BURNABY, B.C.—A day after eking out a pair of close contests, the Western Oregon University softball team was edged, 2-1 and 5-3, in a GNAC softball doubleheader at Simon Fraser University on Sunday.
With the results, Western Oregon dropped to 12-9 on the season and 2-2 in conference play. Simon Fraser jumped to 8-3 overall and 5-3 in GNAC contests.
Western Oregon will stay in Monmouth next week with its home opener scheduled for Saturday, March 17 against Saint Martin's. Opening pitch is set for 1 p.m. at the WOU softball field. The team will turn around and host Central Washington on Sunday, March 17 with a 12 p.m. start.
Game 1: Simon Fraser 2, Western Oregon 1
Despite being outhit 8-to-4, Simon Fraser held on for a 2-1 win over Western Oregon in the Sunday opener at Beedie Field.
WOU scored its lone run in the top of the third as Mariah Deleon placed a single to center field to plate Ryanne Huffman, who reached base on a two-out double to left. The Wolves managed to load the bases via a hit batter and a walk but stranded all three runners as SFU starter Jessica Tate escaped additional damage by inducing a pop up to first base.
The missed opportunity proved costly two innings later as SFU finally got to WOU starter Haley Fabian. Without recording an out, SFU loaded the bases with two singles and a WOU fielding error. The Wolves got the first out on a force out at home but a Dallas Tilley single to center sent two runners across the plate for a 2-1 lead. Fabian ended the threat by getting a grounder to second for an inning-ending double play.
After stranding the tying run on second in the 6th inning, the Wolves mounted one last rally in the 7th. Tyler Creach and Huffman came up with back-to-back one-out singles to place the go-ahead run on base, but were left without a score as Alia Stachoski closed out the game with consecutive groundouts.
Stachoski allowed three hits over the final two frames to earn the save while Tate registered the win. Fabian took the hard-luck loss after giving up two runs (one earned) and four hits over six innings.
Game 2: Simon Fraser 5, Western Oregon 3
Recovering after putting themselves into a 3-0 deficit, Simon Fraser scored five unanswered over the final five stanzas to defeat Western Oregon, 5-3, and complete the Sunday sweep over the Wolves.
The Wolves wasted little time grabbing the initial lead as Mariah Deleon slashed an RBI single down the left-field line to score teammate Tyler Creach. WOU padded its lead in the third with Deleon returning to the plate and smashing a 2-run homer to once again send Creach home.
SFU managed a single score in the 3rd and returned with three runs on three hits in the 4th to claim the lead. After the initial outburst by WOU, SFU's Stachoski allowed just one hit over the final four innings to earn the win. Holding WOU's No. 4-9 batters hitless in 16 charged at bats, Stachoski improved to 5-3 on the season.
Deleon ended the game with a 2-for-2 line with three RBI and a run scored.
