The Simon Fraser University softball team split their doubleheader on Sunday with the Central Washington Wildcats, winning game one 4-3 before dropping game two 3-1.
"There's a lot of parity in the conference," said head coach Mike Renney in a Clan press release. "Obviously when you win the first game you're looking to come away with the sweep, but it didn't work out today.
The Clan jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the opener with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning.
Trisha Bouchard got things started with a walk. She stole second and then took third on a wild pitch.
The wild pitch was ball four to Kelsey Haberl of Burnaby, putting runners on first and third for SFU with one out.
Leah Riske then drew a walk to load the bases, setting the stage for Megan Durrant, who singled home Bouchard for the Clan's first run of the game.
With two outs, Brittany Ribeiro of Burnaby singled in Haberl, pushing the Clan's lead to 2-0.
Things appeared to be going SFU's way as the Clan added single runs in the third and fifth inning to make it 4-0.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Wildcats attempted to mount a comeback, scoring two runs on two hits and an error, cutting the Clan lead in half.
The Clan responded in the sixth by loading the bases but stranded all three runners on base leaving the score at 4-2 for the Clan.
In the bottom of the sixth, CWU added another run and had the tying run on base but could not score.
Central Washington threatened once again in the bottom of the seventh but the Clan threw the tying run out at the plate after a one-out double by Liz Jusko.
Cara Lukawesky went the distance for SFU, allowing three runs, all of them earned, recording her 15th victory of the season.
In game two, the Wildcats opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning with a pair of runs on two hits, a walk and a hit by pitch.
The Clan responded with a run of their own in the second, when Durrant scored on a sacrifice fly from Rosie Murphy.
Central Washington added one more in the bottom of the fifth leaving the Clan to try and battle back late in the game.
It looked as though SFU was going to do just that after Kaitlyn Cameron led off the seventh with a single, followed by a Lauren Mew double to put runners on second and third with no one out.
But Central Washington then forced SFU to three ground outs to end the game and give the Wildcats the win.
Kelsie Hawkins took the loss in game two, allowing three runs, all of them earned, as her record drops to 10-6 on the season.
"Our offence has struggled and we need more support there. Central Washington is a tough team, and it just goes to show that you can't take a game off in our conference," finished Renney.
The split moves the Clan's Great Northwest Athletic Conference record to 18-10 on the season while their overall record is now 25-11.
The SFU softball team will be back in action at Beedie Field this Thursday, April 19 when they take on the Northwest Nazarene Crusaders in a doubleheader, beginning at 3:00 p.m.
