University of British Columbia Okanagan

Oshawa, Ont. - The softball team's bid for a second straight national title came to an end in the quarterfinal round on Saturday at the Canadian Collegiate Softball Association (CCSA) Championship. 

"We had great performances all weekend by the pitchers and catchers, and a special shoutout goes out to our seniors for their leadership and dedication to the program," said head coach Doug Allin.

A 2-1 pool play record in Pool B set the Heat up for a quarterfinal crossover showdown with the Laurier Golden Hawks of the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) conference. 

In the matchup, the Heat trailed 7-2 in the seventh inning before mounting a furious comeback attempt. Katie Nelson and Taylor McRae each drove in a run, but it was not enough to take down Laurier. 

To get to that elimination game, UBCO enjoyed some thrilling victories after dropping their first pool play game 10-4 to the St. Clair Saints of the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA). 

They first picked up a 9-8 victory against the OUA's Western Mustangs, with Tayan Treadwell leading the way with a 2-for-2 outing with two singles and three runs batted in (RBI). Building a comfortable 9-2 lead, the Heat held off the Mustangs' rally, which saw them score three in the fourth and seventh innings, respectively. 

In their last pool play game against a conference foe, the University of Saskatchewan, UBCO showed off their resilience, scoring five unanswered runs across the sixth and seventh innings to win 11-10. Kate Lawrence's second single of the game was the game-winning RBI, driving in Treadwell in the top of the seventh. 

Willa Bonsall was named a championship all-star after recording five hits in 14 at-bats and two RBIs over the weekend.

The Heat have much to be proud of as they finished the year with a 16-8-1 conference record and a 21-12-1 record overall. 

Allin reflected on the season following the tournament.

"The second-place league finish, along with second place in the playoffs, and a strong showing at the national championships is definitely something to be proud of," he said. "Thank you to the coaches, managers, sponsors, Kelowna Minor Softball, and UBCO for making the season successful."