VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds (11-11, 10-7) handed the conference-leading Oregon Tech Owls (33-6, 18-2) just their second conference loss of the season with a 5-4 game-three victory after dropping the first two games (2-1 and 6-3) in a triple-header of NAIA action at Collings Field at Nobel Park on Saturday.
The Owls lead the Cascade Collegiate Conference with two conference losses, while standout pitcher Sarah Abramson entered the weekend as the two-time national pitcher of week after earning back-to-back no-hitters with a perfect game on March 25
th.
"
Shelby Kempel was outstanding today," said UBC head coach
Gord Collings of his starting pitcher, after the 'Birds fought for an impressive game three victory to cap off the weekend series at home. "We lost the first game, and we could've won it if we got the clutch hits. We got the clutch hits this game and we had the defense. The girls played super defense, and I can't say enough about Shelby. It also makes a big difference playing at home in front of our home crowd. We worked so hard for this place, and it came through today with the energy…it's just great."
Game One
Kempel took the mound for the Thunderbirds in game one and allowed just two runs on six hits with three strikeouts and three walks through seven innings in a hard-fought 2-1loss.
Maddie DeVerna picked up an RBI single in the top of the second inning for a 1-0 Owls lead and Mckenzie Staub singled to centre field to bring home catcher Jayce Seavert in the top of the third for OIT.
Down 2-0 in the bottom of the fourth, UBC's
Nicole Salas drew a walk before
Emma Dorval cranked an RBI single to left to put the 'Birds on the board at 2-1 – with pinch runner
Gabby Freer scoring from second.
OIT's defense came up big in the sixth and seventh innings, as the Owls closed out a narrow 2-1 victory to snap UBC's nine-game conference win streak on home field.
Emma Dorval went 2-for-3 at the plate for the T-Birds, while
Avery Hilpert,
Olivia Malesku,
Hannah Clegg, and
Keona Nordquist each recorded a hit.
Abramson gave up just one run on six hits with three strikeouts and two walks through seven innings to capture her 19
th win.
Game Two
Kennedy Jantzi opened the scoring for OIT with a 2-run homer in the top of the first, before Staub scored on a Zoe Allen single for a 3-0 lead in the top of the second.
The 'Birds made a push in bottom of the third with two on and one out and scored on a
Hanna Hansen RBI to cut the deficit to 3-1 Owls.
OIT exploded for three runs in the top of the fifth – with Jantzi bringing in Seavert on a sacrifice fly to centre, and a two-run single from Allen that extended the visitors' lead to 6-1. Hansen responded for UBC in the bottom of the fifth with her second RBI and the T-Birds continued to battle in the bottom of the sixth, as Hilpert smacked an RBI double to left to make it 6-3 Owls.
The Thunderbirds ramped up the pressure on reliever Mckenzie Staub in the bottom of the seventh, when
Gabrielle Dorval was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out, but Staub bounced back and sat down back-to-back T-Birds batters to solidify the 6-3 victory.
Abramson gave up two hits, four walks, and a run through two innings as the starter, Kacie Schmidt earned her 12
th win after going 3 2/3 innings with four hits, two runs and two walks, and Staub finished with two walks and two crucial strikeouts in the save. Allen and Jantzi racked up three RBI each in the victory.
Shae Sever got the nod for UBC in game two but allowed six runs on eight hits with four strikeouts through 4 2/3 innings before
Lindsay Bell entered the game in relief. Malesku and Hilpert each went 2-for-3 at the plate in the thrilling defeat.
Game Three
Staub started for the Owls, but the Thunderbirds jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first after Malesku drew a walk with the bases loaded,
Emma Dorval hit a 2-RBI double to left, and Malesku came home on a passed ball. Staub allowed four runs on three hits with a walk and made way for Jenna Gorden with one out in the first.
OIT scored an unearned run in the top of the fourth and brought home Jantzi with a sacrifice fly by Schmidt to trim the UBC lead to 4-2. In the fifth, Seavert cut the deficit to one with an RBI single to centre.
Gorden lasted 4 1/3 innings and gave up six hits before Abramson entered the game in the bottom of the fifth and promptly struck out her first batter of the game swinging. UBC continued to press against the star pitcher and scored on a Malesku single for a 5-3 lead with the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth.
OIT made it a one-run game on a Seavert RBI in the top of the seventh, but the 'Birds held on for the win.
Kempel was huge for UBC through seven innings with three strikeouts and three walks and threw 185 total pitches on the day.
