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Box Score 2 Billings, MT - The Simon Fraser University softball team took two of three games against the Montana State University Billings Yellowjackets on Saturday, securing a spot in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference post season tournament.
SFU won the opener and the second game by identical 11-2 scores before dropping the final game of their GNAC schedule, 7-5.
The win in the opener secured a playoff spot for SFU.
The two teams opened with the completion of a game that started in March that got into the second inning at Beedie Field before needing to be suspended because of inclement weather.
The game resumed with the Clan leading 6-2 in the second inning with a runner on second and two outs. This morning, the Yellowjackets retired the side to send the game to the third.
SFU added one in the third inning to make it 7-2 and won the game in the bottom of the sixth with a walk off grand slam by
Nicole Ratel (Langley, BC) that gave the Clan a nine run lead, enforcing the mercy rule and ending the game.
Kelsie Hawkins (Victoria, BC) picked up where she left off in the game that was halted by weather over a month ago, throwing six innings in total, allowing three hits and two runs, both earned, while striking out nine.
In her four innings of work in the resumed portion of the game on Saturday, she allowed just one hit.
Cara Lukawesky (Coquitlam, BC) got the start in game two and pitched five innings, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out six.
Hawkins relieved Lukawsky and pitched a scoreless sixth inning, once again ending the game by mercy rule.
Kaitlyn Cameron (Langley, BC) went two for four with two runs batted in and a run scored while
Carly Lepoutre (Pickering, ON) went two for four with an RBI and a run scored,
Danielle Raison (Langley, BC) went two for four with two RBI's and two runs scored and
Rachel Kolanko (North Vancouver, BC) went two for two with three RBI's and a run scored.
Down by a run in the third,
Trisha Bouchard (Montreal, QC) was hit by a pitch and Cameron gave the Clan the lead with a two run home run which was quickly followed by a solo shot from Raison to make it 3-1 for SFU.
The Clan added two more in the fourth inning and two more on Kolanko's two run homer in the fifth inning.
With a 7-2 lead, SFU piled on four more runs in the sixth before Hawkins came in and shut down the Yellowjackets to secure SFU's second mercy rule win in as many games.
Freshman
Mackenzie Bender (St. Albert, AB) got the start for SFU in game three, pitching three innings, allowing three runs on two hits, only one of which was earned while striking out three.
Lukawesky relieved Bender, allowing two hits and one run in two innings of work while Hawkins took the loss, pitching an inning and a third, allowing three runs on two hits and walking one.
Bouchard went two for four in the game, scoring two runs and knocking in one while Bender also had a two hit game for SFU.
MSUB led for most of the game and took a 4-2 lead into the seventh inning, looking to salvage a victory.
The Clan would not go quietly though as Bender led off the seventh with a single and
Lauren Kolanko (North Vancouver, BC) came in to pinch run.
Kolanko advanced to second on a wild pitch and third on a
Rosie Murphy (Markham, ON) single. She then scored when Lepoutre grounded out, bringing the Clan within one.
Murphy tied the game when she scored on a
Stephanie Caron (Delta, BC) single. Caron advanced to second on an error by the right fielder and third on another error that allowed Cameron to reach.
With one out, Raison flied out to the right fielder, but it was a productive out, as Caron scored to give SFU the lead.
The lead was short lived, as Montana State Billings came back to score three runs in their half of the seventh on two hits, including a walk off home run for the win.
SFU wraps up their 2013 GNAC schedule with a 15-9 record in third place. Although Central Washington could finish with the same record if they sweep Saint Martin's on Sunday, the Clan hold the tiebreaker over the Wildcats.
SFU will play a pair of non-conference games against the University of Great Falls Argos in Great Falls, MT on Monday, ahead of the GNAC playoff tournament next weekend.
