SPOKANE, Wash. - The Carroll College Softball team fell in a pair of tightly-contested games to the University of British Columbia in a make-up series played on a neutral field on Saturday afternoon.

The Fighting Saints (15-23, 10-14) gave the Thunderbirds (18-16, 13-11) all they could handle on Saturday, but ultimately came up just short in a pair of hard-fought games on the tail-end of the longest road trip of the season.

GAME ONE: Carroll - 1, British Columbia - 2 (Nine Innings)

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Kennedy Venner (Billings, Mont. / JR), who pitched only one game in the series earlier this week against Oregon Tech got the nod in game one of the afternoon, and was as good as ever. 
Venner went 8.0 innings, allowing just six hits and one earned run, continuing her string of impressive late season performances.

Scoreless through three frames, the Thunderbirds got on the board first in the bottom half of the fourth inning. A leadoff walk, and subsequent sacrifice bunt would move a runner into scoring position for Kennedy Laird, who provided an RBI double into right center.

The Saints responded quickly, as Alyssa Lybbert (Las Vegas, Nev. / SR), Liz Ybarra (Fullerton, Calif. / SR), and Kati Slater (Yamhill, Ore. / JR) came up with three of the Saints' six total hits in the frame. Slater evened the game up at 1-1 with her RBI single, knocking in Lybbert.

Both the Saints and T-Birds would go down in order in the sixth and seventh innings, as the game would head into extras.

Carroll nearly went ahead in the top of the eighth, as Sammie Labrum (Kalispell, Mont. / JR) singled into right field. Kenna Thomas (Belgrade, Mont. / SR) tried to score from second on the contact into the grass, but was ruled out at home plate to end the inning.

Venner got out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the eighth, but a throwing error in the bottom of the ninth inning would decide the game, as UBC walked out with a 2-1 win.

Thomas was the lone Saint with multiple hits in the opener, going 2-4, while UBC's Jillian Matsubara was the only T-Bird with multiple hits, going 2-4 as well.

GAME TWO: Carroll - 1, British Columbia - 3

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For the second time in three games, the Saints were nearly held without a hit, but regardless, held the lead for the first half of the game.

A leadoff walk, followed by an error put two runners into scoring position early in the top of the first for the Saints. Morgan Sunchild picked up a one-out RBI on a groundout to second, and Carroll would hold their first lead of the day.

The home half of the fourth inning would prove to be the problem frame for the Saints, as UBC would put all three of their runs on the board.

The Thunderbirds opened the inning with a pair of singles and a walk, before Clare VanSpall would be hit by a pitch to bring a run home and tie the game at 1-1. Keona Nordquist singled through the left side behind her, putting UBC on top 2-1, before Kaitlyn Eng added an RBI on a fielder's choice into center field to give the Thunderbirds their 3-1 lead.

The Saints went down in order in both the fifth and sixth innings, before finally creating some traffic in the seventh. Sammie Labrum broke up the no-hitter, but Carroll would be unable to advance anyone past second base and the T-Birds would hold on for the series sweep.

Abbie Amend (Spokane, Wash. / JR) pitched well in the loss, allowing seven hits while striking out a pair.

The Saints will now turn all their attention towards a critical home finale this week in Nelson Stadium, as they'll need a pair of wins against Providence to secure the sixth-and-final seed in the CCC Championship later this month.

Visit www.carrollathletics.com for a preview of the series, and to stay up to date with everything going on in Carroll Athletics.

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