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Billings, MT – The Simon Fraser University softball team went into
Saturday's Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championship needing to win twice and came through in game one defeating the 22nd ranked Saint Martin's Saints 3-2 before dropping the second game 6-1 as the Clan finish second in the GNAC.
"We ran out of gas playing against a quality team," said Head Coach
Mike Renney. "For us to win we needed to bring our 'A' game and take advantage of any errors they made. In the first game we did that. In the second game we had some chances early but they made the plays they needed to. They're a quality team and we wish them the best as they move on to regionals."
Kelsie Hawkins (Victoria, BC) started for the Clan in the must-win first game of the day and threw five and a third innings in total, allowing one run on four hits and striking out five.
Hawkins gave way to
Cara Lukawesky (Coquitlam, BC) in the fifth inning as Lukawesky pitched an inning and two thirds, allowing a run on five hits while striking out three.
Trisha Bouchard (Montreal, QC) who went two for four in the game with two runs scored and two runs batted in got the Clan on the board in the first inning with a two run homer to score herself and
Kaitlyn Cameron (Langley, BC).
It was Bouchard again scoring the Clan's third run of the game in the third inning when she reached on a fielder's choice, advanced to second on a
Lauren Mew (Vancouver, BC) single, third on a
Rosie Murphy (Markham, ON) single and then stole home as part of a double steal with Murphy.
The score remained 3-0 until the fifth when a lead off single from SMU's Aubree Pocklington chased Hawkins from the game.
As Lukawesky came on to pitch, Pocklington was replaced by pinch runner Allie Lovitt who would come around to score to put Saint Martin's on the board but despite loading the bases with one out, that was the only run the Saints would get in the inning, as Lukawesky stranded three SMU runners to maintain the two run Clan lead.
SMU inched closer in the seventh when Megan Miller led off with a home run to make it 3-2. After a Sam Munger single, Hawkins came back in to pitch, replacing Lukawesky.
Hawkins got the next two batters to ground out but Munger advanced to third in the process.
With Munger representing the tying run on third base, Hawkins struck out Taviah Jenkins swinging giving the Clan the win and forcing a decisive second, winner take all game.
Hawkins and Lukawesky shared pitching duties once again for the Clan in the second game, as Hawkins started, going two and a third innings, allowing four runs on four hits and striking out two while Lukawesky went four and two thirds innings, allowing two runs, neither of which were earned, on five hits.
After a scoreless first inning, Joslyn Eugenio gave the Saints a 1-0 lead with a solo home run to lead off the second inning.
In the third, Saint Martin's added three more runs on three hits, ending Hawkins' day as she gave way to Lukawesky with the Saints leading 4-0.
The Saints added to their lead in the top of the fifth when they scored two runs on two hits and an error, pushing their lead to 6-0.
SFU got on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning when
Alex Baylak (Regina, SK) led off with a walk, advanced to second when
Mackenzie Bender (St. Albert, AB) was hit by a pitch, advanced to third on a fielder's choice and beat the throw home to score on a
Carly Lepoutre (Pickering, ON) infield single.
The Clan had runners on base in the sixth and seventh innings but could not push another run across as the Saints took the game, and the conference title with the 6-1 victory.
"This year was all about an investment in our young kids throughout the season. The playoff experience will help them moving forward and sometimes the bitterness of defeat can help you down the road," continued Renney.
Simon Fraser finishes the 2013 GNAC season with a 30-23 overall record, going 15-9 in GNAC regular season play and finishing second in the conference playoffs.
"We came a long way this season. After the tournament in Vegas at the start of the year I don't think anyone would have predicted we would make it to the conference finals. We had a number of freshman coming into the lineup and even though we had six seniors, we had only one junior so our depth was young and at times that youthful exuberance turns into some errors," continued Renney.
It is the second year in a row that the Clan have finished second in the GNAC.
"On behalf of our athletes and our program we take our hats off to MSU-Billings. They did a great job hosting the tournament despite not being in the event. Their athletes and coaches were all involved and did a great job," finished Renney.
