BURNABY, BC – Simon Fraser University began a six-game home stand that will likely determine its playoff fate by losing a Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader to Western Washington University, 9-3 and 6-1, Tuesday evening at Beedie Field.
 
Vikings outfielder Alexie Levin broke out of a 0-for-19 slump, with two extra-base hits and four runs batted in as the Vikings defeated the Clan, 9-3, in the opener. WWU, which won the nightcap, 6-1, improved to 21-15 overall and 10-6 in conference play, while SFU dropped to 16-22 overall and 5-11 in GNAC action.
 
Simon Fraser remains in the hunt for the post-season trailing a quartet of teams, including WWU, Western Oregon (7-5) Central Washington (9-7) and Montana State Billings (9-7) as the five teams battle for the final three playoff spots behind conference leading Saint Martin's (10-2).  
 
"The reality is that we are not tough enough mentally to compete and the clock is running out on this season and on this team," said head coach Mike Renney. "You can learn to win and you can learn to lose and this team has to develop a winning mindset. In close games like today we have to believe we can win but we have not managed the pressure of must-win games very well in terms of the mental approach."
 
SFU's Stefanie Sheard registered her third homerun of the season to draw the Clan to within a single run, 2-1, after three innings. But WWU's Levin had a lead-off home run and run-scoring double as WWU scored seven runs in the sixth inning to break open a one run ball game. The homer was Levin's first hit in seven games for last year's GNAC Player of the Year.
 
Clan starter Jessica Goulet went five and two thirds innings giving up 10 hits and nine runs. She gave way to outfielder Kendra Goodman for the final four outs of the game.
 
WWU starting pitcher Makinlee Sellevold allowed just one run in five innings of work. The other two SFU runs, both unearned, came in the sixth off reliever Shayna Adelstein.
 
In the nightcap, WWU got out to a 3-0 lead.
 
The Vikings scored two more in the sixth. Allie Crowe hit a solo home run over the centerfield fence, and Autum Isaacson doubled, stole third and scored. Isaacson also stole four bases.
 
WWU also got a run in the seventh.
 
Sellevold (17-7) went three innings before giving way to Adelstein, who gave up a home run in the fourth to Clan catcher Nicole Ratel, her second of the year, before shutting down SFU the rest of the way.
 
Simon Fraser starter Alia Stachoski gave up 13 hits, falling to 8-7 on the season.
 
The Clan is home for two GNAC doubleheaders this weekend, playing host to league-leading Saint Martin's on Saturday (1:00 PM) and Western Oregon on Sunday (1:00 PM) on campus.