LACEY, Wash. – Saint Martin's University hit a sixth inning homerun for a 1-0 win over Simon Fraser University, sweeping a doubleheader from the Clan on Monday in Lacey, Wash. The Saints won the opener 7-3.

SMU catcher Corrie Wilson hit a home run over the left-centre field wall with two outs in the sixth inning spoiling a superb pitching performance by the Clan's Tori Belton. The homerun was one of only three hits Belton gave up in the contest.

"Tori pitched a masterful game and Katherine Murnaghan called a great game behind the plate," said Renney. "It was a hitter's count and Wilson was waiting for her pitch, and when she finally got it, she swung for the fences and hit it out of the park."

Belton struck out five batters but saw her record fall to 7-6.

Simon Fraser had seven hits in the contest but couldn't generate any runs with runners in scoring position. "We were just not swinging aggressively enough," said Renney. "We didn't get any leadership offensively because everybody was waiting for someone else to start a rally and get it done."

Senior outfielder Rachel Proctor and senior infielder Stephanie Caron had two hits each. Proctor had a two-out double to right centre in the sixth that the Clan couldn't capitalize on. Earlier in the third inning, with Caron in scoring position, Proctor cracked a line drive to centre field but the SMU outfielder made a diving catch to end the inning.

The Saints are now 25-6 overall and lead the Great Northwest Athletic Conference with a 10-4 record. Simon Fraser is 18-16 overall and 9-9 in conference play. The Clan remains in the hunt for post-season play with 10 conference games remaining.

"It is going to be a mad scramble for the fourth playoff and we can't bank on a .500 record to get us in," said Renney. "There is so much parity in the conference but I think that fourth playoff team is going to need to be two games over .500 to get in."

Central Washington is second at 10-7 and Concordia is 5-5 in third spot. Simon Fraser has four games remaining against Concordia, including a re-scheduled doubleheader now set for Tuesday, April 12 at Beedie Field. That is the Clan's next home game.

In the 7-3 loss in Game 1, the Saints recorded seven runs on 10 hits while the Clan managed 10 hits and three runs.

SMU was the first to get on the scoreboard with two runs in the first inning. Simon Fraser came within one after a run in the second but the Saints added three more runs in the third and two in the fifth for a 7-1 lead.

The Clan would score a run in the sixth and a run in the seventh inning but that was all and SMU took the 7-3 win.

Simon Fraser used three different pitchers in the contest with starter Alia Stachoski getting tagged with the loss to fall to 9-7 after giving up seven hits and five runs in three innings of work.

Senior designated hitter Nicole Ratel had three hits in the contest.

SFU is back in action on Friday at the Stanislaus Invitational tournament in Turlock, Calif.  The Clan's home game against UBC originally scheduled for March 29^th has been cancelled.  

SFU closes out the regular season with three straight home doubleheaders.

Follow the SFU Clan softball team for behind the scenes pictures and more all season long on their official Instagram account @sfu_softball.

--@SFUClan--