Intense baseball suited the VIU Mariners baseball team.
The Vancouver Island University ball club swept the Okanagan Coyotes earlier this week at Serauxmen Stadium.
VIU started the series Sunday with an 11-1 blowout, then edged the ’Yotes 8-7 in that day’s late game, which included a dustup and some hard feelings. In Monday’s rematches, the Mariners got past the Coyotes 1-0 in extra innings to start the day, then followed up with a 4-3 victory for the series sweep.
The Coyotes had gone into the series in first place, albeit early in the Canadian College Baseball Conference season.
In the series-opening blowout, the M’s amassed 12 hits to score their 11 runs. Brodan Bydeweg was 2-for-3 at the plate with three RBIs. Ryan Thrasher hit a single and a triple and had a pair of RBIs, Liam Ballance had a single and a double and three runs scored and Lucas Galloway went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Austin Gurr was the winning pitcher, going eight innings and giving up four hits while striking out nine.
In the second game, Tyler Ulrich had two hits including a home run and Tate Yuzda had two hits and two RBIs. Seth Hewitt was the winning pitcher, throwing two no-hit innings while striking out three.
The extra inning victory ended in somewhat anticlimactic fashion as a bases-loaded walk ended it in the 10th. Cody Balderson was credited with the win in relief after starter Brock Withrow threw nine innings, allowing three hits.
In the series finale, Yuzda led the offence with two hits and Riley Moskaluk earned the win, throwing six innings and allowing four hits.
GAME ON … VIU continues its homestand this weekend (April 8-9) with a series against the University of Fraser Valley Cascades at Serauxmen Stadium. Saturday’s game times are 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. and Sunday’s games are at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
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