LAS VEGAS, NEV – Simon Fraser University exploded for nine runs in the fourth and fifth innings to come-from-behind and defeat Cal State San Bernardino Coyotes, 9-7, splitting its opening two games in the sixth annual Desert Stinger collegiate softball tournament Friday at Majestic Park in Las Vegas.
 
In its tournament opener earlier in the day, Simon Fraser lost 11-7 to University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Mountain Lions.
 
SFU is among 31 teams from seven different conferences competing in the tournament, including five nationally-ranked schools. The Clan is 1-1 in the tournament, 5-3 overall, and has already surpassed its 2014 win total.
 
Trailing 5-0 against the Coyotes, Simon Fraser came through with four runs in the fourth and five in the fifth for the victory.
 
"We did not have any offensive threat at all and we were down and on the brink of having the game called," said head coach Mike Renney. "But then our bats broke out and we kept adjusting to their pitching changes to score runs."
 
The Coyotes used three different pitchers to stop the momentum.
 
Sophomore Stefanie Sheard (Winnipeg, MB) led the Clan offence, batting 3-for-4 with two doubles and with three RBI. Freshman Taylor Lundrigan (Abbotsford, BC) went 2-for-4 with 1 RBI.
 
CSUSB sent eight batters to the plate in the second and scored four runs. Freshman Alia Stachoski gave up six hits and all seven runs going four and two thirds innings.
 
Senior Kelsie Hawkins picked up the win in relief, pitching two and one third innings, giving up two hits.
 
In the opening game, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Mountain Lions scored the first 10 runs of the game and the Clan never recovered.
 
UCCS recorded half of its 14 hits and scored eight runs in the third inning.
 
 "After it was 10-0, I told the team it's gut-check time and we are going to find out what kind of character we have," said Renney. "We picked up six runs but it really was too little, too late."
 
The Clan scored six runs in the top of the fourth inning and recorded two home runs in the frame off the bats of Lundrigan, a two run shot to left field, and freshman Taylor Gillis (Langley, BC), a two-run shot to right.
 
Simon Fraser put its first two batters on base in the fifth inning, but a strikeout and pair of groundouts from the UCCS defense kept the game at 10-6 for the Mountain Lions.
 
The Mountain Lions recorded another run in the sixth to move ahead 11-6. Simon Fraser recorded back-to-back singles to open the seventh inning and scored the leadoff batter on another single down the left field line from Lundrigan, but couldn't add any more as the Mountain Lions claimed the 11-7 win.
 
"We didn't get any key hits when we had runners on and our defence did not help out our pitchers," said Renney.
 
Lundrigan went 2-for-4 with three RBI and was the only Clan player with multiple hits in the game.
 
Clan starter Jessica Goulet (Cambridge, ON) pitched the three-and-two-thirds innings giving up 10 hits and nine runs, four earned, while striking out three. She was tagged with the loss.
 
The Clan won four of six games in Hawaii, sweeping doubleheaders with Chaminade and BYU-Hawaii after starting the season 0-2.
 
Alex Baylak (Regina, BC) and Rachel Proctor (Surrey, BC) had great trips to Hawaii batting .476.  Baylak had 10 hits in 21 at bats, scored five runs and drove in five.  Proctor was also 10-of-21 and had four RBI.