SURREY, B.C. – A massive rally in the bottom of the second inning and some stellar relief pitching by senior Lindsey Ogilvie propelled the UBC Thunderbirds to a 13-7 Cascade Collegiate Conference softball victory over the Great Falls (Mont.) Argos Saturday at Softball City in Surrey, B.C.
Hillary Strelau, Frances Ramsay, Sydney Brown and Mackenzie Siddall all had three hits in the win, which was UBC's (4-16, 3-9 CCC) third straight in conference play. Ogilvie came on to replace starter Zoe Gillis, who lasted only one and a third innings, to pick up her second win on the season.
"I was saying before the weekend that if we could play with confidence we would turn the corner," said UBC head coach Gord Collings when asked about his team turning a 12-game losing streak into a three-game winning one. "To get 17 hits and put the ball in play like we did, I'm pleased."
The pivotal moments in the game came in the bottom of the second after the "Birds had staked the Argos (11-14, 3-12) to a 4-0 lead. A Ramsay double that cashed in two base runners was followed by a Siddall RBI single, which set the stage for Strelau to slam an inside-the-park homer to straight-away center, her first four bagger of the season.
"I feel like we're only half way through the season so this is a really good opportunity for us to explode from here on out," said Strelau. "We need to think about this day and realize what it was. Maybe we pretend we have a home crowd when we go out on the road and just try and kill it."
The No. 8-hitting Ramsay, who had three hits, three runs and three RBIs, all single game career highs, spoke about the home-field advantage for the 'Birds.
"Playing at this field (Softball City in Surrey) is really amazing," said Ramsay. "We all grew up playing here and have so many memories of this field. It's really great to play at home, so our parents can come out. I think that really contributed to the game today."
Siddall also had a career-high with three hits on the day, to go along with two runs scored. The 'Birds also benefited from three RBIs courtesy of catcher Lexie Brenneis, who pushed her team-leading total to 17.
The Thunderbirds will travel to Caldwell, Idaho and Pasco, Wash., respectively next weekend for a gruelling seven games in three days schedule versus College of Idaho (four) and Carroll (Mont.) Saints (three).
- with files from Wilson Wong