HAPPY VALLEY, Ore. – The Simon Fraser University softball team staged an epic comeback on the final day of the Northwest Cup on Sunday, earning a split in two games with a dramatic 8-7 comeback victory over Oregon Tech. after falling 10-8 to Eastern Oregon in nine innings in the first game.
The Oregon Institute of Technology built a 7-0 lead through five innings, with the Clan giving up runs in the fifth when SFU head coach
Mike Renney made two pitching changes.
"We were 60 feet away from the mercy rule with a runner at third but we got a glimmer of hope with that out and that glimmer grew brighter and brighter and the next thing you know we are defending a lead in the seventh," said Renney.
"We used four pitchers, two catchers and all but one player played so it was a total team victory," he said.
Renney, who has coached the Clan since 1995, could only recall one other game where there was a bigger comeback win.
Trailing by seven runs, Simon Fraser's bats finally came alive with four runs in the sixth and seventh innings. In the sixth, sophomore
Meghan Malkowich got things started for the Clan with a single to third base before the Oregon Tech pitcher walked
Marina DeAngelis and advanced both runners on a wild pitch. Lundrigan then hit a two-RBI triple to score SFU's first runs of the game and Ratel followed that with her second home run of the day to cut OIT's lead down to three.
Pitcher
Tori Belton entered the game in the bottom of the sixth and held the Owls off the scoreboard in a bases-loaded situation to keep the score at 7-4.
In the seventh inning, Oregon Tech surrendered a lead-off walk followed by a single to put two Simon Fraser runners on base.
Kendra Goodman sent a double to left centre to score
Hailey Gearey from second. Two batters later,
Samantha Ruffett crossed home plate as Caron reached on a fielder's choice. Next up, Lundrigan singled to drive in Goodman to tie the game at seven. After Ratel grounded out and advanced the two base runners,
Rachel Proctor came up with her first hit of the contest to score Caron and give the Clan an 8-7 lead. SFU left two players on base to end the top of the inning but hung on in the bottom of the frame for the win.
Lundrigan continues to be consistent at the plate, going 2-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored. Six other players had a hit to account for Simon Fraser's eight in the contest. All four SFU pitchers made an appearance and combined to give up seven runs on 15 hits and walking six batters. Starting pitcher
Jessica Goulet was replaced in the fifth inning but picked up two outs in the seventh to earn the save. Belton was credited as the winning pitcher.
In the first game of the day against Eastern Oregon, SFU jumped out in front with a 3-0 lead in the top of the first.
Taylor Gillis and
Stephanie Caron each hit a single to reach base and were advanced into scoring position off an EOU error.
Taylor Lundrigan stepped up to the plate to deliver a two-RBI single to left field. She would later score the Clan's third run of the inning off a double by
Alex Baylak.
Nicole Ratel's first home run of the season in the top of the third inning helped Simon Fraser add three more runs to their lead, making it 6-0.
Everything seemed to be going right for the Clan until the bottom of the inning. EOU led off the bottom of the third with a solo homer to centre field. Three batters later, the Mountaineers' Marisa Gonzalez sends another ball out of the park to score three more runs for Eastern Washington, cutting the lead to 6-4. The game was delayed for 26 minutes due to rain but that didn't douse the hot bats of EOU as Alex Shuster hit a two-run dinger to left field, tying the game up at 6-6.
The game would remain deadlocked for the next four innings, sending the contest to extra innings. Neither team scored in the eighth but Simon Fraser tallied two runs in the top of the ninth to take an 8-6 lead. Eastern Oregon would score a run in the bottom of the inning on a passed ball by SFU to make it just a one-run game. With no outs and runners on second and third, EOU's next batter Cheyenne Barker delivered a three-run walk-off home run to lift the Mountaineers to a 10-8 victory.
Ratel had a game-high four RBI off two hits while Lundrigan was 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Baylak went 3-for-5 during the game, driving in a run and scored a run. Sophomore pitcher
Alia Stachoski faced 19 batters in three innings of work and gave up six runs on seven hits. She had six strikeouts but surrendered three home runs to allow EOU to get back into the game in the third inning.
Tori Belton entered the game in the fourth inning and was charged with the loss as she conceded four runs on four hits in five innings pitched.
The conclusion of the Northwest Cup marks the end of the non-conference schedule for the Clan, who has an overall record of 9-7 through 16 games this season.
Simon Fraser's Great Northwest Athletics Conference games begin this weekend with home-and-home doubleheaders against Western Washington on Saturday and Sunday. Fans can watch the Clan's home games live on Clan TV at athletics.sfu.ca/LIVE.
Follow the SFU Clan softball team for behind the scenes pictures and more all season long on their official Instagram account.
--@SFUClan--
