VANCOUVER, B.C.– It took five years and 20 games, but the Bushnell baseball team was finally able to claim their first ever win north of the border on Saturday afternoon, taking game two of a double-header with the University of British Columbia, 3-1.
 
With two neutral-site losses in the 2025 CCC tournament, and an 0-17 road record against the Thunderbirds dating back to 2022 and including a 10-0 rout of a loss in Saturday opener, the Beacons picked up their first in in Canada at the perfect time.
 
With their first loss in ten games, UBC sits in danger of failing to secure the CCC regular-season championship and host bid for the conference tournament with just two games remaining on Sunday.
 
The win for the Beacons was fueled by another remarkable start from freshman DJ Kauahi (pictured) who threw just the third complete game in Bushnell history, throwing 114 pitches over nine innings to earn the victory, his fourth of the season. 
 
Kauahi had a big game, striking out just one batter, but scattering seven hits. The Thunderbirds managed four doubles, and had runners in scoring position in six different innings, but each time he would take care of business, forcing numerous pop ups to end the threats.
 
"DJ did not act like a freshman today and I am super proud of his effort," said Head Coach Jamie Womack. "He was outstanding and was not going to come out of that game until it was over."
 
Bushnell was also fueled to the victory by the big bat of senior Albert Jennings who went 3-for-4 in the game with two RBI and a run, reaching base in all four plate appearances. After UBC scored on a sacrifice fly in the first inning to take a 1-0 lead, Jennings tied the game in the third with an RBI double, and later added the final insurance run on an RBI single in the seventh.
 
"We got outside of ourselves in game one and tried to do too much. Got back to our process in game two and earned the celebration. It's not a secret that there was a cloud looming having been winless north of the border, and we are so happy to have that fully in the past and ready to come out and compete tomorrow.
 
UP NEXT: The stage is set for what should be a dramatic end to the regular season on Sunday with two more games in the series between the Beacons (25-23, 17-18 CCC) and British Columbia (34-13, 28-7).
 
With their loss, UBC slips a half-game behind Lewis-Clark State in the race for the Cascade Conference championship. A win for LC State on Sunday in their final game would clinch a share of the title, along with the No. 1 seed for the CCC tournament. The Thunderbirds could still earn at least a Co-Champion honor with a sweep, but would also need LC to lose to Warner Pacific to take the title outright.
 
Bushnell will look to upset those plans as they do not have anything on the line other than the chance at a winning record in conference as they are locked into the No. 4-seed for the upcoming CCC tournament.