BURNABY, B.C. – The Simon Fraser softball team beat Western Oregon twice Sunday to complete a perfect opening weekend of Great Northwest Athletic Conference play on home turf at Beedie Field.

After taking two games from WOU Saturday, SFU won today's matchups 11-2 in five innings and 6-5 in eight.

"Offensively, they picked key moments to pull off the clutch hits," said SFU head coach Tina Andreana of her players. "Hanna Finkelstein did a great job in the last inning of that last game, as did Megan (Duclos) by getting on with a bunt. It's tough to beat a good team four times, and our team came together to do that really well."

The contests were the first at home for Canada's NCAA team since March 8, 2020. SFU (9-6, 4-0 GNAC) has won six of its last seven games.

GAME 1 | Simon Fraser 11, Western Oregon 2 (5 innings)
Down 2-0 after a half inning, SFU replied by scoring 10 times in the bottom of the first en route to a run-rule triumph.

Junior Hannah Boulanger got SFU's opening run by drawing a bases-loaded walk. Then three-consecutive RBI singles, by freshman Caitlin Zagari, sophomore Rebecca Kirkpatrick, and sophomore Georgia Ogg, made it 4-2 for the home side.

With the bases still loaded, sophomore Megan Duclos earned a walk, triggering a WOU pitching change with her squad up 5-2.

SFU continued the offensive onslaught with Alex Ogg plating a run on a bunt single in her second at-bat of the inning. Junior Hanna Finkelstein drove in two more with a single up the middle to put her team in front 8-2.

Alex Ogg came home on a double steal, before freshman Janique Balcaen finished the scoring in the inning with an RBI single. With 10 runs on eight hits in the first inning, SFU led 10-2.

The team added another run in the third on an Alex Ogg RBI single. She led Simon Fraser at the plate with three hits in three at-bats. She drove in two runs, as did Finkelstein, who was 2-for-2 batting with a couple of runs scored. She also stole two bases.  

Anissa Zacharczuk (6-3) pitched all five innings to earn her sixth victory of the season.
 

GAME 2 | Simon Fraser 6, Western Oregon 5 (8 innings)
Finkelstein's RBI single to right-center field in the bottom of the eighth inning gave SFU the 6-5 triumph. It completed the comeback from being down 4-0.

"I was thinking all I have to do is score the runner by putting the ball to the right side any way I can, and getting her home," said Finkelstein of her approach to the last at-bat, which gave SFU its second walk-off win of the weekend.

Finkelstein's hit scored sophomore Megan Duclos, who began the eighth with a bunt single before getting into scoring position with a stolen base.

The Wolves plated three runs in the top of the first inning, and tacked on another in the third.

SFU's comeback began with a pair of fourth-inning runs. Kirkpatrick hit an RBI double to right center and later scored on a Georgia Ogg single up the middle.

The team took the lead in the fifth by scoring three times. Balcaen hit an RBI double to left to bring SFU to within a run of WOU at 4-3. The Wolves made a pitching change but after a walk, Zagari drove a single to right to plate the tying score. Kirkpatrick, the next batter, knocked a full-count pitch to left for an RBI single that put SFU ahead 5-4.

The visitors made it 5-5 in the seventh, forcing an extra inning.

"We came out of yesterday feeling really good, and wanted to come back and do the same thing again today," said Finkelstein. "I never feel worried when this team falls behind because I trust our bats so much. So it's a really good feeling knowing if I'm not able to do something, everyone else will be able to pick me up."

Rookie pitcher Shaneika Hollingworth earned the complete-game victory in her first career start. She is 2-0 on the season after gaining her first win as a university player on Saturday.

Alex Ogg's three hits and Kirkpatrick's two runs batted in led all SFU players.

The next action for SFU will be at Saint Martin's (Wash.) next weekend. The teams will contest doubleheaders Saturday (1 p.m.) and Sunday (noon) in Lacey, Washington.

For the latest information on SFU Athletics, visit https://athletics.sfu.ca. You can also find us on social media at @SFU_Athletics.

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