EUGENE, Ore. – The Northwest Christian University softball team opened up the final weekend of the season with a pair of losses to the University of British Columbia on Friday. The Thunderbirds took the opener, 11-2 in six innings and won the night-cap, 8-1. The visitors ran rampant, collecting ten stolen bases in the double-header.
The Thunderbirds (11-23, 10-13 Cascade Conference) are locked in a tight battle for the sixth and final playoff spot with Carroll College. Playing two games, UBC took a half-game lead over the Fighting Saints (14-18, 9-13) who upset No. 15 Corban in their only game Friday. The schedule evens out on Saturday and then the teams will duke it out in a Sunday triple-header to determine who will head to the conference tournament.
GAME ONE
The T-Birds collected 12 hits and took advantage of four NCU errors that produced six unearned runs to claim the run-rule victory. UBC scored three runs in the first and three in the second to put the game out of reach.
Lindsey Ogilvie led the charge with a three-hit game, adding three RBI. Hillary Strelau and Mackenzie Siddall posted two hits each and Strealau added a pair of stolen bases.
Zoe Gillis (6-8) went the distance to get the win, allowing two runs on four hits. Gillis struck out a pair and walked four.
Katie Walker (3-18) took the loss for the Beacons but struck out a pair of batters in five innings of work, moving her into fourth place on NCU's career strikeout list (167).
Janieve Boyles threw the final inning and didn't give up a hit.
Offensively,
Avery Daniels led NCU with two hits while
Tra Kucera (pictured) and
Madi Jones each had RBI singles in the fourth inning.
GAME TWO
The back end of the twin-bill proved to be more competitive than its predecessor, despite the final score. The Thunderbirds posted single runs in the first and second inning and NCU came back with their only run in the fourth. UBC didn't break the game open until a five-run sixth inning that featured five unearned runs.
British Columbia collected 13 hits in the game on starter Boyles (0-6) who went the distance, striking out a season-high five batters.
A late addition to the game-two lineup, junior Lexie Brenneis did the most damage, going 4-for-4 on all singles with four RBI. Not only did Ogilvie add another two hits but she also snagged the victory in the circle, improving to 4-7 on the season as she allowed just one run on five hits while striking out a trio.
Ereana Higbee went 2-for-3 for the Beacons and scored NCU's only run on Kucera's second RBI single on the day.
With two in the books the teams will finish the series on Saturday with two more. Saturday's first game at 11:00 am will be the last conference game while the 1:00 pm finale will be a non-conference tilt. Sandwiched in between will be NCU's Senior Day festivities, honoring Walker and Boyles.
