VANCOUVER -- Winning 6-5, then falling 12-9 in extra innings, the UBC Thunderbirds softball team (2-9, 2-2) settled for a split in a Friday night doubleheader against the Northwest Christian Beacons (5-17, 1-3). The two-game series marked UBC's first games at their new home in Surrey, B.C.'s Softball City.
In the first contest, the 'Birds won on a two-run seventh inning that saw Hillary Strelau notch a single with the bases loaded to score Shaelyn Ogilvie, while putting Olivia Priestlay on third. Claire Eccles was walked as the next batter up, scoring Priestlay and ending the ball game.
For the contest, UBC rookie first baseman Shaelyn Ogilvie was the most prolific offensive threat, with a two-hit, two-run day that featured her first career homerun. On the mound, Lindsay Ogilvie went the distance, giving up eight hits and five runs in seven innings.
Up 1-0 in the third frame, the T-Birds added three runs in lightning quick-fashion. First, Montana Turnovitski doubled to left field, driving in Shayla Kaplen from second. Then, Shaelyn Ogilvie went yard on a two-run shot, scoring her and Turnovitski.
The Beacons got back into the contest in the fifth inning, when senior third baseman Parker Fritter unloaded a three-run bomb to left field, clearing Paige Griffith and Jessica Garner off the bases.
The run of homers continued in the top of the seventh, as Ashlee Cole sent one deep to left, scoring her and Griffith to take their first lead of the contest at 5-4.
The second half of the doubleheader saw UBC surrender two homers, totalling three runs, in the eighth inning, giving the Northwest Christian their first Cascade Collegiate Conference win of the season.
The Beacons jumped out to a 5-0 early, powered by a two-run first frame, and then a pair of third-inning home runs from Cole and Fritter.
The 'Birds responded in their portion of the third, scoring four runs. First, it was Kaplen who struck with a double, driving home Strelau from third. Then, Shaelyn Ogilvie cracked a two-base shot to score Kaplen. Next, Quinn Dhaliwal picked up her own double, scoring Ogilvie. Finally, Lauren du Toit singled before a throwing error allowed her to cross second, and Dhaliwal to maker her way home.
Down by three in the bottom of the fifth, the 'Birds blasted off five runs to take a 9-7 lead. The key play of the frame was a bases-loaded triple off the bat of Paige Harbord, who crushed a shot down the right field line, driving in Turnovitski, Dhaliwal, and Shaelyn Ogilvie.
Emma Tuson saw the bulk of the pitching action for UBC, going 5.1 innings, including all but one out of the extra frame, and giving up 11 hits, eight runs, while striking out two.
The 'Birds will now face the Corban Warriors in a doubleheader today, again at Softball City, with the first game set to start at 11 a.m.