Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Burnaby, BC - The Simon Fraser University softball team's offence exploded for a season high nine runs in a 9-6 win over the Chico State Wildcats after falling in the first game of the day, 4-2 to the Azusa Pacific Cougars.
After giving up a run in the top of the first the Clan never trailed, putting four on the board in their half of the first and adding two in the second and three in the fourth.
"Game two we did another good job of bouncing back," said Head Coach
Mike Renney. "It was a hard fought victory. We went down early and came right back to take the lead. There were a couple times where we let them back into the game and it was a situation where we bent but didn't break. It was probably a game where we showed flashes of brilliance but we didn't show consistency."
Jessica Goulet (Cambridge, ON) pitched five and two thirds innings in the victory, allowing five runs, all earned on seven hits while striking out three.
Jessica Fortier (Three Hills, AB) came on for an inning and a third in relief, allowing one run on two hits.
"Goulet started, she didn't dominate early and she came out. Fortier went into a jam and got us out of it and then Goulet went back in and pitched well at the end of the game," continued Renney.
Four Clan hitters had multi-hit games, led by
Rachel Proctor (Surrey, BC) who went three for four with four runs batted in and two runs scored.
Robyn Mogavero (Whitby, ON) went two for four with two runs scored,
Nicole Ratel (Langley, BC) went two for three with two RBI's and a run scored and
Stephanie Caron (Delta, BC) went two for three with a run scored.
Catcher
Kaitlyn Cameron (Langley, BC) also had two RBI's in the game for SFU, going one for three.
Trailing by one after the top of the first, Mogavero got things started for SFU with a one out single and advanced to second on a ground out.
With two outs, Ratel singled to left field, scoring Mogavero and
Alex Baylak (Regina, SK) walked to put runners on first and second.
Proctor would single to score Ratel and both her and Baylak would advance to second and third respectively on a throwing error.
Alexis Johnston (Surrey, BC) capped the Clan rally with a single to left field that scored Baylak and Proctor to complete the Clan rally.
The teams each scored two runs in the second to give the Clan a 6-3 lead heading into the third.
After a scoreless third, Chico State pulled within one with two runs in the fourth.
The Clan answered right back, pulling away with three runs in the fourth in a rally that started much like the first inning rally, with a Mogavero single.
Cameron advanced Mogavero to third with a double and Proctor cashed in both the runners with a two out double before another Johnston single scored Proctor to make it 9-5 for SFU.
"We had a really nice seventh inning from our shortstop who took a hard shot, one bouncer, and got the lead runner out. Then with a runner on first she made another nice play to turn the double play. We got out of another jam thanks to our freshman third baseman turning a double play. We had some outstanding defensive plays and some timely hitting. There were two, two out, run scoring opportunities that we took advantage of," said Renney.
Chico State scored one in the fifth but Goulet was able to shut down the Wildcats in the sixth and seventh to secure the Clan win.
"It was a team victory for sure. One aspect of the game didn't win it for us, it was really an all around effort," said Renney.
Earlier in the day, Fortier started for SFU against Azusa Pacific, allowing one run on three hits over three and two thirds innings pitched.
She was releived by Goulet who went two and a third, allowing three runs.
Stefanie Sheard (Winnipeg, MB) went three for three at the plate for SFU.
The Clan jumped out to a 2-0 lead against Azusa Pacific when Sheard and
Kendra Goodman (Surrey, BC) scored in the third inning.
Sheard led off the Clan rally with a single up the middle and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt.
SFU had runners on second and third as Goodman singled and promptly stole second base before Mogavero hit a ground ball to the second baseman who chose to try to cut the run off at the plate, but Sheard beat the throw to give the Clan the lead.
Goodman advanced to third on the fielder's choice that scored Sheard and after a pop out, Mogavero stole second, leading to a throwing error by the Azusa Pacific catcher that the Clan took advantage of, as Goodman scored SFU's second run of the inning.
Azusa Pacific cut the Clan lead in half in the fourth inning and took the lead in the fifth when the Cougars manufactured three runs.
Attempting to mount a comeback in the seventh, Baylak led off the inning for SFU with a single to rightfield.
With two outs, Sheard reached on an infield single and represented the tying run on first base but APU retired the next Clan hitter to end the comeback bid.
"We made some mistakes that you can't make against good teams in the first game. We battled to have the lead but with our inexperience and some oportune plays by the opponent, they were able to come back," finished Renney.
The Clan will conclude the TCVB Tournament of Champions on Sunday against an opponent to be determined, based on the rest of Saturday's results.
