BURNABY, B.C. – The Simon Fraser Red Leafs were upended 11-3 (six innings) and 14-7 (nine innings) by Northwest Nazarene (Idaho) in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference softball doubleheader Saturday in Burnaby, B.C.

Snow on the grass at Beedie Field delayed the first pitch but SFU equipment room staff cleared and prepared the playing surface in time for the teams to get two games in.

"We needed a bounce-back day after searching for positives in a couple lopsided losses on Friday, and we came out fighting after weather delayed our start on Saturday," said interim SFU head coach Stacy Fournier. "It was good to see the fight from our team, both offensively and in the circle, and we gave ourselves a chance to go toe-to-toe with a solid NNU team. At one point, we were a strike away from winning the second game, and then we had the winning run 60 feet away, but just couldn't quite get the job done. We continue to grow and learn and I look forward to seeing what this team can do as we gain experience in many aspects of the game."

GAME 1 – Northwest Nazarene 11, Simon Fraser 3 (six innings)
The Nighthawks (16-11, 7-1 GNAC), defending GNAC champions, had three home runs en route to the win.

Maia McNicoll hit a two-run shot to open the scoring in the first inning. Abigail Gagnon, the next batter, sent a ball over the fence as well. Both went to left field. Gagnon hit a two-run home run – to left center – in the sixth to put her team up 11-1. They each posted three runs batted in.

The Red Leafs (6-24, 1-11 GNAC) got on the scoreboard in their half of the first inning. Sophomore catcher Kristen Davyduke (Saskatoon) drove a single to center field to plate junior outfielder Megan Duclos (Saint-Eustache, Que.) from second base.

NNU added a pair of runs in the second. Then the Nighthawks scored a half-dozen on five hits – capped off by Gagnon's home run – in the top of the sixth.

In the bottom of the sixth, SFU sophomore outfielder Janique Balcaen (Winnipeg) and sophomore outfielder Abby McGlynn (Langley, B.C.) got to third and second base, respectively, with one out. Sophomore infielder Caitlin Zagari (Winnipeg) brought Balcaen home with an RBI single. McGlynn scored on the next play, a sacrifice fly by rookie infielder Cassidy Affeldt (Mission, B.C.). However, the Nighthawks were able to get a fly out on the ensuing sequence play to complete the run-rule victory.

Zagari had two hits to lead the Red Leafs, who also got hits from Affeldt, Balcaen, Davyduke, Duclos, McGlynn and sophomore infielder Avery Barker (Abbotsford, B.C.).  

GAME 2 – Northwest Nazarene 14, Simon Fraser 7 (nine innings)
The two teams put on an exciting display of softball to conclude the weekend.

SFU's two leading home run hitters – Affeldt and Davyduke – added to their season totals, and posted three RBIs each. They helped put the Red Leafs in front 5-2 in Game 2, but NNU was able to complete the comeback and triumph in extra innings.

Affeldt's second-inning RBI single gave SFU a 1-0 lead before the Nighthawks took a 2-1 edge in the third.
 

In her second at-bat of the game, Affeldt hit a two-run home run to center field to push the Red Leafs ahead 3-2 as Zagari also scored. It was Affeldt's sixth home run of the 2023 NCAA softball season, the most on the SFU roster.

The hosts extended their lead to 5-2 in the fifth after Davyduke sent her fifth home run of the year over the wall in center field.

NNU answered back with a couple of runs in the sixth. Then down to their last strike in the seventh inning and facing a loss, the Nighthawks evened the score at 5-5 with a two-out Sidney Booth double that scored Tori Hensley.

Duclos opened the bottom of the seventh with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from rookie shortstop Amy Hughes (Brampton, Ont.), and went to third on a wild pitch. Balcaen walked to place Red Leafs runners on first and third. NNU forced a lineout to center field, but walked McGlynn to load the bases. After a pitching change, Sidney Booth went into the circle and got a strikeout to send the game to extra innings.
 

Sophomore Shaneika Hollingworth drove a two-out, pinch-hit double to right field in the bottom of the eighth. It was the first career hit at the university level for the Maple Ridge, B.C., pitcher. But the Nighthawks got out of the jam again by inducing a pop up on the ensuing play. They took advantage in the next inning, scoring nine runs on seven hits and a pair of errors in the ninth.

SFU did not stop fighting. Hughes started the ninth with a double, followed by singles from Balcaen, Davyduke and McGlynn. The latter two's hits scored single runs to close the Red Leafs' deficit to 14-7. NNU brought in Charlotte Forniss to pitch, and she got a strikeout and a double play to end the game.

Affeldt, Balcaen, Davyduke, Duclos, Hughes and McGlynn each had two hits for SFU.
 
The Red Leafs, and the entire GNAC, will take next week off from conference play to take part in the Tournament of Champions, presented by the City of Turlock, in California. SFU will have five games against CCAA and PacWest opponents between March 31 and April 2.
 
The next home games at Beedie Field will be April 7-8 against Saint Martin's (Washington).
 
Online ticket links:
April 7: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/sfu-softball-vs-saint-martins-university-double-header-tickets-528764798747
April 8: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/sfu-softball-vs-saint-martins-university-double-header-tickets-528766403547
 
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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