MISSOULA, Mont. – The UBC Thunderbirds and Providence (Mont.) Argonauts split a pair of exciting Cascade Collegiate Conference contests Friday afternoon in Missoula, Mont.
 
The Argonauts (4-13, 2-8 CCC) claimed the series opener 9-8 despite giving up a five-run lead, before the Thunderbirds (5-16, 3-9) rebounded with a 5-3 triumph in Game 2.
 
UBC is tied for seventh in the CCC standings, one game of out the final playoff spot currently held by Carroll (Mont.).
 

Game 1

Hanna Tarum's double up the middle in the bottom of the 11th inning allowed the hosts to finally put away the visiting T-Birds.
 
Providence opened the game with four straight singles, followed by a hit-by-pitch, and another single to set the stage for Samantha Hernandez. The shortstop delivered with a double down the left field line to bring in a pair of runs, and make it 4-0. McKenzie Staats stepped up to the plate with runners on second and third and ripped a ball down the left side to earn her third RBI of the season, to give the host Argos a 5-0 lead after just an inning.

UBC got their first run in the top of the second, as Mackenzie Siddall scored on an error.

The T-Birds got closer in the top of the third. Claire Eccles hit her second home run of the season to cut the deficit to 5-2. Sierra Sherritt followed up with a double down the left field line. Sherritt came home on the next play, which had two Providence errors; the team finished the game with seven in all.
 

The Argos added another run on a Staats double up the middle in the home half of the third.

The Thunderbirds tied the game in the top of the fourth after being down 6-3. A Providence error allowed UBC to get into scoring position with top batter Sydney Brown next up to bat. Brown then hit her second triple of the season to plate Ashley Jacob and Taylore Jones, and close the T-Birds to within a run at 6-5. Brown then scored the tying run after Eccles hit a single.

In the top of the sixth, UBC scored on a throwing error for a 7-6 lead, its only one of the contest.

The lead reverted back to the Argonauts, thanks to a two-run home run by Kylie Gonzales in the bottom of the sixth.

Down to their last out, the T-Birds loaded the bases with two out. Brown drew a walk to tie the game at 8-8.

Shaelyn Ogilvie had four hits in Game 1 while Brown drove in three runs. UBC pitcher Emma Tuson gave up just three runs in 8.2 innings of relief, but was assessed the loss.

Game 2

After falling behind 1-0 in the first, the Thunderbirds scored five runs in a row before needing to fight off the Argonauts.
 
Sherritt tied the second game of the day at 1-1 in the third with a double up the middle. The inning continued with an Eccles double – the sixth of the season for junior – and finished with UBC up 3-1.
 
Eccles again sparked the offence in the sixth inning, hitting an RBI single to left field to plate Jones. Eccles then scored on Sherritt's double down the left field line to increase the lead to 5-1 in favour of the Thunderbirds.
 
Providence posted single runs in the sixth and seventh to get to within two. After making the score 5-3, Tarum drew a walk to load the bases with two out in the seventh. With the winning run on first base, UBC starter Tuson induced a fly out from Karlie Southworth to end the game.
 
Tuson surrendered three runs in seven innings of work to improve to 3-6 on the season. She struck out four Providence players. Eccles went 3-of-4 with a couple of runs batted in. Both Sherritt and Jones were 2 for 3.
 
The two teams will wrap up their four-game series on Saturday, with contests at 10 a.m. PT and 12 noon in Missoula, Mont.