Carleen Murray striding forward, leg fully extended, about to release the ball while delivering a pitch
Vamsi Nadella/UBC Thunderbirds
1
Warner Pacific (OR) WARNER P 0-11
5
Winner British Columbia BRITISH 10-7
Warner Pacific (OR) WARNER P
0-11
1
Final
5
British Columbia BRITISH
10-7
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Warner Pacific (OR) WARNER P 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 3 3
British Columbia BRITISH 1 0 1 2 0 1 X 5 10 2

W: Murray, Carleen (6-1) L: B. Munoz (0-5)

3
Warner Pacific (OR) WARNER P 0-12
8
Winner British Columbia BRITISH 11-7
Warner Pacific (OR) WARNER P
0-12
3
Final
8
British Columbia BRITISH
11-7
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Warner Pacific (OR) WARNER P 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 3 5 2
British Columbia BRITISH 3 2 0 0 0 3 X 8 10 0

W: Murray, Carleen (7-1) L: N. Tate (0-1)

Game Recap: Softball | | Ian French (UBC Communications)

Murray dazzles again, wins both halves of doubleheader against Knights

VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds (11-7, 4-1) picked up a pair of wins against the Warner Pacific University Knights (0-12, 0-5) at Collings Field on Thursday. The doubleheader opened with a dominant pitching performance from Carleen Murray, handing the home side a 5-1 victory. The 'Birds continued their winning ways in the afternoon, closing out an 8-3 victory by way of a full team effort, and a Kaitlyn Kim two-run home run.

"So many different players stepped up today with runners in scoring position", said UBC head coach Jennifer McKellar. "Whether it was to put a bunt down to move them over, or to actually score them, we were manufacturing runs at the rate we were anticipating."

Kaitlyn Kim v Warner Pacific Knights Mar 7, 2024

Game 1

UBC pitcher Carleen Murray made her way to the rubber to kick off the first inning of Thursday's doubleheader and established a presence early by recording two strikeouts in the opening frame.

It didn't take long for the UBC bats to heat up and deliver some run support for their hurler. In the bottom of the first, following two singles from her teammates, third-year infielder Gabrielle Dorval stepped into the box and connected on a single of her own to open the scoring, handing the 'Birds the early 1-0 lead.

The Knights put up a fight, finding ways to get on base through sound plate discipline. However, Murray rose to the occasion, continually finding ways to shut down any hopes for momentum. Her command of the strike zone led to a whopping seven punch outs through just three innings.

The T-Birds rode the wave of confidence from Murray's play, extending their lead to 4-0 in the fourth.

Kaitlyn Eng seen in the batter's box from the side just after making contact with the ball on her swing, the ball heading on an upward trajectory

The Knights were able squeak a run home in the sixth off of a wild pitch, but couldn't muster much more as Murray would hold strong. She pitched a complete game while collecting 10 strikeouts on the way to earning her sixth win on the young season.

"She's a very hardworking pitcher", commented McKellar. "She does her prep throughout the week and then she gets here and just competes. Her job is never too big. She's really bought into doing her job and giving us the best possible chance to win, that's what she gives us every time."

Game 2

With Murray dominating on the mound once again, the T-Birds caught fire early in the second game of the double dip, spraying five hits all over the field in the bottom half of the first. Dorval knocked in two runs in her first at-bat. UBC would add on another run to take the early 3-0 lead at the end of the frame.

Following yet another quick inning for Murray in the second, the bottom half saw the 'Birds continue to apply pressure, starting with third-year infielder Keona Nordquist sending a double down the left field line. Next up was UBC's batting average leader, Kaitlyn Kim, who showed her skills don't cease at contact as she demolished the ball over the right field fence for a home run, her second of the season. At the end of the second, the T-Birds led 5-0.

Kaitlyn Kim following through on a swing, seen from behind sharply in focus in a shallow depth of field, the Warner Pacific pitcher and fielders out of focus in the background

The next few innings had stellar pitching on both sides, resulting in quick up and downs, until the Knights ended the shutout in the sixth. After Rachel Behn walked, she would find her way to second on a failed pickoff attempt. Jordyn Rosario then sent the ball to left field for an RBI double. Then, with two outs, Maddie Gamble launched a shot into left for a two-run home run, cutting the T-Birds' lead to 5-3.

The 'Birds responded quickly in the bottom half of the sixth, as pinch hitter Shae Sever came to the plate with runners on and singled to left, securing another run for her squad. The T-Birds would add two more in the inning, off a pair of Warner Pacific errors, to re-establish their five-run lead. A shutdown seventh from reliever Riley Woodward secured the 8-3 victory.

"Their message to each other was 'we need to finish this' and the bottom of the sixth showed that", McKellar said, on her team's reaction to the visitors' late surge. "That's who we are, when we're firing on all cylinders, we're a team that answers back."

The two sides will meet again on Friday for another doubleheader to finish off their four-game series. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. (PT) followed by game two at 1:00 p.m. (PT) at Collings Field.

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