KAMLOOPS – The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack baseball team came within just two bases of winning the fourth Canadian Collegiate Baseball Conference championship in program history this past weekend in Lethbridge.
Racking up a record of 3-2 and advancing all the way to the championship game, TRU put together their best run at the championship tournament since the 2016-17 campaign.
WEEKEND WRAP-UP
GAME 1: WolfPack 6, Victoria Collegiate 4
A decisive comeback powered the 'Pack to victory in game one and set the tone for the weekend. Trailing Victoria 4-3 heading into the eighth inning,
Gabe Powell,
Simon Crossfield and
Lucas Miracle all crossed the plate to give TRU a 6-4 lead that they wouldn't surrender. Powell went 3-3 for in the game in with an RBI with
Ryan Petrie adding another.
Keith Manby went seven strong innings with nine strikeouts and three runs against before Kamloops local
Manny Recchi finished the affair with a pair of scoreless innings for the run.
GAME 2: WolfPack 11, UFV Cascades 0
The WolfPack put together a dominant outing against the defending champion and No. 1 seed Cascades in game two. Jumping out to an early 3-0 lead, the 'Pack went on to put away Fraser Valley in just eight innings by a score of 11-0. Pitcher
Donavan Collier was the story for TRU with a complete game shutout, surrendering just six hits all game.
Jared Sucro and Powell both had a pair of RBIs with Recchi, Crossfield,
Manny Birch and
Jacob Anker all adding one apiece.
GAME 3 (SEMIFINAL): UFV Cascades 9, WolfPack 5
In the double elimination format, TRU got two cracks at defeating UFV in the semifinals to advance to the CCBC championship. They would need that second chance after falling 9-5 in the first semifinal contest. Crossfield and
Lucas Miracle both tallied a pair of RBIs but the 'Pack couldn't hold on to an early 2-0 lead.
GAME 4 (SEMIFINAL): WolfPack 17, UFV Cascades 2
TRU punched their ticket to the championship game in emphatic fashion.
Hayden Dolley provided a big game at the plate with four RBIs on two hits while Powell, Petrie and
Hunter Fanshaw all added a pair.
Jacob Fillion pitched all seven innings for TRU and allowed just two runs while striking out six as the WolfPack held an 8-2 lead after the first inning and never looked back.
GAME 5 (CHAMPIONSHIP): Okanagan College 10, WolfPack 9
The championship game couldn't have been any closer. Trailing 8-1 entering the seventh inning, TRU put together six runs in the frame thanks in large part to a two-run homer off the bat of Crossfield to cut the lead to just 8-7. While Okanagan College added two more runs of their own in the bottom of the eighth, TRU refused to go away. After their first three batters got on base, both Miracle and
Manny Birch crossed the plate to cut the Coyotes lead to just one with two outs. TRU got the tying run to third and the winning run to second but came up just shy of equalling Okanagan College.
