The University of the Fraser Valley Cascades have climbed up to second place in the Canadian Colleges Baseball Conference standings after a pair of weekend wins over Vancouver Island University.
The rain clouds parted long enough for UFV to host the Mariners in a Saturday double header at Fairfield Island.
The Cascades took the opener in dramatic fashion, with Brennan Hegel delivering a walk-off win.
Dylan Emmons started on the mound for UFV and got tagged for a run in the first inning. But the bats picked him up in the bottom of the inning, with Nick Laflamme, Colin Kellington and Trevor Brammer banging out back-to-back-to-back doubles to give the home team a 2-1 lead.
By the time the seventh inning rolled around the teams were tied at 4-4 and the Cascades had the bases loaded.
Hegel worked the count full and knocked the next pitch up the middle, driving in Ryan Kaplanis with the winning run.
Emmons went the distance, giving up 11 hits while striking out seven.
Game two was far less dramatic as UFV cruised to a 13-2 win.
Dan Rogers got the start in this one and the Mariners got to him for two early runs. But the pitcher mowed ‘em down from there, going six strong innings with four strikouts and eight hits allowed.
Tied 2-2 through six innings the Cascades broke through with a monster inning that saw them bang out seven hits and 11 runs. Caelan Sampson sparked the offence with a lead-off walk and Hegel supplied the highlight with a massive two-run home run that traveled 400+feet over the fence in right-center field.
UFV was supposed to host another double header Sunday, but it was rained out.
The CCBC schedule calls for a Wednesday road double header vs the Mariners in Nanaimo followed by a Friday trip to Kelowna to face the Okanagan College Coyotes.
The next home date is Sunday afternoon, with a double header versus the Yotes scheduled to start at noon.
UFV (5-3) is tied with Thompson Rivers in the six-team league standings, with the Wolfpack (10-6) playing eight more games.
The perenial powerhouse Prairie Baseball Academy (Lethbridge) is running away from the field with a 14-3 record.
The Calgary Dinos occupy the basement with a 2-14 record.
See ccbc.pointstreaksites.com/view/ccbc for more.