ASHLAND, Ore. – The UBC Thunderbirds defeated the top-ranked team in the NAIA on Saturday, winning 1-0 over the Southern Oregon Raiders, after falling 6-1 in the first game of their doubleheader, to split the day at Laurel Park.
Ayla Davies threw a four-hit complete game and catcher Kierstin Grotewiel drove in four runs as the top-ranked Raiders claimed Game 1, 6-1. Game 2 was a pitchers duel between UBC's
Brynn Fortier and SOU's Lexi Ramirez, decided by a seventh-inning RBI single from T-Bird's second baseman
Tegan Harnett.
Fortier went 6 1/3 shutout innings for the 'Birds before Game 1 starter
Carleen Murray re-appeared to keep a pair of Raiders stranded in scoring position for a two-out save, making the Thunderbirds 13-7 overall and 4-1 in the CCC. The Raiders went to 20-8 and 4-4.
Fortier needed just 62 pitches to record 19 outs, and Ramirez threw 89 in her complete game.
Jessica Heutink started UBC's seventh-inning rally with a single before
Jillian Matsubara reached on her sacrifice bunt. With one out and a Heutink in scoring position, Harnett delivered a single through the infield the drive in the game's only run.
Ramirez and Avery Coffin threatened with back-to-back singles in the bottom of the seventh for the Raiders, but Murray shut down the rally for her third save.
The teams meet again for two more starting at 11 a.m. (PT) on Saturday.
