KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. - The Carroll Softball team saw their 2025 season come to an unfortunate close in an elimination game of the CCC Championship against the University of British Columbia on Saturday at Stilwell Stadium.

The Fighting Saints (18-26, 12-15) lived up to their moniker in the loser-out morning affair, but were ultimately spurned by a big sixth inning by the fourth-seeded Thunderbirds (24-17, 16-11).

For the second-straight day, the Saints turned to Kennedy Venner (Billings, Mont. / JR) in the circle, while the T-Birds put the ball into Carleen Murray's hands for the elimination game.

UBC broke the scoreless tie in the bottom half of the second inning, after Marin Jorgenson singled to lead off the inning before being moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt. Jillian Matsubara drove in Jorgenson with an RBI single into left-center, but the Saints would manage to escape the inning without any further damage.

Sammie Labrum (Kalispell, Mont. / JR) and Morgan Sunchild (Great Falls, Mont. / SR) kick-started the Carroll response with back-to-back singles at the start of the fourth. A sac-bunt moved both runners into scoring position at second and third, before Taylor Sayers (Helena, Mont. / FR) evened the game with an RBI groundout to second.

The game remained knotted at 1-1 until the bottom half of the sixth inning, where the Thunderbirds would break free.

Kaitlyn Kim led off the frame with a solo homer to right center, before Matsubara came up with another clutch hit later in the inning. With a pair of runners on, Matsubara pulled a shot down the left field line to score one more and give UBC a 3-1 lead. 

After loading up the bases, the T-Brids would get one more run across on a fielder's choice to put the pressure firmly on the Saints down to their final three outs.

A pair of groundouts and a sharp lineout in the top of the seventh would put an end to the Saints season, as they fell 4-1.

Venner went all six innings, allowing eight hits while striking out four.

Kati Slater (Yamhill, Ore. / JR) was the lone Saint to record multiple hits, finishing her game 2-3 at the plate, as Labrum and Sunchild's singles in the fourth were the only other hits of the game for Carroll.

The loss puts an end to Carroll's stint in the Cascade Collegiate Conference, as the Softball team will begin a new chapter next year in the Frontier Conference, with the addition of several new Softball-sponsoring schools joining the conference this summer.

Visit www.carrollathletics.com to continue to stay up to date on everything going on in Carroll Athletics.

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