BASEBALL SPLITS IN FIRST TWO EXHIBITION GAMES OF 2009




For immediate Release: February 17, 2009

Phoenix, Ariz:  The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack Baseball team finally got to play outdoors for the first time this year.  The WolfPack opened up their 17 game pre-season schedule up by splitting their two games with Arizona Junior Colleges yesterday (Feb 16). 

In the first game, the WolfPack were beaten 16-8 by the South Mountain College Cougars of Tempe Arizona.  The second tilt saw TRU notch its first victory of the calendar year: an 8-7 decision over the Phoenix College Bears, the number 20 ranked Junior College in the U.S.

In the first game, Bryan Mahon (Trail, BC) got the start and went four innings. He gave up five runs on nine hits and had three earned runs. He also had two strikeouts.  Jordan Broatch (White Rock, BC)was tagged with the loss.  He went an inning and a third, surrendering eight hits, eight runs: six of them earned while walking two.

WolfPack Assistant Coach Pat Brown said  “We came out strong and swung the bats well. But one bad inning cost us.”   Said assistant coach Will Devick : “We were leading until the 5 th inning. A couple of errors and some good hitting from the Cougars changed the momentum in their favour.”

Yoshi Nakamura(Yokohama, Japan) was 1-1 with a triple, two walks, two runs scored and an RBI for TRU.  Catcher Brian Burston (Kelowna, BC) was 2 for 3 with two runs scored and two walks.

In the Night cap: the 2nd of five pitchers, Morgan Zahara (Rycroft, Alberta) got the win.  He pitched two innings, giving up five hits, four runs and two walks. He added a strikeout.  He came on in relief  of starter Mike Tomlinson (Campbell River, BC).  Tomlinson went the first two innings, giving up a run on two hits. He had a strikeout and a walk.   Ben Bradford (Kamloops, BC) was 1 for 4 with a run scored, a walk, a triple and 3 RBI.   Nakamura, Adam Halland (Kamloops, BC) and Matt Walker (Bowen Island, BC) were all 1 for 3.   Joe Cameron got the save pitching two innings with a pair of walks and a strikeout.

“We swung the bats well again,” said Wolfpack assistant coach Frank Ingram.  “We put up some strong numbers and got excellent pitching from our five guys.”  Added Will Devick  “I was happy we were able to come back and win the second game of the day and show a solid effort in the field. Especially since it was our first day outside this season”.

The WolfPack play the University of Arizona Junior Varsity Sun Devils this afternoon (Feb 17  4 pm and 7 pm) in Tuscon.