Dueling no-hitters dashed in the sixth as UBC sweep series with College of Idaho
UBC right-hander Daniel Orfaly (White Rock, B.C.) carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning against the College of Idaho on Sunday. Photo: Chloe Green, Lewis-Clark State Warriors.
April 12, 2026
By Ian French
UBC Communications
VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds outlasted the College of Idaho Yotes at Tourmaline West Stadium on Sunday, earning a 7-3 win to complete the weekend series sweep.
Both starting pitchers stifled their opponents, throwing dueling no-hitters into the sixth inning, until the T-Birds exploded for four runs in that frame and didn't look back.
"When we're not swinging it, you're looking at doing some more things like bunting and running to try and manufacture a couple of runs," reflected T-Birds head coach Chris Pritchett. "We didn't get a lot of hits, but we did draw walks, and when it mattered, we put some runs on the board."
Daniel Orfaly (White Rock, B.C.) was on a mission on the mound for UBC. In the midst of a career year that's seeing him boast a 3.29 ERA with batters hitting just .219 against him, he delivered yet another strong outing by holding CI without a hit through five innings and ultimately striking out five over 5 2/3 frames on the bump – a season-high.
"[Orfaly] was really efficient, he had three pitches working and was pretty tough today," said Pritchett.
Both pitchers were in top form to start this one as neither conceded a hit in the opening five innings. The 'Birds managed to get runners on base via hit-by-pitches and walks, but the Yotes didn't give an inch as Jack Ryan remained poised and painted the strike zone, tying up hitters and getting out of each frame scoreless.
In the bottom of the fourth, with runners on the corners after a pair of walks and a steal, the game's first run came via a sacrifice fly off the bat of UBC's Oliver Clements (Vancouver, B.C.), giving the T-Birds a 1-0 lead while still searching for a hit.
The bats came alive for both teams in the sixth, Yotes catch Kateiro Adachi floated a double down the right-field line for the game's first hit. After pinch-runner Connor Olsen stole third, James Hull tied the game with a sacrifice fly of his own. The Yotes weren't done there, a single and walk put a runner in scoring position before Caden Casagrande lined a single to right centre to take a 2-1 lead.
The T-Birds needed little time to respond as David Krahn (Langley, B.C.) led off the bottom half of the sixth with a walk, then Kyle Yip (Calgary, Alta.) stepped in the box and delivered a double to deep left field for UBC's first hit of the day. A trio of walks followed to score two more for the 'Birds, and Kansai Sugimoto capped off the scoring surge with a two-RBI single to tally the team's fourth run of the frame, handing them a 5-2 lead.
From there on, the T-Birds' relievers held down the fort, striking out six while conceding just one hit over the final three frames. Both sides managed to tack on runs in the eighth, but the Yotes couldn't overcome the deficit as UBC held on for a 7-3 win.
"With the 1-2-1 series, guys who threw Friday were able to come back today. So, we felt really comfortable with the back half of the game," said Pritchett, when asked about his bullpen's performance. "I thought everyone who came in was really good. Once you get a lead, you feel pretty comfortable when you get to that point."
The Thunderbirds will hit the road this coming weekend and will take on the Oregon Tech Owls in back-to-back doubleheaders for a four-game set. First pitch for game one is set for 12 p.m. P.T. on April 18, with game two following at 3 p.m. PT.