VANCOUVER, B.C. – The UBC Thunderbirds (20-16, 15-11) treated their supporters in attendance to a pair of very different walk-off wins, as they took down the Corban Warriors (4-39, 2-24) to the tune of 3-2 and 8-0 to begin the final weekend of the regular season.
The Warriors certainly put up a good account of themselves in the first game of the day, taking the lead at the midway mark and only falling short in the bottom of the seventh. Miranda Scovil allowed just two runs in 4.1 innings of work in the start.
Kaitlyn Kim and Marin Jorgenson were the stars on the day for the blue and gold. Kim either scored or brought home each of the three runs in the first game, while Jorgenson totalled six hits and three RBI between the two outings.
Shae Sever and Carleen Murray both pitched complete games on the mound, with Murray allowing just a single hit and recording nine strikeouts in five innings in the second.
GAME ONE
It was the Kaitlyn connection that earned the first run of the game, as Kim brought home Kaitlyn Eng in the opening inning with a single through left field. That was the only run the home team managed through the first four innings, however, as they left a total of five runners on base during that time.
The Warriors looked to capitalize on their strong defensive play in the top of the fourth, getting runners on second and third with no outs. Regan McDaniel then scored on a Peyton Foreman groundout to tie the game, before a Kate Banks sacrifice fly gave the visitors a 2-1 lead.
UBC hit back in the fifth with another Kim RBI single, this time to right field. The Mississauga native continued her great batting performance by getting on base in the seventh, before taking second base on a wild pitch.
Up stepped Jorgenson, who played hero by lashing a single to left field that looped over the head of the Corban infielders. Kim certainly had a key part to play as she wheeled around third aggressively and needed every bit of her speed as she slid into home milliseconds before getting tagged.
"I think it showed our depth and our grit," said Thunderbirds head coach Jennifer McKellar about the first victory. "To win it in the bottom of the seventh, we're happy with wins that give us momentum and that's going to be what the playoffs are like."
GAME TWO
After celebrating their series-opening victory, attention then turned to the second game of the day which proved to be a UBC blowout win.
Kim and Jorgenson continued their big games by scoring the opening two runs, first on a passed ball and then a sacrifice fly off the bat of Jessica Heutink. Later that same inning Jillian Matsubara hit an RBI double before coming home herself two batters later, making it 4-0 T-Birds at the end of the second.
Murray was on fire in her first home start of the season, needing just 66 pitches to make it through her five innings pitched.
The Warriors were unable to get some offensive momentum going, which allowed the Thunderbirds to stretch their lead in the fourth and fifth. RBI singles from Keona Nordquist and Jorgenson made it 7-0, and Zoë Willington served up the final play of the game with a sacrifice fly, the second RBI of the season for the first-year catcher.
"We capitalized on our runners a bit more in game two," remarked a happy McKellar. "Knowing that we can manufacture runs is a big part of how we win softball games."
Now winners of seven straight, the T-Birds have just two more games left in the regular season, their final two home games of the year. With a graduating class of eight players, this Senior Day promises to be a big one.
"We've got our eyes on our goal, but we've got so much to celebrate tomorrow regardless of the outcome," said McKellar. "We're so proud of our seniors and it'll be a great day with great weather…we're excited to get at it."
Those two games will happen at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. (PT) on Saturday on Collings Field at Nobel Park. The Senior Day ceremony will take place following the end of the final game.
