ASHLAND, Ore. – Three first inning runs of support was all senior Keeley Van Blaricom (6) would need to pitch Lady Argo softball to its first playoff win as full members of the Cascade Collegiate Conference, upsetting (23) Oregon Institute of Technology 3-2 in the first round of the CCC tournament.
 
OIT drew first blood with an RBI single in the top of the first but UGF quickly stole the lead away in the bottom of the inning. Leadoff hitter, senior Chloe Cross (3), walked to get UGF's first base runner and she soon found her way to second off of a successful bunt from senior Mindy Larson (4).
 
Another walk, this time from senior Alex Lowry (14), loaded the bases. Two sacrifice hits, a ground out from junior Hali Grontowicz (19) and a sacrifice fly from Van Blaricom, brought Cross and Larson across home plate on consecutive at bats. A double from junior Jackie Thomas (7) scored Lowry giving UGF a two run lead after one inning.
 
It was Van Blaricom's game to win for the next six innings and despite giving up one run in the fifth, she did enough to hang on to the lead. Before that one score fifth, the senior managed to get herself out of a jam, forced an Owl lineout with the two outs and the bases loaded. OIT left another two runners on base in the top of the sixth.
 
All three of UGF's hits against OIT's Ann-Marie Guischer came in that first inning with Larson, Thomas, and junior Alissa Keeler all accounting for one hit each.
 
The win gives a little bit of redemption for UGF after getting knocked out of the CCC tournament last year by OIT. With one tournament win under their belt, the Lady Argos will move on to play divisional foe Carroll College on Friday, May 6 at 5:30 p.m. MST.