Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Nampa, ID - The Simon Fraser University Clan softball team started their four game series against the Northwest Nazarene Crusaders with a pair of one run losses on Friday, losing 8-7 and 3-2.
The Clan offence went to work in game one, smashing a season high 13 hits in the contest.
"We got down in the first game and came back. Credit to the team, they didn't get too frutrated and they had ample reason too with errors we made and runs we'd given them but we hung in there and pushed it to a tie in the seventh inning," said Head Coach
Mike Renney."
Freshman
Robyn Mogavero (Whitby, ON), who is leading the team with a 0.370 batting average, went three for four in the first game with two runs batted in and two runs scored.
Danielle Raison (Langley, BC) went two for four in the game with two RBI's while
Rachel Proctor (Surrey, BC) went two for four with a run scored and
Alex Baylak (Regina, SK) went two for three with an RBI and two runs scored.
Jessica Fortier (Three Hills, AB) got the start for the Clan pitching five and a third, allowing seven runs, four of which were earned, on six hits before being relieved by
Mackenzie Bender (St. Albert, AB) who threw an inning and two thirds, allowing two hits and one run.
NNU jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the game before the Clan scored two in the third to cut the deficit in half, only to have the home side add one to make it 5-2 in their half of the third.
The Clan pulled within one with two more in the top of the fourth inning.
Stefanie Sheard (Winnipeg, MB) led off the frame with a single through the right side and advanced to second on a
Nicole Ratel (Langley, BC) single. After Sheard stole third Ratel advanced to second on an error putting two runners in scoring position for the Clan with no one out.
Sheard scored when Baylak singled to make it 5-3.
Clan coach
Mike Renney elected to pinch run for Ratel, subbing in
Lorissa Thompson (Regina, SK) and it paid off as Thompson scored to pull the Clan within one when Mogavero grounded out to second.
The Crusaders regained their three run lead with a pair of runs in the fifth but the Clan kept coming back, pulling within one in the top of the sixth.
The inning started with an infield hit from Baylak and Mogavero made it two runners on for the Clan when she singled through the left side to place runners on first and second for SFU. After the pair advanced to second and third the Clan took advantage of an NNU error, as Baylak and Mogavero scored to make it 7-6 for NNU.
After Bender held the Crusaders scoreless in the sixth the Clan tied things up in the top of the seventh when Proctor singled, advanced to second on a bunt and came around to score on a passed ball and a throwing error.
Despite the Clan's refusal to go down quietly the Crusaders scored the game winner in the bottom of the seventh when Lindsie Lumley scored from second on an Ashley Pesek single to give the home side the game one win.
In game two,
Jessica Goulet (Cambridge, ON) started for SFU and went the distance, pitching six innings for the Clan, allowing three runs, all earned, while scattering seven hits.
Mogavero once again had a multi-hit game for the Clan, going two for three with a run scored.
Her run opened the scoring in the first when she led off the game with a walk and advanced to second on a
Kendra Goodman (Surrey, BC) infield single.
Both runners moved up on a ground out and with one out, Mogavero scored to make it 1-0 SFU on another ground out.
Goulet held the home side scoreless through the first two innings but NNU tied it in the third and took the lead with two runs in the fifth.
Attempting to mount a comeback in the top of the seventh, Baylak reached on a fielder's choice.
With two out, Mogavero singled to advance Baylak to second and she came around to score on another fielder's choice.
"We went up in the seventh inning down two and we just wanted to give ourselves a chance and find a way to get the tying run on base. We scored one in the seventh and left the tying run on base so close but no cigar," said Renney.
That was as close as the Clan would get, as with the tying run on second, NNU retired the side.
"We're running out of adjectives and superlatives to describe another way to lose a game. We're shooting ourselves in the foot as a team and I think we would be the poster child for Murphy's Law in terms of finding ways to go off the rails. We had a leadoff double in the fifth inning of the second game, in a one run game, we put a nice bunt down and the runner got hung up between second and third."
"Poor baserunning choices early in the game took us away from other opportunities. The positives coming away are that we were in both games, we had our chances and again we had a lot of learning opportunities. If we can put seven innings together we're going to have some success but it's a seven inning game and we simply haven't down that this year," continued Renney.
SFU will wrap up their series with NNU with a double header on Saturday.
"Tomorrow we play NNU again and I hope we show up as a different team. I hope we show up as a team that's learned from our losses and wants to battle back. If we play to our capabilities we should be alright," finished Renney.
