TUCSON – Hanna Finkelstein and Janique Balcaen crushed homeruns and Simon Fraser exploded for 18 hits to win the final game at the D2 Cactus Softball Classic 13-5 over Western New Mexico Sunday at Lincoln Park.
 
SFU won its opening two games of the tournament over Eastern New Mexico, 7-3, and California of Pennsylvania, 11-3, and lost Saturday's games 6-2 to Colorado Christian and 4-3 to Colorado Mesa, to finish the tournament 3-2.
 
First base Finkelstein and right fielder Balcaen both hit dingers and SFU had multiple hits from seven different athletes and seven multiple base hits.
 
Trailing 3-0 after the top of the first, Finkelstein responded in her first at-bat, crushing a two-run homerun over the left field fence to score Alex Ogg. It was her second home run of the tournament. Three batters later Georgia Ogg doubled to left field to score Chelsea Hotner and end the inning tied 3-3.
 
The hit parade continued into the third inning when SFU scored three more times for a 6-3 advantage. After the Mustangs scored twice in the top of the fifth to close the gap to 6-5, SFU responded with four more runs in the fifth and three in the sixth.  
 
In the third inning, back-to-back RBI doubles by short stop Hannah Boulanger, to right field, and Balcaen, to left center, and a sacrifice fly by left fielder Abby McGlynn scored the runs.
 
The bottom of the fifth was highlighted by pinch hitter Kristen Davyduke doubling to right field to score two runners. Alex Ogg singled to score McGlynn, who re-entered the game for Davyduke, and then Ogg scored two batters later.
 
Balcaen led-off the sixth with a solo homerun over the right field fence and Caitlin Zagari hit a two RBI double to a gap in centre field to score Georgia Ogg, who reached base on an error, from  third and Rebecca Kirkpatrick, who singled up the middle, from second.
 
SFU received offense throughout its lineup. Second base Kirkpatrick was a spark plug, going 3-for-4 at the plate, stealing two bases and scoring twice. Alex Ogg had two hits and two runs. Balcaen had two hits—a double and a homerun—and two runs. Designated player Zagari had three hits, including a double, and two RBIs in four plate appearances.
 
Pitcher Anissa Zacharczuk gave up 11 hits and all five runs while striking out two batters to improve her record to 2-1.
 
SFU will play three straight non-conference games against California State San Marcos, with a doubleheader scheduled for Tuesday (noon) and a single game on Wednesday (noon). SFU hosts its first home doubleheader on February 26 against Central Washington at Beedie Field, beginning at noon.
 
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