SANDY, Ore. – The UBC Thunderbirds fell to the No. 19 Oregon Tech Hustlin' Owls in a Cascade Collegiate Conference softball triple header in Sandy, Ore., losing 8-2, 9-3, and 5-1.
 
The series was originally scheduled for Surrey, B.C., but unplayable field conditions at Softball City forced a move south of the border.
 
With the sweep, OIT improved to 15-5 overall and 6-3 in CCC play, while UBC fell to 1-12 and 0-6 in the conference standings.
 
Game 1
With the score 1-0 for Oregon Tech in the top of the first inning, and the bases loaded, Hustlin' Owl Sadie Birch gave her team control of the game by hammering a 1-2 pitch over the left field fence for a grand slam home run. It was her sixth home run of the season, and it made the score 5-0 for OIT. Birch finished the contest with three hits and four runs batted in.
 
UBC replied with a run in the home half of the first, as Lexie Brenneis' groundout to the shortstop brought home Hillary Strelau from third base.
 
The Hustlin' Owls put three more runs on the scoreboard in the third, thanks to an RBI double to left center by Sydni Scott, a sacrifice fly to left by Baylee Wyscaver, and an RBI single to left field by Rachael Delamare.
 
Frances Ramsay's single to center field in the bottom of the fourth scored Claire Eccles, and cut UBC's deficit to 8-2, but that rounded out the scoring in the game.
 
OIT starter Kelly Scott improved to 6-1 after earning the victory. She gave up two runs over five innings of work. UBC's Zoe Gillis took the loss.
 


Game 2
Ali Graham did just about everything for Oregon Tech in Game 2.
 
At the plate, she hit two home runs, got a hit in all four of her at-bats, and drove in seven of OIT's nine runs. In the pitching circle, Graham surrendered just two earned runs in six innings to earn the victory, and remain perfect in six decisions.
 
Graham opened the scoring in the first with an RBI single to left. Then in the third, she homered to left field to make it 4-0.
 
UBC got back into the contest in the bottom of the third on back-to-back doubles by Brenneis, and Lindsey Ogilvie, respectively. Brenneis' hit scored Sydney Brown and Hillary Strelau. Ogilvie's double allowed Brenneis to touch home plate.
 
However, Graham's second home run, this time a three-run shot to left center in the fifth, made it 7-3. She and Katie Virtue had RBI singles up the middle in the sixth to conclude the offensive output.
 
Game 3
The series finale was a tight matchup before Oregon Tech scored three times in the top of the sixth inning to win 5-1.
 
Tara Moates put OIT ahead with an RBI double down the left field line in the opening inning.
 
UBC starting pitcher Lindsey Ogilvie replied in the third by hitting her second home run of the season, to right center field.
 


Virtue gave the Hustlin' Owls a 2-1 lead on an RBI groundout in the fifth. OIT then added three insurance runs in the next inning to clinch the three-game Sunday sweep. Sahalie Doe's bunt single brought allowed Wyscaver to come home. Then Delamare drove in a pair on a single.
 
Scott (7-1) got her second win of the day as the junior pitcher gave up just a run in six innings. Lindsey Ogilvie (0-3) recorded the 111-pitch complete game for UBC but took the loss.
 
Strelau went 2-for-4 at the plate in Games 1 and 3, and was 5-for-12 overall on Sunday with a couple of stolen bases as well. Brenneis drove in three runs on the day.
 
The Thunderbirds will play at Southern Oregon next weekend, while the Hustlin' Owls will host Corban in Klamath Falls, Ore.