Box Score Billings, MT - The third seeded Simon Fraser University softball team opened up the Great Northwest Athletic Conference playoffs on Thursday with a 3-2 victory over the second seeded Western Oregon Wolves.
The win means that SFU will take on first seeded Saint Martin's in the second round of the double elimination tournament on Friday morning at 9:00 a.m. PST.
"When you get to this stage every win is a good win," said Head Coach
Mike Renney. "I think it came down to both teams pitching well and each team made a couple errors early on that led to runs before we settled into a pitching duel."
Cara Lukawesky (Coquitlam, BC) started the game and got the win for the Clan, going four innings, allowing one run on two hits and striking out six.
Kelsie Hawkins (Victoria, BC) relieved Lukawesky in the fifth inning and pitched the final three innings of the game, allowing one run on four hits while striking out three to record the save.
Trisha Bouchard (Montreal, QC) had the first two runs batted in of the game when she drove a two run double to right centrefield in the first inning, scoring
Kaitlyn Cameron (Langley, BC) and
Lauren Mew (Vancouver, BC) to give SFU an early 2-0 lead.
Western Oregon got on the board with one run in the bottom of the first and the score remained 2-1 until Cameron's home run in the top of the sixth inning.
Kaitlyn Cameron (Langley, BC) went one for three in the game for the Clan, driving in a run on a home run in the sixth inning and scoring two.
Her home run came with the Clan leading 2-1 when with two strikes, Cameron drove a pitch over the left field wall.
It wound up being the game winning run as the Wolves added one in the bottom of the sixth inning.
"We went with tandem pitchers and both Cara (Lukawesky) and Kelsie (Hawkins) threw well. Cameron's home run was much needed insurance. She finished her at bat strong. She's a good two strike hitter and hit a curve ball that was meant to be outside and didn't quite get there," finished Renney.
The win improves the Clan's record to 28-21 on the season.
