BURNABY, BC – Simon Fraser University split a pair of games against Northwest Nazarene Saturday afternoon at Beedie Field, taking three of four games from the Crusaders in their Great Northwest Athletic Conference series.
Simon Fraser improved its conference record to 5-7, good for sixth place in the conference. The Clan trails third place WWU (8-6), who visit Beedie Field on Wednesday. Montana State Billings and Central Washington are tied for fourth with 9-7 records.
The top four teams in the conference qualify for the post-season.
NNU is 2-14.
Simon Fraser dropped the opener against the Crusaders 11-3 but came back to win the second game 12-5.
Leading 2-0 in Game 1, Clan pitcher
Alia Stachoski gave up seven runs on eight hits in the fourth and was in trouble again in the fifth as the Crusaders scored 11 runs in the final two innings for the come-back win. The mercy rule was used after five innings and the game was halted.
"Our first game was a team loss," said Clan coach
Mike Renney. "While our pitching faltered, so did our offense."
Simon Fraser managed just five hits in the contest.
Alex Baylak cranked her third homerun of the season in the team's second at-bat for a 1-0 lead in the first that they stretched to 2-0 after two.
Stefanie Sheard also homered in the fourth inning to make the score 7-4.
In the second game, Simon Fraser broke open a one run ball game with three runs in the fifth inning and four in the sixth for a convincing 12-5 win.
Watch Game 2 here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOqqc_87-7E Simon Fraser opened with a four-run first when right fielder
Rachel Proctor followed back-to-back singles with a two RBI triple, her first three base hit of the season.
SFU squandered the lead in the top of the second when the Crusaders scored four runs of their own, chasing Clan starter
Jessica Goulet. Senior
Kelsie Hawkins came on with the bases loaded in the second to end the rally. She pitched five and a third innings, giving up three hits and one run, to pick up the win and improve to 7-4.
Hawkins pitched three strikeouts to move into fifth place on the Clan's all-time strikeout list.
"It was good to jump out and score four runs but equally disappointing to give them back on an off performance on the mound," said Renney. "Fortunately we were able to right the ship in time to nurse a one run lead until our offense came alive with some late insurance runs and a gutsy pitching performance from Hawkins in relief."
SFU lead 5-4 until the bottom of the fifth when their bats came back to life, scoring seven runs on five hits in the fifth and sixth innings.
Freshman second base
Taylor Lundrigan went 4-for-4, including a double, with three RBI, as the Clan scattered 12 hits throughout the contest.
SFU has a makeup doubleheader against conference leading St. Martin's University (8-2) scheduled for April 6 in Lacey, Washington, beginning at 2:00 PM.
