VANCOUVER - The UBC Thunderbirds softball teams got a pair of marquee conference wins on Saturday, sweeping the No. 17-ranked Corban Warriors in both halves of their Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) doubleheader on Saturday night, with the results coming in 9-3 and 4-3 wins.
 
The early half of the doubleheader saw the 'Birds the 'Birds score five runs before the tail end of the second inning. With the two sides already tied at two runs apiece, a Paige Harbord (Delta, B.C.) single to right drove in Mackenzie Siddall (Windsor, Ont.). Then, a deep single off the bat of Shay Kaplen was enough to get both Hilary Strelau (Richmond, B.C.) and Olivia Priestlay (Delta, B.C.) home from scoring positions.
 
Prieslay provided the pop on the T-Birds' next run, belting a double to left center that brought in Quinn Dhaliwal (Delta, B.C.) from second.
 
With the game well in hand, up 6-3 in the sixth frame, the 'Birds added three more runs. First, Kaplen drilled a two-run homer down the middle, scoring both her and Harbord. Then, Dhaliwal drove a single up the middle, enough to bring in Lindsey Ogilvie (Surrey, B.C.) from third.
 
In contrast, the second matchup of the two-gate set was decided late, as a seventh-inning single from Lindsey Ogilvie, one that scored Strelau, proved the difference in the UBC win.
 
Shaelyn Ogilvie (Surrey, B.C.) got the game's scoring started, as the rookie cracked a single deep to right, allowing both Kaplen and Harbord to cross home plate in the first inning, putting the 'Birds up 2-0.
 
Back-to-back home Corban home runs off the bats of Allie Mendez and McKenzie Giancola evened thing up in the second frame, before Mendez sliced a single to score Grace Uttogalarneau and give Corban their first lead.
 
The fifth inning saw Kaplen pop a single to even things up once more, as Siddall crossed home plate.
 
Emma Tuson (Maple Ridge, B.C.), who saw three innings of work in relief of Zoe Gillis (Delta, B.C.), was credited with the win for UBC, giving up no hits or runs in her portion of the game.
 
The 'Birds will head south next weekend, as they are set to face Oregon Tech Owls and Southern Oregon Raiders in a pair of CCC Doubeleheaders. The games against Oregon Tech will get underway at 2:00 p.m. (PT) on Friday, March 25, while the battle against the Raiders will start at 11:00 a.m. (PT) on Saturday, March 26.