BURNABY, B.C. – The Simon Fraser softball team lost a pair of games as they started play Friday at the Tournament of Champions, presented by the City of Turlock, in California. The Red Leafs (6-26) dropped their opener 3-1 to California State San Bernardino, before being upended 5-0 by Chico State (California).
 
GAME 1 – California State San Bernardino 3, Simon Fraser 1
SFU took a first-inning lead but CSU San Bernardino tied the score in the second. Then the Coyotes added single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to win the close game.
 
Freshman shortstop Amy Hughes (Brampton, Ont.) led off the contest with an infield single before stealing second base. A groundout by sophomore Abby McGlynn (Langley, B.C.) moved Hughes to third. Sophomore right fielder Janique Balcaen (Winnipeg) then scored Hughes on an RBI fielder's choice.
 
Shortstop Alyssa Martinez evened the score in the second inning with a sacrifice fly that plated outfielder Hayden Greene, who got on base via a triple down the right-field line.
 
Greene's next at-bat was a single to commence the bottom of the fourth. She eventually came home on an Alyssa Rodriguez double to left-center field that put CSUSB up 2-1. However, sophomore SFU relief pitcher Shaneika Hollingworth got the final two outs of the inning to keep it a one-run contest.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, the Coyotes added an insurance run on an RBI single by Greene.
 

 
Down 3-1, the Red Leafs loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the sixth inning. Sophomore designated player Kristen Davyduke (Saskatoon) was primed to come home from third, rookie third baseman Cassidy Affeldt (Mission, B.C.) was at second, and rookie second baseman Laura Winters (Brooklin, Ont.) got to first via an error. However, relief pitcher Samantha Vargas got a strikeout to get out of trouble. She got the save after throwing a scoreless seventh inning.
 
Hughes led SFU with a pair of hits in three at-bats. Affeldt, McGlynn, Winters, sophomore first baseman Caitlin Zagari (Winnipeg) and freshman centerfielder Anika Janzen (Chilliwack, B.C.) had the other Red Leafs hits. Hughes also got her 20th stolen base of the season.
 
GAME 2 – Chico State (California) 5, Simon Fraser 0
Affeldt, Balcaen, Hughes and Zagari got the SFU hits against Chico State, whose three runs in the second inning were enough for the win.
 
The Red Leafs led off their half of the second with a Zagari single, which was followed by a double from Affeldt who moved to third to end the play. However, the Wildcats were able to get three consecutive outs and keep SFU off the scoreboard.
 
Chico State added a two-run Rachael Bles home run in the sixth inning to round out the scoring.
 
The Red Leafs will look to bounce back Saturday as they will play another pair of games at Pedretti Park, against California State Monterey Bay at 11:30 a.m., and Academy of Art (California) at 4:30 p.m.

The next SFU 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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