VANCOUVER - For the second straight day, the UBC Thunderbirds softball team won two of its three games at the Simpson University tournament in Redding, California.
"Overall we played a strong hitting game every game out followed by excellent defence and strong pitching by all four pitchers," said UBC head coach Phil Thom. "We are very pleased with how our team performed first weekend and look forward to a good season."
UBC outscored Eastern Oregon 8-3 in Saturday's first game, pounding out 10 hits in the process.
Cassandra Dypchey (Surrey, BC) nailed two home runs over the centre-field fence and ended the day with four runs batter in and three hits in four plate appearances.
Jamie Randall (Richmond, BC) got the win after pitching 5.2 innings.
UBC's strong offensive play continued in the team's 12-0 victory over Northwest University of Kirkland, Washington.
Brittany Hince Siwicki (Winnipeg, MB) made her NAIA debut after replacing an injured
Yasmin Bains at shortstop. Siwicki proceeded to hit a single in her first at-bat and then recorded a bunt single to go 2 for 2. She also scored a run.
Pitcher
Nicole Day (Surrey, BC) threw five innings, giving up two hits and striking out four.
The Thunderbirds ended the tournament with a 4-3, eight-inning loss to No. 17 Warriors of Corban University.
With the score tied at 2-2 in the top of the eighth, Corban's Brittany Chestnut hit a two-run home run to right field to give her squad the lead.
In the bottom of the inning,
Alana Westerhof (Delta, BC) doubled to the centre field wall to score Dypchey.
Westerhof was sacrificed over to third base on the next play.
Molly Gosnell (Sunnyvale, CA) then came to the plate and hit a line drive off the Corban picture Chelsea Schriber's leg. Westerhof, trying to score from third, was tagged out at home plate.
Gosnell got UBC on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth inning, tying the game at 1-1 with a sacrifice fly that scored Westerhof.
In the next inning,
Carlyn Shimizu (Richmond, BC) plated Siwicki, who led off with a single, by doubling to centre field to give UBC a 2-1 lead. Corban scored one in the top of the seventh to tie the game.
Leigh Della Siega (Surrey, BC) recorded her second complete game of the weekend, pitching eight innings, striking out eight batters. Siwicki played another strong defensive game at shortstop, making a spectacular diving grab on a grounder and then crawling over to tag second base.
UBC's next action will be at the Northwest Cup in Clackamas, Oregon. The T-Birds (4-3) will play six games in three days, with the first coming on Friday, Feb. 15 against Concordia (Ore.)
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