VANCOUVER, B.C. –
Shae Sever was the star of the show on Friday, as the fourth-year athlete brought the heat to a rain-soaked field on both sides of the ball. She pitched a complete game shutout while also notching three hits as a batter including a two-run homer in the sixth inning. That capped a 5-0 win for the UBC Thunderbirds (12-9, 7-6) over the Carroll College Fighting Saints (11-13, 7-6).
"We had a wonderful, fantastic performance from Shae, probably her best so far this season," said Thunderbirds head coach
Jennifer McKellar. "With her catcher
Kennedy Laird they called a great game…I think the win started early this morning with several different people from the department and our coaches hauling water and getting the field ready, so it felt like a full T-Bird effort!"
Sever was one of three Thunderbirds who recorded multiple hits and at least one RBI, along with
Kaitlyn Kim and
Jessica Heutink. The Fighting Saints managed just one hit and two walks on the day, as UBC's pitching and fielding were on point.
"It was great defence," added McKellar said of her team's fielders. "They showed up today across the board, a couple of great outfield plays as well as great infield plays. That's a key part of our team and our game is good defence."
Madison MacGillivray started off the game with a fantastic defensive effort, rushing in from left field to make a diving grab on a pop fly for the first out of the afternoon. That set the tone for the T-Birds, who did not allow a hit through the first three innings. On the other end, however, the blue and gold managed just single hit themselves in that same span, as Carroll College pitcher Kennedy Venner was up for the challenge of a pitcher's duel.
Fighting Saints star Kenna Thomas got on base with a single to start the fourth, but the visitors were unable to carry that momentum forward as the T-Birds retired the next three batters. The deadlock was finally broken in the bottom half of that inning, as Kim hit a lead-off double and was brought to third on a sacrifice bunt. Heutink then ripped a single to left-centre to bring her home for the first run scored at Collings Field this season.
UBC got some more offence going in the fifth, with three consecutive singles from
Kaitlyn Eng, Sever and Kim bringing home the second run of the game. Heutink then hit another RBI single that brought home pinch-runner
Mattea Burrill and made it 3-0 for the home team.
Already a star for the game on the mound, Sever ratcheted up her two-way impact in the sixth as she cranked her first home run of the season to left field, rounding the bases and mobbed by her teammates at home plate. She and her defence then closed out the visitors in the top half of the seventh, with Laird catching a pop fly behind home plate for the final out.
McKellar was delighted with how her team played on the day, and hopes that they can bottle it and bring out the same again on Saturday.
"I think was one of our better, complete games," she said. "It doesn't really matter who the opponent is, we're just trying to work our game and keep to our plan, and that will be the goal for tomorrow."
Games two and three of the weekend series are scheduled for 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. (PT) on Collings Field at Nobel Park.
