Gabrielle Dorval seen from the side mid-swing, just about to make contact, her hands are somewhat behind her body suggesting she's about the hit the ball to the opposite field
Vamsi Nadella/UBC Thunderbirds
7
Warner Pacific (OR) WARNER P 0-13
8
Winner British Columbia BRITISH 12-7
Warner Pacific (OR) WARNER P
0-13
7
Final
8
British Columbia BRITISH
12-7
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E
Warner Pacific (OR) WARNER P 3 0 2 0 0 1 1 0 7 10 0
British Columbia BRITISH 2 0 0 3 1 0 1 1 8 16 2

W: Sever, Shae (2-1) L: B. Munoz (0-6)

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

Dorval delivers walk-off double, 'Birds sweep Knights

VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds (12-7, 5-1) needed an extra inning to earn an 8-7 victory over the Warner Pacific University Knights (0-13, 0-6) on Friday at Collings Field. The two sides both displayed timely hitting, resulting in an up and down game until fourth-year infielder Gabrielle Dorval smashed a double to deep center field in the bottom of the eighth to hand her team the walk-off, one run win.
 
"As a senior who is really here, invested in the girls, she did that for her teammates", said UBC head coach Jennifer McKellar. "She's been a good leader for us for her whole career at UBC, she fills a big spot for us in the four-hole."

Casey Lo clapping and smiling after she reaches base
 
It seemed Warner Pacific sought revenge from the doubleheader sweep the day before, as their bats were firing in the top of the first. The game's opening pitch was flung down the middle of the zone and Jordyn Rosario made contact, shooting the ball to center field for a double. After UBC seemingly settled down by snagging the next two outs, the Knights kept pressing. Following an RBI single up the middle, Kili Makanani stepped into the batter's box and blasted the ball over the right field fence for the two-run homer, giving the visitors a quick 3-0 lead.
 
Then UBC did what they do best, respond quickly. The bottom half of the first saw the T-Birds load the bases with two outs. A line drive single from Kennedy Ainge found open field, sending two runners home and cutting the Knights' lead to just one.
 
Warner Pacific continued putting the bat on the ball in the early stanzas of the game. In the top of the third, with runners on second and third, a wild pitch flew past the catcher into the backstop, allowing the Knights to score. Then the throw back to home plate went wide, allowing the second runner to scamper home as well and restoring Warner Pacific's three-run lead.
 
Once again, the 'Birds showed they were not just going to roll over. In the bottom of the fourth, with two runners on and two outs, Keona Nordquist came up clutch by tripling to right center field. She would not be on third base for long, as Kaitlyn Kim was next up and sent a double down the left field line to tie the game at five apiece.

Carleen Murray seen from a 3/4 angle just after delivering a pitch, her arm extended in front of her, fingers close, the ball whipping through the air toward the plate
 
A sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth would give the Thunderbirds their first lead of the game, but it was short-lived. The following frame, the top of the sixth, a costly error on an infield popup sent a Warner Pacific runner from first all the way home to tie it once again, 6-6.
 
In the top seventh, the T-Birds got two quick strikeouts following a walk. However, they struggled to close the Knights out. Two singles later Warner Pacific had turned the tables and held a one-run lead going in to the bottom of the seventh.
 
The 'Birds appeared doomed, down to their final out in the seventh, before Kennedy Ainge connected on a double to right field, tying the game once more.
 
Shae Sever continued her relieving duties for UBC to start extras and painted the strike zone relentlessly, recording the first two outs via back-to-back three pitch strikeouts. The Knights were able to get baserunners on, but could not score in the top of the eighth.

Arshleen Bajwa seen from the side, moments after connecting with the ball on a swing, it appears to be a line drive off the bat
 
Kaitlyn Eng opened the T-Birds' half of the eighth by singling to center field. Following two quick outs, Kim stepped up and followed in Eng's footsteps by notching a single of her own. Now with a runner in scoring position, UBC's cleanup hitter Dorval put the barrel on the ball, shooting a high arcing double into center field and driving in the game winning run, for the 8-7 walk-off.
 
"The biggest thing that we can take away from this is that we are capable of winning any game", added coach McKellar. "Not getting too high or not getting too low when the game has ups and downs because that's the nature of it, especially early in the season."

The final game of the series was canceled due to a late start to game three and inclement weather.
 
The Thunderbirds will hit the road for next week's matchup where they will visit Eastern Oregon University (9-3, 2-1) for a four-game series. The two sides will open the first doubleheader on Friday, March 15 at 2:00 p.m. (PT) and continue with two more games on Saturday, March 16.
 
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