of the season.
The Thunderbird staff struck out 12 while only walking two and scattering 13 hits. Meanwhile, the Bucs staff allowed 12 hits, while walking eight, hitting four batters and striking out six.
At the plate. Aaron Stinnett went 3-5, Moore had two hits, a walk, two runs scored and two stolen bases. Chris Amador and Joaquin Martinez also had multi-hit games.
The Bucs return to the field tomorrow Thursday, Feb. 9 at noon to take on Arizona Christian at Bell Bank Park.
