VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds softball team (0-2) fell 6-5 to the Pacific Boxers (6-0-1) in extra innings on Saturday morning in Clackamas, Ore.
 
The scoring got started in the third inning – after Boxers catcher Emily Tesdale opened the frame with a solo jack to draw first blood, the 'Birds got it back and then some.
 
The Blue and Gold ripped off four runs in quick succession in the bottom of the frame. Shayla Kaplen (Richmond, B.C.) started the scoring run by driving a deep single to score rookie Olivia Priestly from second and push Hillary Strelau (Richmond, B.C.) to third. Lindsey Ogilvie (Surrey, B.C.) stepped on to the plate next and drove Strelau home with a single of her own, giving the 'Birds their first lead of the contest at 2-1.
 
But, UBC wasn't done there – a couple of fielding errors allowed both Kaplen and Ogilvie to score on subsequent plays, putting UBC in front by a 4-1 margin.
 
The Boxers showed that they could score in bunches, too, as they put up three in the fifth inning to claw their way back onto even footing at 4-4. All three runs were produced off of a single swing from the bat of Ashley Mitchell, as the Pacific shortstop launched a three-run blast that cleared the fence, scoring Kaitlynn Donaca and Rachel Roberts.
 
After the two sides stayed tied up by that same 4-4 score after seven, the contest went to extra innings.
 
The Boxers put up two runs in the top of the eighth, with Kylee Yamamoto and Megan Winans both scoring on pitching errors from UBC reliever Zoe Gillis (Delta, B.C.).
 
Kaplen managed to get one back for the 'Birds in the latter half of the frame, scoring from third on a fielding error, but it wasn't enough to equalize.