SURREY, B.C. – The UBC Thunderbirds took two of three Cascade Collegiate Conference softball games from the visiting College of Idaho 'Yotes Friday thanks to a pair of outstanding pitching performances.
 
Emma Tuson set the UBC (8-18, 5-11 CCC) school record for innings pitched in a game by throwing all 10 in a 4-3 triumph in the series opener at Softball City.
 
"Emma had an excellent game and good command of her pitches," said UBC head coach Gord Collings. "She kept batters off balance and got some key strikeouts in pressure situations. Definitely one of her best outings of the year."
 
The College of Idaho (17-16, 7-11 CCC) rebounded with a 7-2 win in Game 2, before the T-Birds claimed the rubber match 8-1 on the strength of Chantelle Twynstra's complete-game three-hitter.
 
A non-conference contest scheduled for Saturday has been cancelled.
 

Game 1

Tuson gave up just six hits and three runs in 10 innings to improve to 3-6.
 
Down 3-2, UBC tied the game in the sixth inning on a Claire Eccles' chopper to second base, which allowed Erin Reid to touch home plate.
 
The game remained tied 3-3 until the bottom of the 10th, which Emily Chorpita led off with a single. Mackenzie Siddall then came to plate with the intention of laying down a sacrifice bunt to move Chorpita to second. Siddall did even better, as she bunted, and then got to first base for an infield single. A Reid groundout pushed Chorpita and Siddall to third and second, respectively. The next batter, Taylore Jones, hit a comebacker to College of Idaho pitcher Colette Robert, who threw to first for the out. On the throw, Chorpita ran towards home, and beat the return toss from first to end the marathon.
 

C of I threatened to take the lead in the top of the ninth, as it had runners on first and second with two outs, but Tuson got Taylor Eakle to pop up to shortstop Sydney Brown to keep the 'Yotes at bay. Tuson set aside College of Idaho in order in the seventh, eig hth and 10th innings to set up UBC's offensive heroics in the home half of the 10th.
 
Brown recorded four hits in five at-bats for the Thunderbirds, who also got four hits from the bottom third of their batting order (Mackenzie Siddall – 1, Reid – 1 and Jones – 2). Chorpita and Paige Harbord also got a pair of hits.
 
"Sydney had an excellent game at the plate and put so much pressure on their defence with her short game and on the bases," said Collings of the senior who finished the series with seven hits and two stolen bases.
 
The teams traded runs in the opening inning with College of Idaho getting on the scoreboard on an Eakle RBI single. UBC's Brown stole third and then came home on a throwing error.
 
Eccles gave the T-Birds a 2-1 lead in the bottom of third when she knocked a double up the left field line and then off third base to score Jones.
 
The Yotes went ahead with a pair of runs in the fifth inning.
 

Game 2

UBC trailed just 3-2 heading into the final inning after Twynstra's RBI single drove in Eccles in the bottom of the sixth.
 
However, College of Idaho replied right away in the top of the seventh, as Trystin Crofts hammered a three-run home run down the left field line inside the foul pole to put her side up 6-2. An RBI groundout by Kristin Paulazzo added an insurance run, and rounded out the scoring.
 
Crofts' home run was the second for C of I in the contest, as Martha Tooley took a 1-0 pitch over the fence in left center field in the fourth inning to increase the 'Yotes' lead to 3-1.
 
A pair of throwing errors by the 'Birds contributed to a two-run opening inning by the visitors. The hosts got one back in the third on an RBI groundout by Eccles.
 

Game 3

A five-run fourth inning gave UBC control in the series finale.
 
The Thunderbirds opened with a pair of runs in the first. Eccles' RBI single to center field scored Brown. Harbord crossed home plate on a Chorpita groundout to make it 2-0.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, Reid was hit by a pitch to get on base with one out. Three straight singles, by Siddall on a bunt, Logan Bailey to center field, and Jones to shortstop, brought Reid home to give the T-Birds a 3-0 advantage.
 
After a pitching change, and a strikeout, Harbord hammered a bases-clearing three-RBI double to center field. On the ensuing at-bat, Eccles singled to drive in Harbord, and stretch the UBC lead to seven. It was Eccles' fourth RBI of the series.
 
The two squads traded runs in the fifth to complete the scoring. In the top half, Paulazzo singled through the right side to score Crofts.  Siddall's infield single allowed Ashley Jacob to score UBC's eighth run.
 

Harbord drove in three runs on two hits, and also scored two runs. Siddall, Brown and Eccles also had two hits apiece.
 
"So pleased for Paige Harbord to make adjustments at the plate and get a big hit for us in the final game," remarked Collings. "Our outfield was outstanding."
 
In the circle, Twynstra struck out six and gave up just three hits for the win.
 
"Chantelle was exceptional," Collings said. "She showed so much poise and confidence for a first-year player. I am very pleased with her development and am looking forward to her being an impact player for us for many years."
 
UBC will play six games next weekend in La Grande, Ore. The T-Birds will first battle the Eastern Oregon Mountaineers Friday and Saturday. They will then face the Corban (Ore.) Warriors in a Sunday doubleheader, make-up games for the series originally scheduled for Surrey in early March.
 
College of Idaho will host Corban Friday and Saturday in Caldwell, Idaho.