BURNABY, B.C. – Junior
Megan Duclos of Saint-Eustache, Que., stole a school-record four bases for Simon Fraser in the Red Leafs' 6-3 win over Fort Lewis (Colorado) Sunday at the South Central Regional Challenge in Los Lunas, New Mexico. It also tied the Great Northwest Athletic Conference record for stolen bases in a game.
The win was the tournament finale for SFU, which fell to 9-8 in its first game Sunday toColorado State Pueblo. The Red Leafs went 2-4 at the season-opening tournament as
Stacy Fournier debuted as the program's interim head coach.
In total, Duclos had 16 hits for a .593 batting average, 10 runs scored, and nine stolen bases, leading not just the Red Leafs, but all of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in those categories this weekend. Freshman
Cassidy Affeldt (Mission, B.C.) and sophomore
Abby McGlynn (Langley, B.C.) recorded 12 hits each. McGlynn drove in a team- and a GNAC-best 12 runs. Affeldt and sophomore
Kristen Davyduke (Saskatoon) both hit three home runs to lead SFU and the conference.
As a team, the Red Leafs hit .351 over the six games in New Mexico, drew 27 walks and stole 17 bases without getting caught.
Colorado State Pueblo 9, Simon Fraser 8
SFU recorded five runs in the top of the sixth inning to tie its game against CSUP, but the ThunderWolves scored in the bottom half of the inning to earn the win.
The Red Leafs entered the sixth down 8-3. Freshman
Breanne Beardsall (Barrie, Ont.) led off with a pinch-hit single. A Duclos walk and a single by McGlynn loaded the bases. Beardsall then came home on a passed ball. Duclos did the same on an error to make it 8-5. McGlynn added another run, reaching home on passed ball. Later in the inning, sophomore
Caitlin Zagari (Winnipeg) scored on an error by the CSUP catcher before freshman
Amy Hughes (Brampton, Ont.) tied the game at 8-8 with a sacrifice fly.
The ThunderWolves' Raelynn Rogers notched the winning run on a two-out wild pitch in the sixth.
Duclos and McGlynn had three hits apiece, while Hughes and Zagari drove in two runs each.
Simon Fraser 6, Fort Lewis (Colorado) 3
In addition to Duclos' record-setting work on the base paths, SFU got its best pitching of the weekend as sophomore
Nevada Johnson (Delta, B.C.) threw a complete-game victory.
A transfer from the University of B.C.-Okanagan, Johnson gave up two earned runs and seven hits in seven innings of work. She improved to 2-2 on the year.
McGlynn doubled to center field in the bottom of the fourth inning to score Duclos and Beardsall and give the Red Leafs a 3-1 advantage.
Affeldt opened the fifth with a solo home run, stretching the lead to 4-1. The Skyhawks cut the deficit to 4-3 in the top of the sixth. But SFU answered back with a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth. Duclos singled and then stole second to start the inning. She then reached home on a McGlynn double to left center. She scored the final run of the game on an Affeldt RBI groundout.
In the seventh, Johnson retired the FLC batters in order to secure the triumph.
McGlynn drove in three runs, and had two hits as did Duclos and sophomore
Janique Balcaen (Winnipeg).
SFU's next action will be at the D2 Cactus Classic in Tucson, Arizona. The team will play five games between Feb. 17 and 19.
The first Red Leafs doubleheader at home will take place Sunday, March 5 at Beedie Field against Western Washington.
TICKET LINKS
Season tickets:
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/sfu-softball-season-pass-2023-tickets-528774808687
Single-game tickets:
https://www.eventbrite.ca/o/sfu-athletics-17612353468
For the latest information on SFU Athletics, visit
athletics.sfu.ca. You can also find us on social media at @SFU_Athletics.
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