Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Billings, MT - The Simon Fraser University softball team bounced back from a 7-3 loss to the Saint Martin's Saints in their first game of the day with a 2-0 victory over the Central Washington Wildcats in the afternoon affair, sending the Clan to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference title game versus SMU on
Saturday.
Since the tournament is double elimination, the Clan will have to beat the Saints twice on
Saturday, beginning with the first game of the day at 11:00 a.m. PST.
Kelsie Hawkins (Victoria, BC) got the start against SMU, pitching four and two thirds innings for SFU as she allowed three runs on seven hits.
Cara Lukawesky (Coquitlam, BC) came on in relief in the fifth inning with the game tied at three and threw a total of three and a third, allowing four runs on three hits.
“It was a classic battle against SMU, both teams were in it to win it, and on this day the best team won,” said Head Coach
Mike Renney. “We had a good start, but then we let them back in it and they are a good hitting team.”
Trisha Bouchard (Montreal, QC) went two for three in the game with two runs batted in and a run scored.
Her first RBI came in the second inning when she led off with a solo home run to tie the game at one and her second gave the Clan a 2-1 lead in the third inning when she was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
The Clan added one more in the third inning and held the 3-1 lead until the fifth inning when the Saints put two runs on the board to tie it up.
Lukawesky came on in relief of Hawkins and stranded two runners on base before keeping SMU scoreless over the next two innings, only to have the Saints score four in the eighth, taking the win.
Facing elimination in their second game of the day, Lukawesky and Hawkins shut out the Wildcats and combined for a one hitter, with Lukawesky throwing five innings, allowing one hit and striking out six, while Hawkins threw two scoreless innigs and got the win.
With the innings she worked on
Friday, Lukawesky has become the Clan's all-time leader in innings pitched with 542.
“They are a tough team," said Renney. "They lost their first game and came back to beat WOU and full credit for their victory. We knew they would be on an emotional high so our pitchers job was to let the emotions settle down. That was just good, old fashion softball, it came down to one hit.”
Both sides held each other at bay through the first five innings.
In the bottom of the sixth inning with one out,
Lauren Mew (Vancouver, BC) reached on an error and catcher
Kaitlyn Cameron (Langley, BC) made the Wildcats pay, stroking a home run to left centre to give SFU the 2-0 lead, before Hawkins shut down CWU in the seventh to secure the win and send the Clan to
Saturday's championship.
“The pitch was just a little bit up and a little in, a good pitch to hit," said Cameron. "I put a good swing on it honestly didn't think it was going to go over, I was just running hard. It feels good to be in the championship, but we know we have a lot of work to do to win two games against SMU.”
Heading into
Saturday's final, the Clan's record is 30-23 on the season.
“We are going to play our A game against SMU, and go after them with nothing to lose. We played tired
today so we will take
tonight to rest and recharge the batteries to be ready for a very tough Saint Martin's team
tomorrow," finished Renney.
