ASHLAND, Ore. – Outfielder Claire Eccles drove in five runs to provide all the offence for the UBC softball team as the Thunderbirds (18-22) went 1-1 today at the Cascade Conference Tournament presented by U.S. Bank in Ashland, Ore. Fifth-seeded UBC began Day 1 with a 3-2 triumph over No. 4-seeded Eastern Oregon in the championship opener, before falling 5-2 to host and top-seeded Southern Oregon.
 

Game 1 - UBC 3, Eastern Oregon 2

Eccles lined a double to the centre-field fence in the sixth inning, scoring Paige Harbord from first base for the game-winning run in UBC's 3-2 defeat of Eastern Oregon at University Field. Harbord led off the inning with bunt single.

Eccles also hit a two-run homer to tie the tilt for UBC in the bottom of the first inning after Chelsea Spanier launched one in the top half for the Mountaineers. It was the third home run of the season for Eccles. Senior shortstop Sydney Brown also scored on the play after reaching base on an infield base hit.

Eccles went 3-for-3 batting and drove in three runs against EOU, with Brown and Harbord providing the other base hits for the Thunderbirds.

Emma Tuson (10-6) earned her eighth straight victory for UBC by throwing a five-hit complete game. The pitcher from Maple Ridge, B.C., surrendered three extra-base hits, and four total, in the first inning, but shut down Eastern Oregon the rest of the way. Tuson allowed just one hit after the opening inning to keep UBC level with higher-seeded EOU.

Game 2 - Southern Oregon 5, UBC 2

In its first game of the CCC championship tournament, host Southern Oregon scored in each of the first four innings to earn the win over UBC. 

The Raiders got on the board against the Thunderbirds on Harlee Donovan's RBI groundout in the first that scored Kelsey Randall, who came in on a Donovan single in the fourth.
 
Hannah Shimek went 3-for-3, Rebecca Velasquez went 2-for-3, and Hannah Wessel and Avery Morehead-Hutsell both doubled with an RBI and a run scored.

Eccles got UBC on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth inning, hitting a two-run double to right-center field to plate Emily Chorpita and Brown, who reached via a walk and a single, respectively.

However, the Thunderbirds could not produce any more offence against SOU starting pitcher Gabby Sandoval, who recorded her ninth consecutive complete game by working around nine hits with five strikeouts. 

Brown and Eccles both had three hits in four at-bats, while Paige Harbord, Sierra Sherritt, and Frances Ramsay contributed a hit apiece.

Tuson pitched three scoreless innings in relief of UBC starter Zoe Gillis (6-11), who gave up four earned runs in three innings of work.

The Thunderbirds will need to win the rest of their games this weekend to capture the CCC crown. UBC will face Carroll (Mont.) in an elimination game Saturday morning at 9 a.m., with the winner advancing to a 4:30 p.m. contest against either No. 3-seeded Oregon Tech or Eastern Oregon.