UBC falls to Lewis-Clark State in rain-soaked series finale
The UBC Thunderbirds fell 13-6 to the Lewis-Clark State Warriors as rain hammered down on players and fans for most of the game at Tourmaline West Stadium on Sunday. Photo: UBC Athletics
February 22, 2026
By Toby Kerr
UBC Communications
VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds fell 13-6 to the Lewis-Clark State Warriors as rain hammered down on players and fans for most of the game at Tourmaline West Stadium on Sunday.
The loss means the teams split their four-game series, the first of the Cascade Collegiate Conference season, though Sunday's finale was a non-conference matchup, meaning the 'Birds remain one game ahead of their longtime rivals in the CCC standings.
Both starting pitchers handled the difficult conditions admirably, with Kason O'Neil twirling six innings of one-run ball to earn his first win of the year, while Daniel Orfaly (White Rock, B.C.) took the hard-luck loss despite allowing just one earned run over five innings.
LC State's Brandon Nguyen was the best hitter on the day, smacking a home run and a double as part of his four-hit, five-RBI effort from the leadoff spot. The 'Birds balanced offence was led by Kellen Bourne (Calgary, Alta.), who drilled a two-run double in the seventh, and Kenny Scott (Delta, B.C.), who blasted his first home run of the year in the same inning.
"We swung the bats pretty good today, and the starting pitching was good," noted UBC head coach Chris Pritchett. "When the weather was really bad, I thought that they handled it a little better than we did and that's when the game got out of reach. But we never stopped fighting."
The game began as a pitchers duel, with both sides held scoreless through the first three innings. UBC's Orfaly retired all nine LC State hitters in order his first time through the lineup. The second time that Warriors leadoff man Nguyen came up however that quickly changed, as he launched a home run off the scoreboard in right-centre field to lead off the fourth inning and break the deadlock.
The T-Birds quickly tied the game back up at 1-1, as first baseman Stevie Waters (Toronto, Ont.) smacked a single through the left side to score centre fielder Oliver Clements (Vancouver, B.C.) in the bottom half of the frame.
With steady rain falling since first pitch, the downpour intensified in the fifth inning and badly affected the UBC defence. As Orfaly struggled to grip the ball and maintain his command, two key errors led to the Warriors scoring three unearned runs and jumping out to a 4-1 lead, which they would never relinquish.
The weather got to the 'Birds again in the sixth, as two relievers struggled to control the baseball, leading to a series of walks, hit batters, wild pitches, and a key passed ball that resulted in two more Warriors runs and a 6-1 lead.
LC State tacked on six more runs in the seventh with two bases loaded hit by pitches follow by a bloop, two-run single, before Nguyen blasted a two-run double into the right-centre field gap for a massive 12-1 lead.
UBC rallied in the bottom of the seventh, with Scott launching his first home run of the year followed by RBI knocks for David Krahn (Langley, B.C.), Bourne and Dylan Nerlich (Toronto, Ont.), cutting the deficit to 12-6.
It was too little too late for the home team however, as the Warriors tacked on one more run in the ninth to walk away with the 13-6 win.
"I think you really learn from pitching in bad weather," reflected Pritchett, after the game. "We had to put some guys in some really tough spots, the ball was wet, we just couldn't make plays at the right time.
"They're too good, we can't give extra outs to a team like that. With that kind of lineup, they're gonna beat us if we do, and that's what happened."
Lewis-Clark State goes right back on the road next weekend, heading to Portland to take on the Warner Pacific Knights in Friday and Saturday doubleheaders. The 'Birds begin an eight-game road trip with a visit to Bushnell next weekend for a doubleheader on Friday, followed by a single Saturday game.