UBC celebrates Lexie Brenneis' home run against Marymount California
WEST COVINA, Calif. – The UBC Thunderbirds softball team (1-1) demonstrated their resiliency in their season-opening doubleheader Thursday night, bouncing back from a 14-3 defeat at the hands of the Menlo (Calif.) Oaks (11-3) to upend the Marymount California Mariners (2-4) 12-8 in the back half of the two-game set.
The win capped off a long day for the team, as the players and coaches flew to Los Angeles early Thursday morning and then played a pair of contests, the latter of which ended around midnight.
Game 1
The 'Birds jumped out to a 2-0 first-inning lead against the Oaks, as sophomore Paige Harbord's single drove in senior Hillary Strelau from third, the first UBC run of the new year. A couple of batters later, Harbord crossed home plate herself following a pair of back-to-back wild pitches from Menlo hurler Jordan Kennedy.
After taking a 5-2 lead as part of a two-homer third inning, the Oaks piled on three more runs in the fourth frame, including the first of two long balls for junior utility player Brooke Menesini, a two-run shot.
The 'Birds would get one back in the bottom half of the fourth, as Douglas College transfer Sydney Brown scored her first run for the Blue and Gold, making it home on a single from Mackenzie Siddall.
That's as close as the 'Birds would get, as Menlo poured in six more runs in the fifth frame, initiating the 10-run rule.
Both Zoe Gillis (0-1) and Emma Tuson saw more than two innings of work on the mound in the opener.
Game 2
Midway through the second contest against Marymount, it appeared the 'Birds were in for a virtual repeat of their game against the Oaks.
After UBC jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning, the Mariners rang up eight straight runs over the next four frames, holding an 8-1 lead heading into the fifth.
Then, the floodgates opened.
With the bases loaded, pitcher Lindsey Ogilvie was hit by a pitch to get the 'Birds their second run of the afternoon.
The next batter up, pinch hitter Lexie Brenneis absolutely crushed a grand slam to clear the bases, cutting the Marymount lead to just 8-6.
After Gillis, who relieved Ogilvie, went three-up, three-down in the bottom half of the fifth, the 'Birds completed the comeback in the sixth.
With the bases loaded once again, Shaelyn Ogilvie dropped a three-RBI double, scoring Brenneis, her sister Lindsey, and Brown. Frances Ramsay drove in Ogilvie on the T-Birds' next at-bat, picking up a double of her own to put UBC up 10-8.
After freshman Hailey Kjaer was walked, Harbord (an RBI double) and Strelau (an RBI single) capped off the game's scoring with back-to-back hits, sealing the wild comeback win, and the T-Birds' first win of the season.
Outside of Turnovitski and Shaelyn Ogilvie's big nights, Strelau was especially effective at the plate, picking up three hits, scoring two runs, and adding that RBI in just five at-bats.
UBC's three games on Friday were rained out. The 'Birds will look to close out their California preseason swing with a strong performance against the Biola Eagles (9-4-2), as the two sides will square off this Saturday, February 18. The first pitch will be thrown out at 12 noon (PT).