KLAMATH FALLS, ORE – The No. 5 seed UBC Thunderbirds opened the Cascade Collegiate Conference Softball Championships with a 7-1 loss to the No. 4 ranked and defending NAIA World Series Champion Southern Oregon Raiders. SOU's postseason offence was on display in totalling 13 hits compared to UBC's four in the tournament's opening game Friday morning at Stilwell Stadium.
 
Sammie Pemberton went 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored, and Hannah Clavelle bookended the performance with a pair of RBI singles for the Raiders (35-15 overall).  in the double-elimination tournament, they advanced to play the top seeded host, Oregon Tech, at 2 p.m. Friday.

Meanwhile the T-Birds (26-20), will play an elimination game against an opponent yet to be determined at 11:30 a.m. Saturday.


 
The Raiders opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning thanks to a RBI single to right center field, Sarah Kerling's RBI double in the second stanza doubled SOU's lead at 2-0. The T-Birds would immediately respond in the top of the third inning, courtesy of short stop Keona Nordquist's double to center field which brought home Caitlin Bradley-Tse, cutting the lead in half at 2-1


 
It didn't take long for SOU to extend that lead however, in the top of the third with two runners on, Pebmerton drove a double to the fence which plated one run while a throwing error on the play enabled two more to score for a 5-1 Raiders advantage after four innings.

Raiders pitcher Katie Machado showed good control through four innings, striking out two while allowing three hits and a run before giving way to Mayze Meneffe who limited UBC to one hit during a nine-out save.

The potent Raiders lineup managed to muster 10 hits off T-Birds starter Shae Sever who lasted just over three innings before handing the ball to Lindsay Bell the rest of the way.

UBC will next play an elimination game against a yet to be determined opponent on Saturday at 11:30 a.m.