UBC Thunder Rally Late to Edge Pirates in Inconsequential Round-Robin Finale

KAMLOOPS, BC — In a game that had no bearing on the tournament standings but offered plenty of frivolous entertainment, the North Delta Pirates were edged 8-7 by the UBC JR Thunder in a round-robin finale on Saturday at the Sussex All-Star Tournament.

Already locked into a top seed heading into Sunday’s semi-final, the Pirates treated the contest with a light-hearted approach, sending position players Noah Saunders, Payton Harper, Lucas Stebbings, and Tevin Bentley to the mound while rotating other players freely through the lineup. Despite building a 7-3 lead after a big third inning, North Delta couldn’t hold off a persistent Thunder squad that clawed back to grab the game late.

The Thunder tied the game at 7-7 in the fifth and then took the lead for good when a UBC batter worked a bases-loaded walk.

UBC struck first in the opening inning, when a triple scored the game’s first run. They added single runs in the second and third, before North Delta responded in explosive fashion.

The Pirates stormed ahead in the bottom of the third, when, with two outs, they plated seven runs on three hits while taking advantage of four walks. Cole James delivered the biggest swing, a two-run single that helped North Delta flip a 3-0 deficit into a 7-3 lead. James finished 2-for-2 with a walk and two RBIs, leading the team offensively alongside contributions from Eric Halliburton, Eliaz Murti, and Bentley.

But the Thunder chipped away in the fourth before capitalizing on North Delta’s makeshift bullpen in the fifth. Four walks brought home runs to complete the comeback.

Dakota Simicak started for the Pirates and struck out five across two innings, allowing two runs on four hits. On the other side, Nathan Kwok allowed three runs over 2.2 innings for UBC, striking out one.

Despite the loss, the Pirates remain focused on their bigger goal — a return to the tournament championship game for the second straight year. They’ll look to bounce back in Sunday morning’s semi-final, where the stakes will rise along with the intensity.

“Games like these help keep the team loose,” said one Pirates coach. “Now we reset and get ready for tomorrow.”

For more information about the North Delta Pirates, visit www.northdeltapirates.ca. Follow the team on Instagram (@northdeltapirates), Facebook, and Twitter (@piratesnd) for exclusive content and updates throughout the season.

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Matt Grant
Director with the North Delta Pirates
northdeltapirates@gmail.com