WolfPack jump up two spots, host playoffs starting Thursday

May 7, 2018 | 5:59 AM

KAMLOOPS — The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack took care of business on their final weekend of the regular season by sweeping the Vancouver Island University Mariners. After being them twice on Saturday, the ‘Pack took it to them on Sunday, winning 12-0 and 11-1.

Lefty and Moses Lake native Josh Snider started on the mound in game one. He got the win, throwing a complete game. He didn’t allow a run, only allowed four hits and struck out five batters.

 

Liam Rihela (White Rock, BC) continued his great weekend, going 2-3 with a double, two RBIs and two stolen bases. Jackson Dartnell (Winnipeg, MB) went 2-3 with two doubles and a run scored. Matt Pidlisecky (Abbotsford, BC) and Zac Comeault (Pitt Meadows, BC) both went 1-1 with a two RBI double. Comeault also scored a run. Josiah Williams (Cloverdale, BC) finished 2-3 with two RBIs, two runs scored and a stolen base. Adam Filmon (Winnipeg, MB) went 1-2 with a RBI, two runs scored, a walk and a stolen base. Malik James (Toronto, ON) went 1-3 with a RBI. Taylor Van Ham (Medicine Hat, AB) went 1-1 with a RBI and a run scored. Michael Bauer (Surrey, BC) went 1-2 with a run scored. Josh Hillis (Calgary, AB) walked, scored a run and stole two bases.

 

Coach Ray Chadwick paid tribute to all the seniors on the team by having them all in the starting line-up for game two, their last regular season games of their careers. The team’s lone senior pitcher Regan Gillis (Fort McMurray, AB) got the start and threw well. He tossed 6.1 innings, giving up just one run on five hits and three walks. He struck out five batters as well. Scott Wood recorded the last two outs.

 

Seniors Josh Hillis, Jordy Cunningham (Ladner, BC) and Yutaro Takasaki (Japan) all started in the outfield. Hillis had a huge game, going 2-4 with a double, four RBIs and two runs scored. Cunningham went 1-3 with two runs scored, a walk and two stolen bases. Takasaki went 2-3 with a walk, two runs scored and two stolen bases. Matt Pidlisecky went 1-1 with a two RBI double. Jackson Dartnell went 1-1 with a RBI base hit and a run scored. Josh Iannetti (Fort McMurray, AB) and Zac Comeault both went 1-3 and each scored a run. Liam Rihela finished his season 1-3 with a RBI and a stolen bases. Vance Fode (Bow Island, AB) went 1-2 with a RBI and a walk.

 

End of Regular Season stats:

Batting Average – Josh Snider – .391; Liam Rihela – .314; Jordy Cunningham – .313; Jackson Dartnell – .303, Josh Hillis – .302.

 

Hits – 35 – Josh Hillis (Tied 7th in the league)

Doubles – 10 – Josh Snider and Liam Rihela (Tied 5th in the league)

Triples – 1 – Liam Rihela and Adam Filmon

Homeruns – 4 – Vance Fode (Tied 2nd in league)

RBIs – 23 – Vance Fode (Tied 4th in the league)

Runs scored – 27 – Josh Hillis (6th in the league)

Walks – 20 – Josh Hillis (6th in the league)

 

With the four wins, TRU finishes 3rd in the league going into the playoffs. And the WolfPack will look to take the momentum from this weekend into playoffs as they start on Thursday in Kamloops, at Norbrock Stadium. The schedule will be finalized and most likely released on Monday.

All CCBC Tournament games at Norbrock will be webcast beginning Thursday. You can access those games via the TRU WolfPack website: www.gowolfpack.ca  and hitting the ‘watch games live’ link.  There will be two or three tournament games played at the Canada Games Field. They will not be webcast. The CCBC awards banquet is set for Wednesday night at the Mac Island Curling Club.