ASHLAND, Ore. – For the first time in UBC Softball history, the Thunderbirds (14-8, 5-1) have won a conference series against one of the NAIA's great programs, the defending national champion and No.1-ranked Southern Oregon University Raiders (21-9, 4-5). The T-Birds won the third and final game of their CCC series to open play on Saturday, blanking SOU 3-0, before the Raiders bounced back to take the non-conference finale 3-1.
Entering the weekend series, the T-Birds were 2-23 in conference play against the perennially dominant Raiders since joining the Cascade Collegiate Conference for the 2016 season. However, the last time the two teams had squared off prior to this weekend, UBC eliminated the eventual NAIA champions from the CCC Championship tournament last season, in perhaps the most significant win in program history.
This time around, the teams split the opening two games of the series on Friday, a 6-1 SOU win followed by a 1-0 victory for UBC, before the 'Birds blanked the Raiders for a second consecutive game in Saturday's opener to take the conference series. SOU's victory in game four was non-conference win.
Here's a familiar phrase for T-Birds fans this season: UBC took game one on the back of a dominant start from
Carleen Murray. The seemingly superhuman senior pitched a five-hit, complete game shutout against the national champs a day after starting Friday's first game and earning the save in the second. Murray scattered the few hits she allowed and did not walk a batter, while catcher Kennedy Lair kept SOU quiet on the basepaths, throwing out the only Raider who attempted to steal.
The 'Birds were similarly stymied by reigning NAIA Pitcher of the Year Ayla Davies for most of the game, but they got to the stellar sophomore in the second inning, and that was all the support that Murray needed.
With one out, UBC second baseman
Tegan Harnett knocked a single up the middle, shortstop
Mattea Burrill drew a walk, then catcher Kennedy Lair bounced one through the left side to load the bases. That's when centrefielder, and number nine hitter,
Casey Lo came up clutch. She fell behind Davies 0-2, before fouling a pitch off, then smoking a double to left-centre to score all three T-Bird baserunners for the only runs of the game.
The series finale started strong for the blue and gold, as they scored first for the third consecutive game. In the top of the first inning, third baseman
Jillian Matsubara walked with one out, followed by back-to-back singles from
Jessica Heutink and Zoe Willington to load the bases. Burrill then drove in Matsubara on a fielder's choice to put UBC up 1-0.
The 'Birds lead was short-lived however, as the Raiders answered in the bottom of the frame. A two-base fielding error put a runner in scoring position for SOU centerfielder Ari Williams, who knocked a single into right field to tie the game 1-1.
The unearned run was all that UBC starter
Brynn Fortier allowed until the third, when a single, error and walk loaded the bases.
Mila Anderson then came into the game and allowed a two-RBI single to Raiders pitcher Lexi Ramirez, giving SOU a 3-1 lead that they would hold for the rest of the game.
Anderson only allowed one other hit in her 2.2 scoreless innings of relief, before
Madison Hiebert tossed a perfect sixth inning for the 'Birds, closing out a tremendous weekend for the UBC pitching staff.
The T-Birds now return to Point Grey for their long-awaited home opener next weekend at Collings Field at Nobel Park. UBC will have gone 328 days between home games when they take on the Oregon Tech Owls for a doubleheader on Friday, March 20
th, first pitch set for 2:00 p.m. (PT).
