BURNABY, BC – Simon Fraser University won two games against Northwest Nazarene Crusaders the hard way Thursday evening in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader at Beedie Field.
Trailing 6-1, Simon Fraser rallied to score 11 runs in the fifth inning for a come-from-behind 13-6 win in game one. The Clan got a bases loaded single from left fielder
Robyn Mogavero in the bottom of the seventh for a 6-5 win in game two, after allowing the Crusaders to score two runs in the top of the seventh to tie the game 5-5.
The wins improved the Clan's conference record to 4-6, 15-17 overall. NNU is now 6-28 overall, 1-13 in the GNAC. Simon Fraser sits sixth in the conference and is trailing Western Washington (8-6) for the final playoff spot.
The four game series between the Clan and Crusaders continues on Saturday beginning at 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM. The games can be seen live in HD on Clan TV.
Game 1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkrJ0Dp51KUGame 2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOqqc_87-7E NNU outfielder Gatalina Schuster hit a two-run home run to spark the Crusader offense early in the first game, which built a 6-1 lead against Simon Fraser. But the Clan answered the Crusaders early offensive surge with an 11-run rally in the fifth to pull away for the victory. The Clan scored seven straight runners during the inning.
"I've said all along this season that we have tremendous offensive potential and we saw that materialize in the fifth inning," said Clan coach
Mike Renney. "A squeeze bunt by
Stefanie Sheard rattled the defence and enabled us to keep the rally going."
First base
Alex Baylak went 3-for-5 with four RBI including a walk-off homerun in the first inning that briefly gave the Clan an early lead before the Crusaders scored three runs in the second and third innings.
In the nightcap, NNU's Whitney Carlton snapped a 2-2 tie with a lead-off solo homer in the top of the fifth, giving the Crusaders a one-run lead with two-plus innings left to play. Simon Fraser answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth and added a run in the sixth for a 5-3 edge heading to the seventh.
Alia Stachowski came on in relief of starter
Jessica Goulet in the bottom of the sixth and was one out away from sealing a victory. NNU battled down to its final out, and with two on and two out Kendra Day came through with a game-tying, two-run single.
The comeback was spoiled in the bottom of the seventh as the Clan scored the game winning run on a bases loaded single, after
Danielle Raison and
Nicole Ratel singled to open the inning, and then with one out the Crusaders intentionally walked pinch hitter
Shelby McCannel to load the bases. Mogavero singled up the middle to score the winning run.
Mogavero had made an error on the game-tying hit by NNU in the top of the seventh and made a tough sliding catch for an out to end the inning.
"I am happy that Robyn had an opportunity to redeem herself because she has played well all season," said Renney. "She made a two run error to allow NNU to tie the game but came back twice, first with the tough catch to get the final out and the game-winning single."
Stachowski picked up both wins for the Clan to improve to 8-4.
