ASHLAND, Ore. – At the end of day 1 of the Cascade Collegiate Conference softball championships, two teams are still undefeated in the double-elimination tournament. The University of Great Falls is one of those two teams. After upsetting (23) Oregon Tech earlier in the day, the Lady Argos took down Carroll College 5-3.
 
Once again it was a first inning flurry that gave UGF an early lead would not relinquish, this time coming in the top of the inning. A double from leadoff hitter Chloe Cross (3) and a walk of Mindy Larson (4) set up senior Alex Lowry (14) for a two RBI double to left center, which would be just a part of Lowry's strong day.
 
Lowry would come home two batters later off of another double, this time from senior Keeley Van Blaricom (6) who would later score the team's final run of the inning off of a Kylie Prough (18) single.
 
Van Blaricom, who pitched a complete game earlier in the day against OIT stepped back into the pitching circle for the first three innings against Carroll. Her well used arm allowed just three hits and one run in those three innings and turned things over to junior Shelby Abeyta (28) with the team up 4-1 heading into the fourth inning.
 
That score stayed unchanged for the next inning and a half and then Abeyta got even more run support. It was Lowry once again, this time crushing a solo shot to right field as the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the fifth. The knock gave the senior her third RBI of the game.
 
The Saints made in interesting in the final two innings, getting one run in each and ended the third with the tying run on second base. Abeyta managed to get out of that inning despite having runners on second and third with just one out. She struck out the next batter and then forced a ground out to Larson, UGF's shortstop.
 
Abeyta finished with the win, her fifth of the season, while striking out three and allowing just three hits.
 
Next for the Lady Argos is the only other undefeated team in the tournament, Eastern Oregon University. The two teams will play Saturday, May 7 at 3 p.m. MST. The winner will move onto the championship round with the loser having to win one more game before reaching the championship round.
 
Both the CCC Champion and the conference runner-up will earn automatic qualification to the 2016 NAIA Softball Championship.